‘The Lightkeeper’s Ball’ by Colleen Coble – Book Review and Interview

One of my favorite authors in the Christian Romance genre is Colleen Coble, a fellow Midwesterner (she lives in Indiana; I live in Michigan). I recently had the opportunity to read her latest book in the ‘Mercy Falls Series,’ ‘The Lightkeeper’s Ball.’

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

At the elegant Mercy Falls masquerade ball, Olivia’s hidden identity will be revealed. It is the dawn of a new century and Olivia Stewart is heiress to a fortune. Her family numbers among the Four Hundred – those considered the wealthiest and most distinguished in America. Unfortunately, their wealth has nearly disappeared, and now their security rests upon the Stewart daughters’ marrying well.

Olivia’s sister, Eleanor, was engaged to Harrison Bennett, one of the nation’s wealthiest men, but has since died. Now the pressure is on Olivia to take her place, despite her suspicions about Eleanor’s fiancé. Using her family’s long-forgotten English title, Olivia travels to Mercy Falls, California as Lady Devonworth, hoping to learn more before committing to marriage. There she finds that Eleanor’s death was no accident. And Harrison is not the man she thought he would be.

When Mercy Falls holds a charity ball masquerade to raise funds for the new lighthouse, secrets – and truths long hidden – will be revealed. But can Harrison really love Olivia when he finds her true identity? Can she live with the repercussions of failing her family, or will she finally realize that nothing – not money, family, or romance – will ever compare to God’s unconditional love?

Here is the biography of this author:

RITA-Finalist Colleen Coble is the author of several best-selling romantic suspense series, including the Lonestar series and the Rock Harbor series. She lives with her husband, Dave, in Indiana.

And here is Mrs. Coble talking about this book:

As is the case with all of the books I have read by Colleen, this one features several faith-based characters. The main character in this book, Olivia Stewart, learned something about how other characters related to God; she had previously been unaware. Here she is observing her friend Katie’s relationship with God:

“God expects us to use those gifts. You just have to be brave enough to do it. Ask God how he wants you to use your gifts.”

She’d never considered asking God something so personal. He was, well, God. He couldn’t be bothered with mundane problems. Did Katie really talk to him on such an intimate level? It was much too personal a question to ask. (pp. 68-69)

I also loved how another main character, Harrison Bennett, relied on God for direction:

Harrison wished he could climb into his plane and fly off into the sunset. Never come back. See the world and see what else God had for him. Vistas beyond this small town and the climb to the top that his father wanted for him. When would he get to pursue his own dreams? (p. 110)

Here’s another example of Katie sharing her faith with Olivia:

“God has you right where he wants you,” Katie said. “He provides for our needs no matter how much money we have. Any money you have is from his hand.”

Olivia had never really considered that God had given her family their money. Her father had been quick to take credit for their family’s astute business sense. (p. 183)

And here is Olivia’s observation about Katie and her other friend, Addie (the main character in the first two books in this series, ‘The Lightkeeper’s Daughter’ and ‘The Lightkeeper’s Bride:’

Olivia had never had friends like these two, one who always pointed to Jesus       in all circumstances. Her faith had been strengthened so much since coming here. She was beginning to believe she could be who she was inside. (p. 261)

I have enjoyed all of the books I have read that were written by Mrs. Coble: ‘Abomination,’ ‘Anathema,’ ‘Without A Trace' (Rock Harbor Series # 1), ‘Beyond A Doubt' (Rock Harbor Series #2), and ‘Into the Deep' (Rock Harbor Series #3).  I also read the first book in this Mercy Falls series, ‘The Lightkeeper’s Daughter’ (you can read my review here) as well as ‘Lonestar Homecoming,’ the third book in the ‘Lonestar Series’ (you can read my review here). This book was no exception! I always am excited when I find out a new Coble novel is coming. She is a speedy writer (or so it seems!), so I usually don’t have to wait very long for a new one!

I’m not sure how I missed it, but I did not read the second book in the ‘Mercy Falls Series,’ ‘The Lightkeeper’s Bride.’ There is no doubt in my mind that it would be worth your time to read!

Please enjoy this interview with prolific and charming lady!

An interview with Colleen Coble, author of The Lightkeeper’s Ball

Q: Did you always dream of becoming a writer? Why did you choose the romance genre?

