Karen Barnett's Out of the Ruins launches Golden Gate Chronicles series
In Our
Weakness, He is Strong
Karen Barnett’s Out of the Ruins shows that
nothing we do can make God leave our side.
Whether because of
grief, guilt or a feeling of inadequacy, many of us find ourselves pushing God
away during the time we need Him most. Abby Fischer, the heroine in Karen Barnett’s new novel, Out
of the Ruins (Abingdon/May 6, 2014/ISBN:
978-1-4267-8057-8/$14.99), comes face to
face with grief and anger that causes her to question her faith, something the
author herself has done for similar reasons.
“There
was a time in my life where I pushed God away, but it was because of guilt
rather than grief,” Barnett says. “I knew God would never approve of the
choices I was making at the time, so I played Jonah and hid from Him, thinking
I could return once I fixed all my problems. The result? I continued falling
further into sin because I was incapable of changing myself. It took a time
before I realized I needed God’s strength to overcome my weakness.”
Now
Barnett has taken those experiences and built a story that will leave readers
with the understanding that no matter who we are or what we’ve done, God is
still as close to us as our next breath.
Abby
Fischer has always lived in her sister’s shadow. The shy, socially awkward and
stubborn heroine envies Cecelia’s beauty and talents while being completely blind
to her own. When Cecelia becomes ill, however, Abby draws on a well of inner
strength she never realized she possessed. God answers her prayers for a
miracle in the most unexpected way—in the form of the handsome Dr. Robert King,
whose experimental treatment is risky at best.
Reeling
by the tragedy of the mighty San Francisco earthquake and the resulting fires
around the city, Abby’s feelings for the doctor become hopelessly entangled, but
their relationship takes a backseat to survival. With
fires and chaos raging throughout San Francisco, Abby fears for her life as she
flees alone through burning streets. Where is God now? Will Robert find Abby,
even as the world burns around them? Or has their love fallen with the ruins of
the city?
Out of the Ruins is the first in Barnett’s new Golden Gate Chronicles series, which
brings to life the world of the early 20th century, when technology was
changing faster than people could keep up. Automobiles, telephones, electricity
affected people's daily lives, and the discovery of X-rays altered the face of
modern medicine. Many of these advancements are what bring the characters of
this series together, giving readers a unique and memorable peek into a world
so different, and yet so similar to our own.
Join Karen Barnett on June 5, 2014, at 8:00 PM EDT for
a live Facebook chat. Watch for more details on her Facebook page (KarenBarnettAuthor).
Inspired by God’s devotion to His
people and her own passion for research and learning, author Karen Barnett creates historical
romances that explore her characters’ faith and how their experiences impact
the way they view God.
A graduate of Valparaiso University
and Oregon State University, Barnett’s debut novel, Mistaken, was released in
2013 and earned her the Oregon Christian Writers “Writer of Promise” award. A
former park ranger, she loves getting out into God’s creation. She spends her
free time taking photographs, dragging her kids through dusty history museums, decorating
crazy birthday cakes and watching movies.
Karen, her husband and their two
children live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
To learn more about Karen Barnett, visit karenbarnettbooks.com, become a fan on Facebook (KarenBarnettAuthor) or follow her on Twitter (KarenMBarnett).
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