Sand Castles
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Wendy Hodene, for one. She has always been one of those people for whom just enough is plenty. She's married to a charmer, has a young son she loves, and lives close to family in a small New England house that her great-grandfather built. True, she'd love to have room for a three-cushion couch (and of course more closet space), but all in all, she's happy with her life.
Happy, until her husband Jim goes and wins a lottery, upending every reassuring aspect of Wendy's existence. The man she thought she was married to for a decade turns out to be someone else entirely; the house she thought she wanted renovated turns into a stress-inducing pile of dust and demolition; the son who once desired nothing more than a new video game now wants a big new house on the beach; and the mysterious contractor who shows up among the crew on a fine June morning turns out to be a man who's both able and willing to destroy all that Wendy holds dear.
Zack Tompkins has better things to do than to knock down walls and put in floor joists, but his fragile and heartbroken sister Zina is convinced that the lottery winner whose photo she's seen in a newspaper is the man who once married and then abandoned her. It doesn't take long after he's signed on as crew in the Hodene renovation for Zack to see that Zina was right. His choice then becomes all too clear: wound his sister, or tear apart a family.
As dreams and schemes are washed away like sand castles from an incoming tide, one truth remains: some hearts, not fully broken, can mend and still be whole again.
Editorial Reviews
"Well-drawn, sympathetic characters, exceptional writing, and an intriguing premise that puts a new spin on a classic plot combine to produce a riveting story of selfishness, betrayal, and love that readers will find hard to put down. Stockenberg is a RITA Award-winning author and is noted for her compelling, emotionally involving stories."
--Library Journal
"A powerful suspense thriller ... the characters are a superb group, especially the key foursome. The plot is filled with twists and turns ... fans of taut thrillers with a romance will want to read this strong intrigue."
--Harriet Klausner, Bookbrowser
"Moral dilemmas abound in this intriguing and compelling tale."
--Booklist
"A beautiful story filled with imagination, complexity, and sweet love, SAND CASTLES had plot twists that had me tearing through the pages to find out what happened next. A keeper and a must-have for all lovers of romance."
--The Word on Romance
"Antoinette Stockenberg is a consummate storyteller, and SAND CASTLES is another example of how well she has mastered her craft. The author is in top-notch form. The characterizations are wonderfully drawn and believable in their actions and reactions. There are enough plot twists and turns to keep a reader highly interested. A sure-fire winner and highly recommended reading!"
--NewAndUsedBooks.com
"Antoinette Stockenberg continues to display an immense talent for creating powerful and gripping dramas that give readers the full range of human emotions."
--Romantic Times
"This book was wonderful! In fact, I was so caught up in the story, I forgot to analyze anything. Twists, good dialogue and a question to answer at the end .... Kudos ... an excellent read.
--Old Book Barn Gazette
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USA Today bestselling novelist Antoinette Stockenberg grew up wanting to be a cowgirl and have her own horse (her great-grandfather bred horses for the carriage trade back in the old country), but the geography just didn't work out: there weren't many ranches in Chicago. Her other, more doable dream was to write books, and after stints as secretary, programmer, teacher, grad student, boatyard hand, office manager and magazine writer (in that order), she achieved that goal, writing over a dozen novels, several of them with paranormal elements. One of them is the RITA award-winning EMILY'S GHOST.
Stockenberg's books have been published in a dozen languages and are often set in quaint New England harbor towns, always with a dose of humor. She writes about complex family relationships and the fallout that old, unearthed secrets can have on them. Sometimes there's an old murder. Sometimes there's an old ghost. Sometimes once-lovers find one another after half a lifetime apart.
Her work has been compared to writers as diverse as Barbara Freethy, Nora Roberts, LaVyrle Spencer and Mary Stewart by critics and authors alike, and her novels have appeared on bestseller lists in USA Today as well as the national bookstore chains. Her website features sample chapters, numerous reviews, many photos, and an enchanting Christmas section. www.antoinettestockenberg.com
