Renovating the Heart: Introducing Secondhand Sunsets by Gail Kittleston


@carol_mcclain

I’m branching out here in introducing other authors. Gail Kittleson is a gifted writer, teacher, and mentor. She’s recently released a new book: Secondhand Sunsets.

I’d love for you to get to know her.

Secondhand Sunset

Recently, my husband and I decided to re-re-renovate a central portion of our very old house, which involved the removal of a main support wall in order to facilitate heat flow. This led to discovering that the wall had never been tied into a second significant structural wall. (Thus, a sagging kitchen ceiling.) In other words, we got more than we bargained for, plus a ton of dust and debris. (:

Don’t you love how spiritual themes run through our everyday lives? For me, our project brought to mind a Biblical character who also received more than she might have imagined.

I’ve always loved the story of the hemorrhaging woman who seeks healing from Jesus. After long years of pain and distress, she touches his robe, and beyond her wildest dreams, finds relief.  Her healing includes more than her physical symptoms—the shame she has experienced is also released. What wild joy when she realizes within herself that her agony has ended!

My latest release, Secondhand Sunsets, reflects the spiritual truth that despite how desperate we feel, how complicated and convoluted our lives become, or the extent of our shame, a remedy exists. No matter what, the divine love that created us still sustains us.

 

BIO: Dare To Bloom, Gail’s website, comes by its name honestly—it took time to acquire the courage to put her writing “out there.” Eventually, her memoir developed and led to writing World War II fiction. Her Women of the Heartland brand honors the Greatest Generation’s make-do women and men and includes a novella, seven novels, and two more in the works.

Recently, Gail also co-wrote two nonfiction books featuring stories of wartime food and the holidays, and Country Music’s Hidden Gem, celebrating the life of Redd Stewart, the composer of “The Tennessee Waltz.” She misses teaching and enjoys facilitating writing workshops and mentoring memoirists on their unique journeys.

 

5 Comments

  1. J.D. Wininger says:

    Thank you for sharing insights on both the “Secondhand Sunsets” book and an inside look at Ms. Gail Kittleson Ms. Carol. Ms. Kittleson, and her masterful blend of characters and story in creating historical fiction has fast become one of my favorite authors. I just started reading “Secondhand Sunset” and am mesmerized by the twists and turns in the lives of some of the characters. Some, I’ve already grown to love. A few others, I’m ready to take behind the woodshed. I agree with Ms. Gail though about how uncanny it is that art imitates live and how relatable Bible accounts are to our lives. It’s almost as though God was preparing us to live life, as if the Bible is an instruction manual for living. Enjoyed the post ma’am; thank you, and God’s blessings.

    • Carol McClain says:

      Gail,
      You are my first guest–the blog never expires, so if you have any keywords you want me to add–this may have a cumulative effect.

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