Sarah Sundin continues the action and romance of WWII in On Distant Shores

Trusting God in the midst of trials

Sarah Sundin continues the action and romance

of WWII in On Distant Shores

Through the good and the bad, God wants us to rely on Him in every situation. Never was there a time so tenuous and uncertain as the battlefields of WWII, the setting for Sarah Sundin’s newest release in the Wings of the Nightingale series, On Distant Shores (Revell/August 1, 2013/ISBN: 978-0-8007-2082-7/$14.99). Sundin explores the uncertainty we face when life doesn’t go as planned, emphasizing the need to turn to God always. Sundin fittingly chose James 1:5-6 as the theme for the story: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God... and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

With her eye for detail and flair for romance, Sundin weaves a captivating tale of two souls looking for peace in a time of conflict. Lt. Georgiana Taylor has everything she ever wanted: a close-knit family, a boyfriend back home and a challenging job as a flight nurse. A social butterfly, Georgie has always relied on others to make decisions, but with the war taking her thousands of miles from her loved ones, she must learn to turn to God for wisdom. And her life becomes even more complicated when she meets Army pharmacist Sgt. John Hutchinson in Sicily in July of 1943.

Hutch resents the lack of respect he gets as a noncommissioned serviceman and hates being away from his fiancée. Brought together by the perils of war, Hutch and Georgie grow closer as their lives back home fall apart. The lives they pictured for themselves crumble as life takes them down an unexpected route. Will the pressures of war destroy the fragile connection Hutch and George share?

Although set in a different era and place, Sundin’s characters wrestle with issues that continue to be prevalent in the twenty-first century. Georgie, as a nurse, outranks enlisted Hutch despite his bachelor’s in pharmacy. Like many couples today, Georgie and Hutch must work through the potential tensions of gender role-reversal in the workplace. Sundin hopes her characters’ struggles show readers how all relationships must be handled with the utmost care, respect, and humility.

Another underlying verse is Colossians 3:23, “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Hutch battles with bitterness as his goals are continuously thwarted and the friction that comes with the chain of command. Like many of us when we face discord in the workplace, Hutch must learn to be content and work for God’s glory, not man’s.

Sundin has spent countless hours scouring WWII history books to give her stories an accurate picture of what life looked like for the characters in her books. She even had the chance to travel to Italy and southern France to visit various areas connected to WWII. “So much about the World War II era appeals to me — the music and fashions, the adventure and drama, and the inherent romance of living in uncertain times,” Sundin explains. “Also, the vast scope of the war inspires countless story ideas to explore.” Following With Every Letter (book 1, released last fall) and On Distant Shores, look for the final book in the Wings of the Nightingale series, In Perfect Time (August 2014).

Readers can connect with Sarah Sundin at her On Distant Shores Facebook party on September 3 at 8:00 PM EDT where she will chat with readers, answer questions, and give away books. Watch for more details on her Facebook page (SarahSundinAuthor). For more information on Sarah Sundin and her books, visit www.sarahsundin.com.

Advance Praise

“Sarah Sundin is a master of World War II romance! On Distant Shores swept me back seventy years into a whirlwind love story that took me to airfields, hospitals, and cities all over the Mediterranean. Kudos to Sarah for writing another exciting novel for those of us who love reading her historical fiction.”

~ Melanie Dobson, award-winning author of The Silent Order and Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan

“I love a great love story, all the more one that’s set during WWII. Sarah Sundin has given us both. You can’t help but care about her characters, and the romantic tension kept me turning the pages to the very end. It’s a fabulous addition to her Wings of the Nightingale series. I already can’t wait to read the next one.”

~ Dan Walsh, bestselling author of The Discovery, The Reunion, and The Dance

About the Author

Sarah Sundin is the author of On Distant Shores and With Every Letter in the Wings of the Nightingale series from Revell, and also the Wings of Glory series. In 2011, A Memory Between Us was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards, and Sundin received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. She belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Authors Network, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. Sundin plans to continue to focus on WWII for her upcoming series about three naval officers based in Boston during the early years of the war.

A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, Sundin works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate (medic) in the Navy, and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England.

Sundin lives in northern California with her husband and three children. When she isn’t ferrying kids to tennis and karate, she teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies.

To keep up with Sarah Sundin, visit www.sarahsundin.com, become a fan on Facebook (SarahSundinAuthor) or follow her on Twitter (@sarahsundin) and Pinterest (sarahsundin).