Press Release: When Stone Wings Fly
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Press Release: Where the Fire Falls
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 Fallswill 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
Press Release: The Road to Paradise
Press Release For Immediate Release from WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House Lisa Beech, Assistant Director of Publicity lbeech@penguinrandomhouse.com
New Novel Highlights National Parks
“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.” President Theodore Roosevelt
The first of Karen Barnett’s historical novels, The Road to Paradise (WaterBrook, June 6, 2017), highlights the shared treasure and heritage of the National Park system by pitting a reclusive park ranger and a naïve young socialite against an unscrupulous businessman determined to develop Mount Rainier National Park for his own personal gain. Set in the raw natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, this novel mixes the romance of the wilderness with the allure of the roaring twenties.
Author Barnett grew up in the shadow of Mount Rainier and spent several years in the mid-1990s working as a park ranger and naturalist for Mount Rainier National Park. During her time as a ranger, Barnett came across a series of incredible stories about women who challenged cultural norms while working at the park.
Stories of women like Alma Wagen, a mountain climber and the first female climbing guide in the National Parks in 1918, and Helene Wilson, hired to work at Mount Rainier’s Nisqually Entrance Station the same year, captured her attention.
“It’s the stories of these brave women that inspired me to write The Road to Paradise,” says Barnett. “My main character [Margie Lane] arrives at Mount Rainier in 1927 with the dream of working as a ranger… she manages to gain the admiration of everyone who witnesses her work – particularly the Chief Ranger, Ford Brayden.”
“I believe that experiencing nature—in all of its raw beauty—is getting a glimpse into our Creator’s heart,” Barnett shares. “Some of my most powerful spiritual moments have come as a result of wilderness experiences, and I’d love to portray that in fiction.”
Combined with the allure of the 1920s, the inviting, suspenseful story and appealing setting make The Road to Paradise a perfect book for summer armchair travel. For more information, go to www.waterbookmultnomah.com.
Contact Publicist Lisa Beech lbeech@penguinrandomhouse.com
Press Release: Out of the Ruins
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2014
PRESS RELEASE
In Our Weakness, He is Strong
Karen Barnett’s Out of the Ruins shows that nothing we do can make God leave our side.
• Seattle: Whether because of grief, guilt or a feeling of inadequacy, many of us find ourselves pushing God away during the time we need Him most. Abby Fischer, the heroine in Karen Barnett’s new novel, Out of the Ruins (Abingdon/May 6, 2014/$14.99), comes face to face with grief and anger that causes her to question her faith, something the author herself has done for similar reasons.
“There was a time in my life where I pushed God away, but it was because of guilt rather than grief,” Barnett says. “I knew God would never approve of the choices I was making at the time, so I played Jonah and hid from Him, thinking I could return once I fixed all my problems. The result? I continued falling further into sin because I was incapable of changing myself. It took a time before I realized I needed God’s strength to overcome my weakness.”
Now Barnett has taken those experiences and built a story that will leave readers with the understanding that no matter who we are or what we’ve done, God is still as close to us as our next breath.
Abby Fischer has always lived in her sister’s shadow. The shy, socially awkward and stubborn heroine envies Cecelia’s beauty and talents while being completely blind to her own. When Cecelia becomes ill, however, Abby draws on a well of inner strength she never realized she possessed. God answers her prayers for a miracle in the most unexpected way—in the form of the handsome Dr. Robert King, whose experimental treatment is risky at best.
Reeling by the tragedy of the mighty San Francisco earthquake and the resulting fires around the city, Abby’s feelings for the doctor become hopelessly entangled, but their relationship takes a backseat to survival. With fires and chaos raging throughout San Francisco, Abby fears for her life as she flees alone through burning streets. Where is God now? Will Robert find Abby, even as the world burns around them? Or has their love fallen with the ruins of the city?
Out of the Ruins is the first in Barnett’s new Golden Gate Chronicles series, which brings to life the world of the early 20th century, when technology was changing faster than people could keep up. Automobiles, telephones, electricity affected people’s daily lives, and the discovery of X-rays altered the face of modern medicine. Many of these advancements are what bring the characters of this series together, giving readers a unique and memorable peek into a world so different, and yet so similar to our own.