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About Where the Fire Falls

Stunning Yosemite National Park sets the stage for this late 1920s historical romance with mystery, adventure, heart, and a sense of the place John Muir described as "pervaded with divine light."

Watercolorist Olivia Rutherford has shed her humble beginnings to fashion her image as an avant-garde artist to appeal to the region's wealthy art-collectors. When she lands a lucrative contract painting illustrations of Yosemite National Park for a travel magazine, including its nightly one-of-a-kind Firefall event, she hopes the money will lift Olivia and her sisters out of poverty.

    After false accusations cost him everything, former minister Clark Johnson has found purpose as a backcountry guide in this natural cathedral of granite and trees. Now he's faced with the opportunity to become a National Parks Ranger, but is it his true calling?

    As Clark opens Olivia's eyes to the wonders of Yosemite, she discovers the people are as vital to the park's story as its vistas--a revelation that may bring her charade to an end.

Praise

“Written with an artist’s sure strokes, Where the Fire Falls captures every hue of adventure, romance, and danger.”
—Regina Jennings, author of Holding the Fort

“Karen Barnett has fashioned a story filled with color, complexity, and rich imagery. Readers of Where the Fire Falls will not only find friends in Olivia and Clark but they’ll become enamored with the enchanting Yosemite National Park. Barnett has given her readers the gift of a story with heart that is delightful and hard to put down. I can’t wait to read what she shares next!”
—Susie Finkbeiner, author of A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home

“Yosemite National Park is as stunning and unforgettable as this book’s leading lady, artist Olivia Rutherford, in this lush, atmospheric blend of visual and natural art. Karen Barnett’s deft prose sweeps each page with the same delicate touch as Olivia’s brush so that the 1920s-era park comes to life. Armchair travelers will sense every sight, smell, and touch thanks to Barnett’s inimitable spirit of place.”
—Rachel McMillan, author the Van Buren and DeLuca series

“Capturing the grandeur of Yosemite National Park with words is a bit like harnessing the wind. Yet this talented author does just that. Karen Barnett’s story drew me in on the first page, her descriptions of Yosemite took my breath away, and her well-developed characters kept me turning pages until the end. I loved Where the Fire Falls!”
—Ginny L. Yttrup, award-winning author of Words and Flames

About Karen Barnett

KAREN BARNETT, author of Mistaken, Out of the Ruins, and Beyond the Ashes, is a former park ranger. She worked as a ranger naturalist and outdoor educator at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Silver Falls State Park, and Mount Rainier National Park. When not writing, Karen enjoys photography, hiking, and public speaking. She lives in Oregon with her family.

Product Details

352 pages | Published by WaterBrook

On Sale Date: Jun 5, 2018

Trim Size: 5-1/2 x 8-1/4

Carton Quantity: 24

Sneak Peek

Read the first chapter of Where the Fire Falls. Stunning Yosemite National Park sets the stage for this late 1920s historical romance with mystery, adventure, heart, and a sense of the place John Muir described as "pervaded with divine light." Watercolorist Olivia Rutherford has shed her humble beginnings to fashion her image as an avant-garde artist to appeal to the region's wealthy art-collectors. When she lands a lucrative contract painting illustrations of Yosemite National Park for a travel magazine, including its nightly one-of-a-kind Firefall event, she hopes the money will lift Olivia and her sisters out of poverty. After false accusations cost him everything, former minister Clark Johnson has found purpose as a backcountry guide in this natural cathedral of granite and trees. Now he's faced with the opportunity to become a National Parks Ranger, but is it his true calling? As Clark opens Olivia's eyes to the wonders of Yosemite, she discovers the people are as vital to the park's story as its vistas--a revelation that may bring her charade to an end.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chelsea Woodward, Associate Publicist
cwoodward@penguinrandomhouse.com
 
Karen Barnett Crafts 1920s Historical Romance Set in Stunning Yosemite National Park

“Yosemite National Park shimmers in this majestic ode to the western mountain paradise from Barnett (The Road to Paradise). Barnett, a former park ranger, brings natural wonder to brilliant life.”Publishers Weekly
 
Award-winning author and former park ranger Karen Barnett draws on her love of the outdoors and her passion for historical writing to craft her second novel in the Vintage National Parks series, Where the Fire Falls (6/5/18, WaterBrook).
 