I wrote my first story in the first grade. It was about a horse that had twin colts.  The teacher praised it and the writing seed was planted. I love illustrating God’s love through romance. I especially love the suspense I put into all my books as well. I have a strong streak of justice and it plays out in the suspense element.

Q: What inspired you to write a historical series based in the early 1900’s? What would you have enjoyed about living in that time period and what would you have found the most difficult?

I happened to read an article about the Gilded Age and it mentioned how that era was so similar to today’s. I was intrigued with that, plus I wanted to choose a time period that wouldn’t be too much of a departure from my contemporary books. In that era, there were still cars and telephones!

I would have loved the simpler lifestyle. However, I would miss my jeans! How vain.

Q: Society at the turn of the century was very preoccupied with appearances and impressing other people.  How is that not so different than our society today and how can we keep from falling into that same trap?

That’s exactly right! The parallels between the two eras are astounding. I’ve been at the cancer hospital this week with a dear friend, and it was a reminder of how fragile this life is. We seek THINGS when God wants us to seek Him. We need to keep our eyes set on eternity and remember that THIS life is the real dream. When we reach heaven, we will finally start to really live.

Q: Bitterness and unforgiveness led to the death of Olivia’s sister. Why is it so important to forgive those who have wronged us?

An unforgiving spirit hurts us much more than the person we hate. It makes us ugly and crowds out the love we want to show other people. God is love, not hate.  Bitterness is the very opposite of the attitude God wants us to have.

Q: This is the third book in your Mercy Falls series. Addie and Katie were the main characters in your first two books. Olivia was given a true gift in the friendship of Katie and Addie. What does it take to find trustworthy and loyal friends? Why do you think that we all desire to find friends like these?

You have to first be a friend. You have to be open and giving of yourself to have those kinds of friends. A true friend tells you the truth in love, and that’s an important component of the give and take of real friendship.

Q: What do you hope that your readers will take away from reading The Lightkeeper’s Ball?

I hope the readers who feel they have to earn love will take away the realization that their true worth is that Jesus loves them and died for them. They are valuable beyond comprehension. When we can step into the role of daughters and sons, we can realize our true potential.

You can order the book here.

This book was published by Thomas Nelson Publishers and provided by The B & B Media Group for review purposes.

‘Lonestar Homecoming’ by Colleen Coble – Book Review

One of my favorite authors is Colleen Coble. Her latest novel, ‘Lonestar Homecoming,’ is another terrific book by this wonderful lady.

Here is the synopsis of this terrific and heartwarming novel:

For most, it’s the safest place on earth. For Gracie, it’s the last place she wants to be…and the one place she must return.

With nothing but five dollars and the wedding dress she’s wearing, Gracie Lister flees with her daughter by train to West Texas, to the town she ran away from so long ago. There they find refuge in the home of Michael Wayne – devoted single father, seasoned soldier – who gives Gracie a job caring for his two children and the hiding place she needs from her former fiancé.

Michael and Gracie aren’t looking for love, but it finds them right away. And then trouble comes to call in the form of Gracie’s ex-fiancé who is now on the FBI’s most-wanted list. Together, Michael and Gracie must find the strength they need to protect their newly forged family.

Here is the biography for this favored author of mine:

RITA finalist Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave , in Indiana. She is the best-selling author of Lonestar Sanctuary, Lonestar Secrets, The Lightkeeper’s Daughter, the Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series, and two Women of Faith Fiction selections: Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea.

In ‘Lonestar Homecoming,’ Gracie is rescued from a dangerous relationship/situation by Michael Wayne in the Alpine, Texas train station. He bought lunch for her and her young daughter, Hope; he purchased a new outfit for Gracie, whose wedding dress needed to go; and he also offered them a place to stay for as long as needed. She considers him to be her angel/knight in shining armor; she has never been treated with such unconditional grace.

Eventually, Michael decides that Gracie is the perfect candidate to be the caretaker for his two children, daughter Jordan, age eight, and son Evan, age six. The children, whose mother (divorced from Michael) had recently been killed in an accident, needed lots of security and lots of loving comfort.

An interesting aspect of this story is that Gracie has a condition called synesthesia, is a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People with synesthesia, known as synesthetes, often see colors when they hear sounds, for instance. Here is Grace describing what she experiences as she looks at Michael:

Gracie watched him as he stood with his shoulders squared in his army dress blues. The sun shone through the window onto his tanned face. She guessed him to be in his early thirties. Soldiers inspired an innate sense of trust in her, probably from having grown up near a military base. His voice looked like ocean waves, blue with whitecaps that rolled to the shore. What would he say if she told him that? She rarely spoke of her synesthesia. (pp. 13-14)

And here is Gracie explaining her condition to Michael:

“I have something called synesthesia. Have you ever heard of it? The word means ‘joined sensation.’”

