Soul Painter by Cara Luecht

I was intrigued when I received Soul Painter by Cara Luecht. Set in Chicago, circa 1891, the opening scene has a gothic, almost ghostly feel. A woman in a cape watches as the fog encloses the area down by the docks near a cathedral where a statue of the Virgin Mary stands cracked and alone-- like the other wanderers in the night.

Well, in spite of the ominous beginning, and like the darkness and fog, all it takes is some light and some faith to release the grace that is waiting for those who will dare to step out and see what the darkness is trying to hide. 

Miriam has spent her young life painting portraits of people as she imagines them to be in truth. When she steps out of the shadows of her self-induced cloistered existence to help a woman in need-- a victim of the night's evil side-- a chain reaction occurs. A kindly deacon, her own attorney, and a host of others become involved in each other's lives. Relationships form like constellations and the light starts to shine. The question is, can the evil that has flourished be uprooted or will it be allowed to continue it's path of destruction?

I really liked this book. It was fresh, original, and cleanly written. Cara Luecht is a name that I wasn't familiar with, but I am so glad to have the opportunity to discover this new talented writer, and I am looking forward to more.

Please read on for more about Soul Painter and Cara Luecht!

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Soul Painter

WhiteFire Publishing (March 15, 2014)

by

Cara Luecht


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Word from the Author:
I never planned to be a writer. In fact, it took me a while to finish college. But I did, and here I am. And I now I can’t imagine not being a writer.


By day, I am an English Instructor at MATC, Marketing Manager for Degnan Design Builders, Inc., mother to four amazing children, wife to an eternally patient and supportive husband, and Worship Leader for Living Hope Fellowship in Sun Prairie, WI. In the evening, when I can squirrel away some quiet time, I read and write historical fiction.


I have a B.A. in English Lit. from UW Whitewater and an M.F.A in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ.


If you have a question for me, or if you are local and would like me to stop by your book club or writer’s group, please drop me a line via the “Ask the Author” tab. I always love the opportunity to meet with others who share my love of books.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Miriam paints the future…but can she change it?


Chicago – 1890


Miriam watches the people jostle their way below the windows of her warehouse home, never thinking to look up at her as she paints their faces. But Miriam's gift as an artist goes beyond a mere recording of what is: Miriam paints their futures. Only once was she wrong. One woman doesn't match the future Miriam saw. The bright girl was supposed to grow into a respected businesswoman. Instead, Ione disappears nightly into the shadowed alley next to the cathedral with the other prostitutes. Then one night, while walking through the city fog, Miriam finds Ione broken and beaten. Miriam is forced to open her home to the stranger whose face she knows so well and open her life to change she never could have foretold. Women are missing—some found floating in the river, some never seen again. The deacon from the cathedral is the first to help. Soon Miriam’s solicitor, Michael, aids her in rejoining society so they might uncover the evil at work in the corrupt city...and awakens feelings she had never considered before. Finally engaged with the world she has so long observed, finally stirred by love and friendship, Miriam realizes the responsibility of her gifting. No longer can she just paint what will be. She must now help Ione find the future she is meant to have...and find her own along with it.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Soul Painter, go HERE.