Touching the Brilliance of Sunrise-a novel of faith, love, and second chances is officially classified as Christian fiction romance. The back cover copy, however, promises a good book, plain and simple.
"Some of the best writing I've come across," says the endorsement by travel writer Teresa L. Carpenter. "It had me spellbound as much as theLeft Behind series."
For readers familiar with that Christian fiction series, this sounds like pretty high praise. So what's it about?
"Melissa, a youthful mid-life artist from California, takes a vacation with her three kids to the coast of Maine. She's hoping for some quality family time at a turning point in their lives...and dreaming of moving to Maine someday soon. They meet Kraig, a writer from Oregon, walking on the beach with his guide dog. He's slightly younger, articulate, gentlemanly, deeply intuitive...unlike any other man she's known.
"Neither is looking for love--but life has other plans. What happens when Melissa realizes she might have to choose between her lifelong dream of living in Maine...and being with Kraig?"
One of the great strengths of this piece of writing is its dialog. The book contains a large amount of conversation, clearly crafted by a writer skilled in this area. The characters all talk realistically, according to age, gender, and so forth, each speaking differently enough that you can almost tell who's talking without the attribution. There are a believable number of "ums" and "you knows," along with slang and vernacular--but no profanity.
The descriptions of people and places are also very pleasing to the ear. For example: "As she eased the car onto the highway that would take them out of the hills toward the wine country, the western sky was streaked with watercolor shades of peach and pearly gray. The dark, leafless branches of oak trees stood out like ink drawings against the blue-white background. A light sprinkle of rain dotted the windshield, and the landscape glittered with freshness and newness."
And because Melissa is an artist and Kraig is blind, we have many delightful opportunities to see the world through her eyes as she describes things to Kraig.
"The characters are realistically, likeably imperfect," continues the back cover copy. "They talk like real people, have real needs, make real mistakes, learn hard lessons. They grow in their faith and in their relationships with each other, setting an example for those around them...and for you and your family."
If you like a good story without violence or profanity, an upbeat romance with a happy but believable ending, a novel that makes you feel good about life... Touching the Brilliance of Sunrise is the book to put at the top of your reading list. It's available from the author's website, http://justrightcopy.com/books, as well as from Amazon.