He shook his head, but he took on a more alert expression. “Is it a disability?”

“No, no, nothing like that. I consider it an asset. It’s another layer of senses. Studies show many babies and children have the ability to taste or see sounds.”

“You’re kidding! What does taste sound like?”
She decided not to get into specifics. “It might be how some metaphors came into being. Such as the night being like black velvet. The simile combines sight and touch.”

“So what so you see and taste?”

“All of us are different. I see shapes and colors when I hear music. And I sometimes taste sounds.” P. 40)

As time went on, Michael and Gracie realized they had very different philosophies on parenting. Here is an encounter when one of the three children spilled paint on the wooden floor in Jordan’s bedroom, and no one would own up to admitting to spilling it:

As soon as the girls were out the door, Michael folded his arms over his chest. “They needed to admit who did it.”

Gracie sat back on her haunches. “It was clearly an accident, Michael. None of them did it on purpose. Punishment should be given for defiance, not for spilling something.” He blinked, and his mouth sagged. He said nothing, but she could see the wheels turning in his head.

“My dad sent me to my room whenever I spilled my milk,” he said, frowning.

“Children who are shamed for things they can’t control grow up resentful and uncertain,” she said. “If you’d told them not to lift the can and they did it anyway, then spilled it, it would be a different story.”

“Maybe they did.”

She shook her head. “The can was in the same place. One of them accidentally kicked it over. It wasn’t deliberate.”

“I really don’t get it,” he said. “They should be more careful.”

“They’re children. Children make mistakes. Would you want to be punished for a mistake?”

“No,” he admitted. “But I think we should own up to it when we make a mistake and not try to hide it.”

“I see what you’re saying. A good compromise would be to tell them no one will be punished but you want to know what happened.”

His expression softened. “You’re good for me, Gracie. And for them. You can tell I know more about soldiering than I do about raising kids.” (pp. 47-48)

Michael was a Christ follower; Gracie thought God had given up on her. Michael was a good influence on her in that aspect of her life. Here are Gracie’s thoughts as the group went out on a canoe trip:

Every time the canoe rocked, Gracie was sure they’d end up in the water, but Michael handled the canoe with expertise. The kids sat quietly and watched the towering walls of Santa Elena Canyon glide by. The pink, blue-gray, and tan walls stretched from the river to the heavens. It was a place one could almost hear the whispers of God.

Gracie shook off the thought. Over five years ago, she’d come to grips with the realization that God was through with her, so why was she dwelling on him again? The problem was this solitude. She missed the hustle and bustle of the city and the demands of her job to keep her regrets at bay. (p. 54)

As things progress, Michael realized the best solution for his children would be for him and Gracie to be married, and for all of the children to have two parents – both legally and emotionally. They did marry, and the children were adopted by their new step-parents. Gracie begins to think about the possibility that perhaps God is in the midst of this blessing in her life; she is moving closer to a relationship with Him:

She watched Michael’s face as he grabbed a stack of plates. He was such a wonderful man who always wanted to do the right thing. Even if she was normally a bad judge of character, she knew she wasn’t wrong about him. She wished she could believe that God cared so much about her that he was responsible for bringing her into her new husband’s loving embrace. (p. 225)

As Gracie moves closer to a restoration of her faith, this conversation with Michael reveals truth to her. The exchange begins with Michael:

          “Why do we need people when we have God?”

Her eyes widened, then shuttered. When her nod finally came, it was reluctant. “God lets bad things happen sometimes.”

Her mother again [Gracie’s mother had been killed in a horse accident]. Everything went back to that, “I know, honey. He does, and we don’t always understand it. But we can choose how we respond to the challenges that come - with fear or without. I choose faith.”

Her lips trembled when she pressed them together. “I want to choose faith, but I don’t deserve it.”

He shook her gently. “Gracie, Gracie, you’ve got to face your father and go on. As long as you have that cloud over your head, you’re never going to let go of fear. You’ve been running for years. From yourself, from God. Isn’t it time you faced your problems and solved them?” (pp. 229-230)

God continued to pursue Gracie; she finally decides to let Him have His way with her:

Could God really forgive her? The reality sank in with a gentle breeze through the window.

