Category: Sharon Hinck

September 26, 2008 / Sharon Hinck / 25 Comments »

Stepping into sunlight . . .

I have not walked every road of pain. I’ve had my bouts of bad days, certainly, but I’ve been spared the private agonies of such trials as clinical depression, post-traumatic stress and sheer panic. I can only imagine what it must be like to feel as though you are tethered to nothing.

My dear friend Sharon Hinck’s newest release, Stepping Into Sunlight, ushers the reader straight into the shadowy world of emotional turmoil and she does it without melodrama. It feels real. Sometimes a little too much so.

Here’s the set-up: Penny Sullivan witnesses a terrible crime, one that shatters the routines of daily life and leaves her in the grip of fear. Ordinary days become more than she can handle. Her military husband is away at sea and she has a 7-year-old son depending on her so hiding isn’t an option. She formulates a restoration plan to keep from losing it compltely – do one kind thing for somebody every day.

Here’s what Publishers Weekly had to say about it: “Hinck, a 2008 Christy finalist for visionary fiction, offers an especially grounded tale of sudden trauma and slow healing. Narrator Penny Sullivan witnesses a horrific crime shortly before her navy chaplain husband is deployed, so she is forced to cope alone with the psychological fallout from what she saw. Family issues from her past complicate her struggle and enhance its credibility. Strong Christian themes form a natural part of the narrative. Penny Sullivan’s faith is shaken, and she wonders why God would appear to permit evil and whether her emotional turmoil can be healed. A supporting cast of characters, from a nosy neighbor to the busy faithful servant to the downtrodden who heads a local mission, adds quirk and richness. Hinck is a mother of four, and it shows in authentic details in her characterization of the narrator’s worried, loving seven-year-old son who gets his first pet in some cute comic relief. Hinck has done her homework on post-traumatic stress syndrome, and is not afraid to show readers that challenges can deepen faith.”

Sharon has created wonderful new blog to dovetail with the release of the book where other bloggers can step up to the challenge of doing one kind thing everyday, kind of a pay-it-forward response to personal loss. It’s hard to wallow in self-pity when your feet are busy propelling you forward to help someone else. You can find the Penny’s Project blog here.

If you’d like to win a copy of Stepping Into Sunlight, just toss a comment onto my blog here by Monday, Sept. 29, at midnight. I’ll draw a winner Tuesday morning.

Life ain’t easy sometimes. The sun is usually shining somewhere, though. We just have to find our way out of the shadows and step into it.

April 7, 2008 / Sharon Hinck / 1 Comment »

Bravo to Sharon Hinck

My very talented friend and colleague, Sharon Hinck, has a wonderful new title to add to her growing list of novels. Her Symphony of Secrets , just released by Bethany House, is a lovely read, especially if you are a devotee of both music and motherhood.

Her cast of characters is fun and believable, and headlined by Amy Johnson, a single mom who isn’t afraid to whisper to the reader that despite her spunkiness, she has loads of insecurities. Her teenage daughter, Clara, is likeable and transparent, and flips the roles sometimes, as our kids often do, teaching rather than being taught.

There’s a crafty mystery thread, a blossoming romance, a tale of regrets, and the pervasive mother-love dynamic that sings on every page.

I don’t play the flute, but I very nearly feel like I can after spending my most recent reading hours with Amy and her instrument. I can at least imagine that I can.

And that’s a pretty good gauge of a writer’s ability to transport you to their fictive world; if you can hear the story and its music with your eyes.

Bravo, Sharon.

February 23, 2008 / Sharon Hinck, Symphony of Secrets / No Comments »

Music hath charm

One of the things I have enjoyed most about writing novels and seeing them published is the friendships I have made with other published novelists. I have met some of the most lovely, engaging, wildly creative people in the since I started down this road. And so it’s no wonder I love chatting up a good friend’s newest release.

Today, I’m happy to share with you my good friend Sharon Hinck’s brand new baby, Symphony of Secrets. Here’s what Sharon has to say about her new book:
“Talented flutist Amy Johnson’s dreams come true when she wins a spot with the Minneapolis Symphony. But this amateur sleuth has trouble concentrating on the notes as she begins to see devious motives behind her fellow musicians’ many mishaps. Meanwhile, her musically talented daughter wants to give it all up for—gasp—the cheerleading squad! What’s a musical mom to do? Can Amy fine-tune her investigation before the symphony is forced to close and she loses not only her dream job but her promising new relationship with its conductor?”
Edge: So, Sharon. What is the significance of the title?
Sharon: On an obvious level, Amy tries to uncover answers to the mystery of who is ruining the symphony, and the secrets of her various “suspects.” But a key element of the story is that Amy has been keeping family secrets for many years and is finally forced to face them. There is also a growing awareness of the “secret” (hitherto unknown by her) work of God, which plays out in her life like the movements of a symphony. Her life is really a symphony of secrets.
Edge: Why did you decide to add a mystery to the mix for this book?
Sharon: I’ve always loved Dorothy Gillman’s “Mrs. Pollifax” books (a retired garden-club woman joins the CIA) and Jill Churchill’s “Jane Jeffrey” novels (a suburban mom solves murders) so I thought it would be fun to make Amy a bit of an armchair detective (at least in her own mind). It made for a fun combination.
Edge: Your Becky Miller books took us into the world of a mom with big dreams. How does Amy differ from Becky?
Sharon: I love exploring the heroic in people the world considers “ordinary” – like moms. Like the Becky Miller books, Symphony of Secrets includes a strong story thread about parenting, but the dynamics of a young single mom with a teen daughter are an interesting new twist. Their banter has a bit of a Gilmore Girl vibe to it – full of affection but a little dysfunctional – which adds to the fun.
Edge:Is there a love interest for Amy?
Sharon: I hadn’t planned for one when I began the book, but a certain character walked into a scene, tossed some musical scores on a table, put his feet up, and was so dynamic, I fell in love with him. So Amy did, too. The story isn’t primarily a romance, but in between trying to raise her daughter, hide family secrets, and save the symphony, Amy is further befuddled by the romantic feelings she works hard to ignore.
Edge: Are you at all like Amy?
Sharon: My editor told me that of all my characters, she sees a lot of me in this one. That cracked me up because as I shaped Amy, I made her cranky, with little people skills, and hapless in her crime-fighting efforts. But I have to admit, my editor is right. There are some similarities. Although I’m not a professional concert musician, as a writer, I’m familiar with the neurotic-artist tendencies that were so fun to develop in Amy. I share with her the passionate desire to create something of beauty, the massive insecurities, and the bulldog determination to pursue what matters.
Edge: What is the main spiritual theme of Symphony of Secrets?
Sharon: God loves us enough to come and meet us through the avenues that we understand. He finds ways to speak our language. I’ve seen many examples of God wooing someone toward Himself through that person’s passions. Amy understands the world of music and God coaxes her to consider spiritual issues through the beauty of music that is already alive in her heart.
Check it out!