Stepping into Sunlight by Sharon Hinck

"Little deeds of kindness, little words of love, make our earth an Eden like the heaven above."-from a hymn by Julia Carney

Sharon Hinck's book Stepping into Sunlight is about a young mom named Penny whose husband is a Navy Chaplain who must leave for a tour of duty right after Penny witnesses a convenience store robbery gone wrong, ending in murder.
Penny is traumatized and her life starts to fall apart. Since they are new to the Navy life and the Chesapeake area where they are stationed,she doesn't have the church and family support that she enjoyed back home. She must somehow hold it together for her little boy and manage without regular contact with her husband.

Sharon manages to assemble a cast of characters that are lovable-a trauma support group worthy of a sit-com had me rooting for everyone to find healing and celebrating those little steps toward freedom, and a tiny store-front church offering a safe haven combined with prayer and doses of common sense, helped me to see God's provision in unfamiliar territory.

Part of Penny's healing comes from her resolve to keep a notebook of kindness in which she records one good deed per day for someone different. Sharon actually created a special blog where people can check in and share their experiences of "paying it forward". A support blog for those of us who need affirmation and kind words. It's called Penny's Project.

Sharon Hinck has written six other books ranging from mom lit to fantasy- all have Sharon's trademark sense of humor, faith, and hope.