A Sparkle of Silver - Millie Sullivan plays a 1920’s-era guest during tours of a palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where her great-grandmother was a real guest ninety years ago. When Millie learns of a lost diary that may contain the location of a hidden treasure on the estate and reveal the identity of her great-grandfather, she sets out to find the truth of her heritage—and the fortune she desperately needs. But it won’t be easy. When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate’s private library, he threatens to have her fired. Still, her story seems too ludicrous to be fiction, and her offer to split the treasure is too tempting to pass up. Get ready for a romantic escapade through dark halls and dusty corners that will have you holding your breath and sighing with delight.
A Glitter of Gold - Anne Norris moved to Savannah, Georgia, for a fresh start. Now her pirate-tour business is flagging and paying the rent requires more than wishful thinking. When she discovers evidence of a shipwreck off the coast of Tybee Island, she knows it could be just the boon she needs to stay afloat. She takes her findings to local museum director Carter Hale for confirmation, but things do not go as planned. Carter is fascinated with the wreck, the discovery of which could open the door to his dream job at a prestigious museum. But convincing Anne to help him fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle is no easy task. And working with Carter means that Anne will have to do the one thing she swore she’d never do again: trust a man.
A Dazzle of Diamonds - Penelope Hunter loves her job as the event manager at one of Savannah’s premier historic venues—until her ex-fiancé walks into her office with his new bride-to-be. Surely she cannot be expected to plan their wedding. To make matters worse, a scheming social matriarch is threatening to take her big-ticket event elsewhere, especially if Penelope insists on being seen with her best friend, Tucker Westbrook. Since returning from serving two tours in the Middle East, Tucker has built a thriving security company. His work is nearly as stabilizing as his lifelong friendship with Penelope. But when the lone candidate for county sheriff goads him, Tucker loses his cool and ends up on the ballot—and on the receiving end of a smear campaign claiming the Westbrooks were traitors to the South. To clear his name, Tucker and Penelope must join forces to find the truth behind a lost Civil War treasure. But the more time they spend together, the closer she comes to losing her job—and falling helplessly in love.
Sometimes, Christian Romance novels seem like a Hallmark movie. It is the continuous pattern of: they meet, they begin to fall for one another, there’s a harmless misunderstanding, and by the end everyone has their dream job and gets on their way to living happily ever after. But what fascinated me about Liz Johnson’s Georgia Coast Romance series, was how she introduced us to each of the characters in a way that shows us who they are individually. They aren’t strictly “romance” novels. They’re stories, filled with people who have money problems, family issues, job stress, and so many different things that they have experienced. Aside from the romantic relationships that authors focus on more than an actual story. So today, I’m going to talk about how Liz Johnson incorporated the theme of treasure into her unique romance series.
The general definition of treasure is: a quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects; keep carefully (a valuable or valued item). And the latter definition pertains to these novels a bit more than the first definition. But if a treasure is something that you, “keep carefully,” then how do we, like the characters in these novels, end up on a search for lost treasure. How do you lose something that you were supposed to keep safe? Now, if you’re thinking of a treasure as an object, then losing it might make a little more sense (unless you’re actually keeping it under lock and key). In A Sparkle of Silver, we discover that Millie’s lost treasure isn’t the diary at all, but the secrets that it contains. And similarly, in A Glitter of Gold and A Dazzle of Diamonds, finding the remains of a shipwreck and a lost treasure from the Civil War is basically life-altering for the characters of these novels.
So faith-wise, do you find yourself losing track of the treasures that the Lord has given you? He has given us His word, why don’t we take time to read it? He has given us a way to speak to Him through prayer, why don’t we give Him that time? God has given us so much. Now, it’s our turn to use the gifts He has given us to spread His word and to do His will! Come on in to the Cross Reference Library and check out the Georgia Coast Romance series and even more literary treasures that you may find on our shelves.
— “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:20-21
