This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Breath of Dawn
by
Kristen Heitzmann
From the time my dad taught me to read at sit-on-the-floor school when I was four—launching me past kindergarten into 1st grade—I have loved learning and expressing what I know through art, music, and especially writing. Education came easily, and I grew accustomed to having my work read and displayed. But breaking out of the family mold, I left college to marry my husband Jim (celebrating our 29th this year.) Since then, life and all kinds of research have provided the grist for my stories. We have three awesome adult kids, and one incredible teenager. (You might think I’m biased, but ask anyone who knows them.)
While home schooling my four kids, I wrote my first novel. I pitched it for publication, and it became the first of a five book historical series. Since then, I have written three more historical novels and nine contemporaries. The Still of Night was nominated for the Colorado Book Award. The Tender Vine was a Christy Award finalist and Secrets won a Christy in 2005.
People often ask why I started writing, and I say to get the stories out of my head. Some say they’d like to write a book, but I say if you’re not wracked with labor pains, there are easier ways to express yourself. Being a writer is a solitary, eccentric, and often compulsive path. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Learn more about Kristen and her books HERE.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Kristen Heitzmann Delivers Powerful New Romantic Suspense
Morgan Spencer has had just about all he can take of life. Following the tragic death of his wife, Jill, he retreats to his brother’s Rocky Mountain ranch to heal and focus on the care of his infant daughter, Olivia. Two years later, Morgan begins to make plans to return to his home in Santa Barbara to pick up the pieces of his life and career.
Quinn Riley has been avoiding her past for four years. Standing up for the truth has forced her into a life of fear and isolation. After a “chance” first meeting and a Thanksgiving snowstorm, Quinn is drawn into the Spencer family’s warm and loving world, and she begins to believe she might find freedom in their friendship.
The man Quinn helped put behind bars has recently been released, however, and she fears her past will endanger the entire Spencer family. As the danger heightens, she determines to leave town for the sake of the people who have come to mean so much to her.
Fixing problems is what Morgan Spencer does best, and he is not willing to let Quinn run away, possibly into the clutches of a man bent on revenge. But Morgan’s solution sends him and Quinn on an unexpected path, with repercussions neither could have anticipated.
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Breath of Dawn, go HERE.
The Breath of Dawn is a gripping character-driven novel that I found extremely difficult to put down. I was also quite sad to reach its end. Featuring several members of the Spenser family from the author’s earlier books A Rush of Wings and The Still of Night, The Breath of Dawn focuses primarily on Morgan Spenser and a new heroine Quinn Erin Riley. Several of these characters are almost bigger-than-life yet so realistically normal at the same time. Each supporting character is integral to the story and the same attention to detail has been allotted to them as to the main characters. Even Morgan’s toddler daughter Livie played an important role.
For the greatest enjoyment, The Breath of Dawn is a book that should be read without too much advance information so I won’t attempt to describe its plot. The story advances at a steady pace with plenty of time allowed for the reader to get to know the characters. The suspense does not take a prominent role for awhile but hovers menacingly in the background and builds to a climax near the end. The romance between Morgan and Quinn is one of the best I have read in some time and I loved how their characters were developed. A strong spiritual message was woven seamlessly throughout the narrative and illustrated so well how God works in our lives even when we aren’t particularly paying attention.
There is absolutely nothing that I can criticize in The Breath of Dawn except for the fact that it ended. It is another fine example of why I make it a point to read every book written by Kristen Heitzmann.