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About the Book

Young woman walking on water

Book: Sailing out of Darkness

Author: Normandie Fischer

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release Date: February 25, 2017 (2nd Edition)

Love conquers all? Maybe for some people.

When Samantha flies to Italy to gain distance from a disastrous affair with her childhood best friend, the last thing on her mind is romance. But Teo Anderson is nothing like her philandering ex-husband or her sailing buddy, Jack, who, despite his live-in girlfriend, caught her off guard with his flashing black eyes.

Teo has his own scars, both physical and emotional, that he represses by writing mysteries — until one strange and compelling vision comes to life in the person of Sam. Seeking answers, he offers friendship to this obviously hurting woman, a friendship that threatens to upend his fragile peace of mind.

But not even sailing the cobalt waters of the Mediterranean can assuage Sam’s guilt for destroying Jack’s relationship and hurting another woman. Soon the consequences of her behavior escalate, and the fallout threatens them all.

Sailing out of Darkness is the haunting story of mistakes and loss . . . and the grace that abounds through forgiveness.

Awarded: Aspen Gold, Selah, and Maggie Finalist 2014 (1^st edition).

About the Author

Normandie Fischer is a sailor who writes and a writer who sails. After studying sculpture in Italy, she returned to the States, graduated suma cum laude, and went to work in the publishing field as an editor. She and her husband retired from cruising Pacific Mexico on their 50-foot ketch, Sea Venture, to care of her aging mother and enjoy her two grown children and her grandchildren. She is the author of six books: Becalmed (2013), Heavy Weather (2015), Twilight Christmas (2016), Two from Isaac’s House (2015), From Fire into Fire (2016), and Sailing out of Darkness (2013 and 2017).

Guest Post from Normandie Fischer

In Sailing out of Darkness, the female protagonist longs for something, anything that will validate her after her husband leaves. She’s propelled into such an emotional wasteland that she becomes vulnerable to what seems a safe friendship.

It isn’t. And so she flees to Italy, but the repercussions of her actions continue to affect her and others—as consequences are wont to do.

After my divorce, hurting women seemed to flock to my vicinity. (Either that, or suddenly husbands in the church were leaving in droves.) These were abandoned women, angry women, women searching for love in the wrong places. I wasn’t in any shape to minister to them as I too was struggling at the cross, but that period helped me understand how woefully ignorant and unprepared many church goers are when it comes to hearing the cries of the hurting. I know of two women (to whom I dedicated the book) who actually killed themselves because no one listened or reached out a hand when they needed it.

My Impressions:

When a book just doesn’t resonate with a reader, it is often hard to describe why. That’s my dilemma with Sailing out of Darkness by Normandie Fischer. While the book is very well-written — the author is adept at setting a scene, and the characters are fully-developed, I just never could get it to click. This is partly due to my not liking main character Sam Ransom. While I really liked Teo, the mystery writer who befriends her, I was never drawn to Sam and didn’t really see why he was either. There are parts of the book that seem like add-ons, and because of their dark nature and complexity I felt that they really should not have been a part of an already full story. I know this seems vague, but I don’t want to include any spoilers. Let’s just say that the guilt and self-doubt that Sam feels could have been resolved without the added trauma that comes at the end of the book. The book is billed as Christian Fiction, and while the main characters are believers, there is little lived out in their lives. The promise of spiritual growth for Sam and Teo never rang true to me.

Please note that this is certainly my subjective opinion. There are lots of reviewers that would disagree with me. Please visit the bloggers listed below to view other opinions.

(Thanks to Celebrate Lit for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Normandie is giving away a Kindle! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b630

Tags: Normandie Fischer, women's fiction