STILL WATERS by Shirlee McCoy

From the backcover:

A TOWN IN JEOPARDY

A window smashed. A local teenager assaulted. The close-knit community of Lakeview is panicked when a gang of unruly teens wreaks havoc in this sleepy Virginia hamlet. But Sheriff Jake Reed, a former D.C. cop, seems just the man to put a stop to the vandalism.

A WOMAN IN DANGER

Tiffany Anderson thought the so-called "crime-wave" was nothing but a bunch of summer boys with too much money and time on their hands. But when she suddenly becomes the gang's target, Tiffany must cling to other faith that God will send a protector her way...

A MAN OF SECRETS

Keeping an eye on Tiffany in the line of duty, Jake finds himself drawn to the feisty redhead who reaches out to the needy. But haunted by his troubled past, he's leery of spending time with a woman who evokes feelings he'd thought long buried. Then Tiffany vanishes, and Jake can only pray he'll find her in time. Because suddenly he understands that God didn't mean for him to be alone, but to share his life with the woman who shares his faith.

Camy here:

This is a beautiful romance, although I didn't think the suspense element was very strong. There were very suspenseful moments, well-timed, that kept the pace of the story, but there didn't seem to be that tense aura of danger overshadowing the action. Center stage is the love story of Jake and Tiffany.

The plot draws Jake's change of heart with a very skillful, delicate hand. It was gradual, believable and satisfying to watch as he realizes the flaws in his preconceived notions about marriage for his life. The characters are consistent and realistic. Tiffany's own fears about her singleness and her willingness to "compromise" in order to ensure security in a married relationship are time-worn issues many single women will relate to. I didn't particularly like her snotty boyfriend, but then again, I wasn't meant to.

The author handled the faith element with skill and elegance. Nothing "in your face" or preachy, no "Christian-ese" language or blind, unrealistic belief. It was wonderfully satisfying to see Inspirational fiction written with such natural grace.

In all, a lovely romance, well-written and entertaining. I look forward to more from this author.

Categories:

book-reviews

Comments

Brainstorm - character occupation

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 Hey guys, I could use some help. In my current manuscript, The Year of the Dog , which is a humorous contemporary romance, I have a minor character, Eddie. He’s my heroine’s ex-boyfriend, and they’re on good terms with each other. He’s a bit irresponsible, but not so much so that he’s a complete loser. He’s got a very easy going attitude, he forgets to pay his bills sometimes, he’s friendly and charming. He’s adventurous and fun to be around, but he’s a little forgetful sometimes, and he tends to spend a little outside his income. I need an occupation for him. What would a charming, easy going, slightly irresponsible guy do for a living? He’s not too irresponsible, because otherwise readers will wonder what in the world my heroine saw in him to date him in the first place. She was attracted to his charm, his easy going attitude (her family’s uptight, and he was a nice contrast), and his adventurousness. But his forgetfulness and irresponsibility ...

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou...

Lavender hand lotion

Captain's Log, Stardate 11.05.2009 I have to tell you, I LOVE Etsy.com ! Etsy is dedicated to providing a marketplace for people who like to make handmade products and people who appreciate them (and buy them). It has everything from handmade gifts (like my mom’s Bucilla Christmas stockings and ornaments and tree skirts and wall hangings and … well, just click here to see what she has! ) to soaps and lotions and jewelry and knitted items and hand-painted yarn and ... I could surf that website for DAYS. Anyway, lately I’ve been concerned about the lead content in my lotions, especially since I’m using them more now that it’s turned colder and drier here in California. I have to use lotion on my hands everytime after I wash them. So I went onto Etsy and searched for organic hand lotions, and bought this lavender lotion from Lue Cosmetics . What was really nice is that the owner, Jane, sent me a direct message via Etsy right after I made the purchase to ask if I’d received it yet and ...

I got my cover!

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. Eyes of Elisha by Brandilyn Collins Tangerine by Marilynn Griffith I GOT MY COVER!!!! What do you guys think?

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th...

Search This Blog