Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Return to Me by Robin Lee Hatcher



This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing

by
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin is the author of over fifty novels, including Catching Katie, named one of the Best Books of 2004 by Library Journal. Winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, two RITA Awards for Best Inspirational Romance, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. Robin, who is also one of our CFBA members, lives in Boise, Idaho.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Discouraged and destitute, her dreams shattered, Roxy Burke is going home. But what lies beyond the front door?
Rejection...or a bright future?
A lot has changed since Roxy Burke escaped small town life to become a Nashville star. Her former boyfriend Wyatt has found Christ and plans to become a minister. Her sister Elena, who comforted Wyatt when Roxy ran away, is now his fiancee. Her father Jonathan, a successful businessman, is heartbroken over the estrangement of Roxy from the family.
Now Roxy...her inheritance from her grandmother squandered, her hopes of stardom dashed...finds her way home...not by choice but because it's her only option. Her father's love and forgiveness surprise her, but her very presence throws the contented Burke family into turmoil, filling Roxy with guilt and shame.
Elena is shocked to discover doubt and resentment in her heart after her father's easy acceptance of Roxy into the family circle. Wyatt wrestles with doubts about marrying Elena. And Roxy struggles to accept forgiveness. Isn't she more deserving of rejection? As the story of the prodigal plays out, each member of the Burke family must search for and accept God's grace.
Update:
August 19, 2007 - very early in the morning
If you don't read anything else by Robin Lee Hatcher, at least read Return to Me.
I'm a fan. The first book I remember reading by Robin is Liberty Blue. I think that has been re-released as a CBA book. Another favorite is Ribbon of Years.
But you're here to find out about Return to Me.
A writer's desire is to hook the reader from the very first sentence. Return To Me's prologue sets up Roxy's fall - a twenty-five year old ready to take on the world, sure she's going to conquer it. (Haven't we all been there at one point or another in our lives?).
Yet it's Chapter One that catches the essence of the story. If I may, here is Robin's opening line:
"There exists a strange moment between sleep and wakefulness when dreams cease and realism remains at bay. That was when Roxy's heart spoke to her."
Return to Me is full of subtle conflict. It's the kind of conflict that's real, where the characters leap off the page. I loved how Robin wove in Roxy and her sister Elena's past as each chapter unfolded. It brought me closer to where they'd been and who they are now.
Whether you're a fellow writer, fan of Robin Lee Hatcher, or just someone who enjoys a good read - You need to read Return to Me.

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