Endless Chain
Published by: Harlequin MIRAISBN13: 978-0778315438
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OVERVIEW
Sam Kinkade is finally feeling reasonably content with his work as a minister in rural Toms Brook, Virginia. But when his plans to welcome the area’s growing Hispanic community to the church are met with resistance, a woman arrives to take a job as the church sexton and help build bridges.
Elisa Martinez is an enigma, and Sam is certain she is not who she seems. Despite his own lengthy engagement, he is intrigued with this Latina stranger who makes him only too aware of the real intimacy missing in his life.
As Elisa hides in Toms Brook and prays for a reunion that may set her free, she uncovers a generations-old love story that serves as a warning. Will she and Sam repeat the tragic past, or can they find the love and freedom they seek?
PRAISE
“(A) heartwarming, richly layered story.”
—Library Journal starred review
"Endless Chain is a novel with depth and style, as refreshing and sweet as Sam Kinkade's idealism. And like Sam, Emilie Richards refuses to preach when a little inspiration will do just fine.”
—WNBC.com
“Richards seamlessly joins contrasting and complementing elements--an intriguing political mystery, a long-forgotten local tragedy, and a contemporary love story--in an emotionally charged and transcendent tale of the ways love and faith can triumph in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds.”
—Booklist
“Events in Endless Chain unfold like a mystery with the appeal of a romance novel. Like Emilie's first book in this series, Wedding Ring, I enjoyed every bit of Endless Chain, and dreaded coming to the last page.”
—Sharon Darling’s Quilter’s Review
AUTHOR'S NOTE
When I originally conceived Wedding Ring, I had no plans for a series. Halfway through it I realized that I would not be able to let go of these characters so easily. New people walked into the story, people I wanted to know better. One of them was Sam Kinkade, the minister of Helen’s church.
My visits to Toms Brook and nearby Woodstock for research turned up something I hadn’t expected. A large Latino community had developed, along with stores and businesses with signs in Spanish on Route 11, the scenic highway that carries travelers through the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. I wondered how easily the Valley’s newest residents had made this transition, how welcome they were, how easy it was for them to find jobs and housing and friends.
About the same time, I paid a lovely visit to my husband’s first cousin and family. Bev and Jim McGee live in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where Jim is an Episcopal priest. His parish had started a community center for the new Hispanic residents in town and was providing tutoring to Spanish speaking children in need of help with homework and English lessons.
As so often happens, the ideas collided, and La Casa Amarilla was “erected” on the grounds of the Shenandoah Community Church. Sam was already there, of course, and Elisa? Well, she simply walked up to the church one day and into my imagination. Endless Chain was born.