He’d never left her. She was the one who left him. He was waiting in the same place where she’d turned and walked away. The tears came faster now, obscuring her vision, clogging her throat. The steering wheel was her only support, and she collapsed against it.

“I want to move back to you. Show me how,” she choked out. Though she lay still against the wheel, her head spun, faster and faster, as though she sailed through time and space. Gradually, her panting stilled, her pulse slowed, her vision cleared. Warmth enveloped her as though someone held her in his arms, safer than she’d ever been.

God was here, right here. Closing her eyes, she unburdened herself on the Lord. All the vile, selfish things she’d done over the past years flooded into her memory, and she confessed them all. With each one behind her, it was as though she floated higher and higher above the seat grounding her in place.  When she opened her eyes, she was clean. And she couldn’t stop smiling.

Returning to God had been so easy. Why had she turned it into a mountain when it was only a groundhog hill? Clean. She was clean. The shame, the knowledge of how she’d disappointed God, was washed away. God had never let go of her, though she’d ignored his gentle promptings. (p. 251)

I pray that these precious words reach many people, and they realize that God is waiting for them with open arms to return to them; He is a God of love and forgiveness, not punishment.

I have read several books by Colleen: ‘Abomination,’ ‘Anathema,’ ‘Without A Trace' (Rock Harbor Series # 1), ‘Beyond A Doubt' (Rock Harbor Series #2), ‘Into the Deep' (Rock Harbor Series #3) and her last book, ‘The Lightkeeper’s Daughter’ (you can read my review here). I was highly entertained by all of them, and loved this one as well. I can’t define exactly what it is that I love about Colleen’s writing, but she has ‘it’; her writing is terrific and her stories compelling! And I love how she includes biblical truths in an entertaining story; that’s always a good quality to have a in a book!

You can order the book here.

This book was provided to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers for review purposes.

‘The Lightkeeper’s Daughter: A Mercy Falls Novel’ by Colleen Coble – Book Review

Recently, I have opened several book reviews with this disclaimer: “This is the first book I have read by this author” - or words to that effect.  The same cannot be said for today’s book by author, Colleen Coble.  I have read several books from her pen/computer: ‘Abomination,’ ‘Anathema,’ ‘Without A Trace (Rock Harbor Series # 1),' ‘Beyond A Doubt (Rock Harbor Series #2)’ and ‘Into the Deep (Rock Harbor Series #3).’  I was entertained by all of them, and had high expectation for the latest by this prolific and talented writer.

‘The Lightkeeper’s Daughter: A Mercy Falls Novel’ did not disappoint!  The main character is Addie Sullivan, bright and beautiful.  As the title indicates, she lives in a lighthouse in northern California.  At the beginning of the book, a gentleman, Walter Driscoll, comes to the lighthouse to tell her she is not who she thinks she is.  She was involved in a shipwreck when she was two years old; her parents are not her own, but they recovered her after the shipwreck.  Her real father is actually a very rich business owner.  The gentleman (her uncle) decides to bring her back to the family, originally as the governess to her real-life nephew, Edward.  The idea is to investigate to find more evidence of her identity before presenting her as the daughter of Henry Eaton.

Another major character is Lieutenant John North, the dashing son-in-law of Henry and the father of Edward.  His wife – Addie’s half-sister – had been killed three years before – and sparks fly between her and John!

As usual, Colleen brings a faith-based character into the story; Addie is that character in this book.  She speaks of God, prays, etc… - actions that are downplayed by Henry.  Nonetheless, Addie is a very strong and courageous young woman, who is not swayed to the left or to the right by those around her – not even a wealthy and powerful man such as the man who may be her father!

The story is well-paced and suspenseful; Colleen does it again!  There are numerous twists and turns in this story; there is never a dull moment!  There were plots turns that I did not see coming.  Ultimately, the ending was happy! 

'The Lightkeeper's Daughter,' set in 1907, is a departure for Colleen; she usually writes modern suspense novels.  She did a wonderful job capturing life at the turn of the last century in a well-to-do household.  She can seemingly do no wrong; I have always thoroughly enjoyed every book I have read by her.  As always, I look forward to the next book by the talented Mrs. Coble!

You can order the book here.

This book was provided to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers for review purposes.