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Sydell Voeller grew up in Washington State, but has lived in Oregon for over thirty years. Throughout her twenty-year writing career, her published novels for teens and adults have reflected her love for the Pacific Northwest’s ocean beaches, inlets and waterways, evergreen forests, and mountains. Sydell resides in Oregon with her husband. They married in 1971 and have grown two sons.
Pet lovers, the Voellers have provided a home for several cats, a dog, gerbils, hamsters, and a turtle--but not all at the same time! Sydell and her husband enjoy camping, reading, playing Scrabble, day trips to the Oregon coast, and spending time with their four grandchildren and pampered feline.
When Sydell isn't writing, she enjoys camping, walking, amateur astronomy, reading, and surfing the web. In 1987 after the publication of her first novel, she was named by the Washington County Mushaw Center, Woman of the Year in Communications.
Formerly a registered nurse, Sydell now teaches writing correspondence courses, sponsored by the Long Ridge Writer’s Institute (a long-distance learning course in writing short stories and articles) in West Redding, Connecticut.
Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Readers' Favorite
Rebecca and her daughter Wendy have moved back to Rebecca's hometown. A year earlier her husband was killed by a mentally disturbed fan. Now she is renting the upstairs of the home where she met her husband. The garden of the home was the site of her wedding. The house now belongs to Dr. Mark Simons. He has plans for the house that was used for the filming of a movie in which Rebecca and her husband met. He wants to tear the house down and rebuild a halfway house on the site. Rebecca is distressed when she learns this and tells Mark that she wants to buy the house and preserve it. Mark declines her offer and goes ahead with his plans. Then he receives a threatening note. A couple of weeks later his dog is poisoned and then the guest house is burned to the ground. Rebecca has feelings for Mark but since he cannot commit she decides that she and Wendy will move back to California and start over again.
Both of the main characters have issues with their faith. Rebecca has lost hers after the death of her husband and Mark isn't doing things for the glory of God but looking for absolution. Both are flawed but they come together and learn that they need to put their trust in the Lord. The author keeps you guessing throughout the book, since any one of three people could have been behind Mark's troubles. It is well-written with a good balance between description and dialogue. The journey of Rebecca and Mark coming to true faith is well worth the time to read this book. Christian fiction readers will enjoy this book.
