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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What about A Sparkle of Silver Shines Bright?

by Chautona Havig · 4 Comments

It happened again. If past experiences hadn’t worked out so well, I might have cried.  Okay, if I was a crier. I suppose there is that.

Liz Johnson started talking about her upcoming book—a mystery that takes place in Savannah, Georgia.  In the 1920’s. Being solved today.  Big old house. The works.

And sitting in my laptop was a new book—Savannah, Georgia. Old plantation-type home. In a grand tradition of days past, the owner has an annual long weekend house party.  This year’s theme—1920s.  And then there’s that body…

Once more, Liz Johnson and I came up with the same idea… totally different.

I for one, couldn’t wait to read hers.

The book arrived and after a look at my editorial calendar, I  marked it down to read the week of September 17th. For weeks, I gazed longingly at it.  Alas, I had deadlines.  Must. Meet. Deadlines.

On September 17th, I got a call. Within hours, I was packed to fly to Tulsa. A Sparkle of Silver went right on top of my suitcase. I’d read it from my brother’s hospital room—a bright spot in an otherwise awful time.

Never cracked it open. There was that whole getting to meet nieces for the first time, visiting with my mom, and doing “sister stuff” with my only sister.  I came home without having even peeked into it.  And with even more looming deadlines.

There was just one problem.I couldn’t schedule time to read that book until October 25th now!  Aaak!

But there I was this morning, hunkered down in my covers when I was supposed to be sleeping… reading when I was supposed to be sleeping.  Like a kid.  All over again.

Bliss.

What about A Sparkle of Silver Shines Bright?

Note: links may be affiliates that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. Additionally, I requested a review copy of this book. Opinions are mine and not influenced by the ARC.

What about A Sparkle of Silver Shines Bright?

First off, I should state that I knew I’d love this book.  After reading many of Liz Johnson’s other books and loving them all, there was no doubt—especially after I read that intriguing synopsis.

The question was… how much?  Would A Sparkle of Silver make my top 10 of 2018 list?  Would I be raving about it to anyone who would listen? (Not that I’ve ever done that….) Would the author beg me to shut up about it already?

Or would it just be one of those books that I recommend anytime someone said Savannah, 1920s, dual-timeline novel, or Liz Johnson?

Yeah… how about all of the above?

In a style unique to her, Ms. Johnson transports us to the salt breezes of Savannah, Georgia—and transports us in time, too. Careful, well-chosen words give us insight into Ben’s and Millie’s characters—often with subtext rather than overt description.

So while most readers probably swooned over kisses in a hidden room, I swooned over excellent writing and capturing the essence of wonderful characters.  My heart squeezed at Grandma Joy’s dementia.  I know all too well the pain that comes when a loved one doesn’t remember you. She captured that perfectly, too.

The book slips effortlessly between today and yesterday through the journal entries, and unlike many books with an epistolary side, these entries are meaty and paint a full, broad, rich picture.

Adding to the mystery of who, what, and why, there’s also a sort of treasure hunt… of where.

I devoured A Sparkle of Silver in a matter of a few short hours. It helps when you’re a fast reader.  And now… now all I can think of is sneaking away to reread certain parts.  Finding the journal, exploring the house, visiting with the delightful old grandma…

What shines bright about this book?  How about setting, description, characters, plots, themes… What about the whole blasted thing?

Yeah. I need a second look at this book.  And will someone please tell me A Glitter of Gold will be out SOON?  Be merciful. Lie if necessary.

I’m waiting.

A Sparkle of Silver--Liz JohnsonAbout the book

Title: A Sparkle of Silver

Author: Liz Johnson

Synopsis:  Ninety years ago, Millie Sullivan’s great-grandmother was a guest at oil tycoon Howard Dawkins’ palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia. Now, Millie plays a 1920s-era guest during tours of the same manor. But when her grandmother suggests that there is a lost diary containing the location of a hidden treasure on the estate, along with the true identity of Millie’s great-grandfather, Millie sets out to find the truth of her heritage–and the fortune that might be hers.

When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate’s private library, he threatens to have her fired. But her story seems almost too ludicrous to be fiction, and her offer to split the treasure is too tempting to pass up . . .

Get ready for a romantic escapade through dark halls and dusty corners that will have you holding your breath and sighing with delight as two charming characters get caught up in the adventure of uncovering the past and finding their way to an unexpected future.

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Comments

  1. Connie Mechling says

    October 24, 2018 at 6:41 am

    Wow! I’m intrigued, hope to purchase it soon.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      October 24, 2018 at 5:58 pm

      It’s seriously a wonderful book.

      Reply
  2. Patty says

    October 23, 2018 at 5:13 pm

    I just read her three PEI books in quick succession, loved them! This one should hit my mailbox in a few days.

    As for A Glitter of Gold, I hadn’t even heard the name?.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      October 23, 2018 at 5:43 pm

      It’s the next in the series. EEEP

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
byChautona Havig

Nothing says fairy tale like a sweet western romance by an author like Karen Witemeyer… unless it’s a fairytale retelling set in Texas in the late 19th century, right?  Fairest of Heart takes the familiar “Snow White” and turns it on its head with retired cowboys, a self-absorbed actress, a Texas Ranger, and a sweet girl who knows the true Source of her beauty.  Listen in to see all the genius Easter eggs Witemeyer planted in this book.

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Sometimes All a Girl Needs Is a True Change of Heart

I fell in love with the cover of Karen Witemeyer’s Head Over Heels a few years back (only to learn it’s much older than that, even), and meant to read that book.  I didn’t.  #BecauseIdiot. Well, that’ll be rectified just as soon as I’m done listening to her first book in a trilogy of fairytale retellings. I loaded it up on my Audible app tonight and wheeeeeeee. Here I go! So much for no new books until October. HA! 

Karen talks about her heart for young women today and how they’re taught by every bit of media blasting at them that they need to use their bodies to get what they need or want when the Lord has a better plan. And I can’t guarantee it, but I strongly suspect she does it without preaching. SQUEE!

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Once upon a time in Texas . . .

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters–and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young lady found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope’s acting troupe, and all evidence points to Penelope’s guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.

You can learn more about Karen Witemeyer and her books on her WEBSITE. Don’t forget the book is 30% off on BakerBookHouse.com.  

Follow Karen on BookBub and GoodReads.

And don’t forget her Posse Group on Facebook.

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Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
September 29, 2023
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September 26, 2023
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Episode 262: Chatting about The Legacy of Longdale Manor with Carrie Turansky
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Episode 261: Chatting with Christian Youth Fiction Author, Candice Yamnitz
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Episode 260: A Chat with Rachel Hauck
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