How Restoration of the Heart Came About by June Foster

How Restoration of the Heart Came About

Story ideas pop up everywhere when one travels in an RV. Restoration of the Heart came about last summer, 2016, when my husband and I visited Coaldale, Colorado to do a little fishing on the Arkansas River.

If you're not careful, you'll miss Coaldale as you travel on Highway 50 to the nearest town of Salado. At our RV park, my husband loved walking a few steps out our vehicle to the stream. He spent many happy hours spinner fishing.

One day, however, we decided to take off on an adventure: a trip northwest of Salado that took us high into the Rocky Mountains to an old ghost town called St. Elmo's. I roamed the streets of the old mining town that is very much intact today. A small portion of the buildings have been restored to their original appearance.

As an author, I'm always thinking of story possibilities. So in St. Elmo, my mind went into its creative mode of dreaming up a tale. I asked myself: what if an intriguingly handsome man owned a construction company that specialized in historical renovations and was hired by the state of Idaho to renovate the town. Then I imagined a shy and somewhat chubby historian who found it easier to live in the past than in the present was hired to oversee the accuracy of the construction. And my story began to take shape.

For several months, however, I was stumped when it came to the name of the book. Finally my critique partner, Laura Hilton, suggested Restoration of the Heart. So now the story, set in an old 1900 silver mining ghost town, was on the way becoming my first romantic suspense.

My editor, Cynthia Hickey, asked for a novel set in Idaho. So instead of the Rockies, the story now takes place in the fictional silver mining ghost town of Silver Cliff, Idaho. But that's okay. It's fiction!  

The background picture on the cover is one I took at St. Elmo's. I was thrilled when Cynthia decided to use it.

Thanks, Laura, for allowing me to tell about the story's birth.

June's website: junefoster.com

Link for book: http://tinyurl.com/zxn3psm 

Blurb: Though a Christian, Luke Chamberlain ignored his values and indulged in his beautiful fiancé's world of alcohol, parties, and nights at her apartment. After rededicating his life to the Lord, he vows never to fall into the lifestyle again. When the state of Idaho's Tourism Department offers his construction company the contract to renovate Silver Cliff, an 1890's silver mining ghost town, he accepts.

Janie Littleton studied history in college because life in the past is simpler than the uncomfortable reality of the present. With her extra pounds, eye glasses, and mousy brown hair, no man would find her attractive. When she's offered the job of project historian at the restoration of Silver Cliff, she accepts. But as Luke Chamberlain shows an interest in her, she doubts his sincerity. To make matters worse, someone claiming to be the miner who founded Silver Cliff in 1890 intimidates her with frightening midnight visits.

Can Luke convince Janie he's in love with the godly woman she is? Can Janie hold onto her faith as she's harassed by frightening appearances of old Ezra Barclay who died a hundred years ago?

June Foster's bio

An award-winning author, June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in education and MA in counseling. In 2013, June's book Give Us This Day was a finalist in EPIC's eBook awards and in 2014 a finalist in the National Readers Choice Awards for best first book. Ryan's Father was one of three finalists in the published contemporary fiction category of the 2014 Oregon Christian Writers Cascade Writing Contest and Awards. Deliver Us was a finalist in COTT's 2014 Laurel Awards. June has written four novels for Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day, As We Forgive, and Deliver Us, and Hometown Fourth of July. Ryan's Father is published by WhiteFire Publishing. Red and the Wolf, a modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, is available from Amazon.com. The Almond Tree series, For All Eternity, Echoes From the Past, What God Knew, and Almond Street Mission are available at Amazon.com as well. Misty Hollow is published by Helping Hands Press. June enjoys writing stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the power of God and His Word. Recently June has seen publication of Christmas at Raccoon Creek, Lavender Fields Inn and Restoration of the Heart. Visit June at junefoster.com.