Set in 1929 California, Where the Fire Falls captures the story of Olivia Rutherford, a talented but struggling watercolorist who has fashioned her image as an avant-garde artist to appeal to the region’s wealthy art collectors. When she earns a lucrative contract with a travel magazine to paint the untouched beauty of Yosemite National Park, Olivia fears her past will haunt her there but knows the opportunity could lift her and her sisters out of poverty.
 
Among the massive granite cliffs and the lingering fragrance of campfires, Olivia meets Clark Johnson, the backcountry guide hired by the magazine to take her through the wonders of Yosemite. Struggling with his own sense of identity after false accusations cost him his position as a minister, Clark realizes Olivia also has a history she would like to forget.  
 
As they weave through the granite cathedral of Yosemite, Clark opens Olivia’s eyes to its magnificence, its Creator and its people, helping her capture the spirit of the park in her paintings. She is especially captivated by the park’s nightly Firefall event where park staff push burning embers off the cliff, creating a fiery waterfall effect. But once Olivia makes a splash in the art scene, her charade and everything she has worked for are threatened to also go up in flames.
 
With an air of suspense and adventure, Barnett provides a nostalgic take on this iconic national park and its majestic beauty that has been preserved for so many years. Historical romance readers and those captivated by the stunning landscape of Yosemite will love the way Barnett highlights the connection between humanity, nature and the divine.
 
Barnett’s Vintage National Parks novels bring to vivid life President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for protected lands. He wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter:There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred."
 
For more information, visit www.waterbrookmultnomah.com.
                                 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
KAREN BARNETT, author of The Road to Paradise and four other novels, is a former park ranger and outdoor educator at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park, and Mount Rainier National Park. When not writing, Barnett enjoys photography, hiking, and public speaking. She lives in Oregon with her family. For more information, visit www.karenbarnettbooks.com.
 
Facebook: facebook.com/KarenBarnettAuthor
Twitter: @KarenMBarnett
Instagram: @KarenBarnettAuthor
Pinterest: pinterest.com/karenbarnett
 
PRAISE FOR WHERE THE FIRE FALLS
 
“John Muir considered Yosemite to be ‘pervaded with divine light’ and, after reading this book, it’s easy to see why. The beautiful cover for this second Vintage National Parks novel from Barnett is like looking at a vintage postcard, one that acts as the gateway to the equally beautiful story inside. A must-read for historical fiction fans, armchair travelers, outdoorsy and/or artistic readers and for anyone who considers the mountains their happy place.” —RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars & Top Pick
“Written with an artist’s sure strokes, Where the Fire Falls captures every hue of adventure, romance, and danger.”—Regina Jennings, author of Holding the Fort
 
 “Karen Barnett has fashioned a story filled with color, complexity, and rich imagery. Readers of Where the Fire Falls will not only find friends in Olivia and Clark but they’ll become enamored with the enchanting Yosemite National Park. Barnett has given her readers the gift of a story with heart that is delightful and hard to put down. I can’t wait to read what she shares next!” —Susie Finkbeiner, author of A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home

 “Yosemite National Park is as stunning and unforgettable as this book’s leading lady, artist Olivia Rutherford, in this lush, atmospheric blend of visual and natural art. Karen Barnett’s deft prose sweeps each page with the same delicate touch as Olivia’s brush so that the 1920s-era park comes to life. Armchair travelers will sense every sight, smell, and touch thanks to Barnett’s inimitable spirit of place.” —Rachel McMillan, author the Van Buren and DeLuca series

“Capturing the grandeur of Yosemite National Park with words is a bit like harnessing the wind. Yet this talented author does just that. Karen Barnett’s story drew me in on the first page, her descriptions of Yosemite took my breath away, and her well-developed characters kept me turning pages until the end. I loved Where the Fire Falls!” —Ginny L. Yttrup, award-winning author of Words and Flames

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