Glynna Kaye: Keeping Cool . . . In Canyon Springs, Arizona

Cool in Arizona? But it’s summer, isn’t it?. Temperatures reaching 115-- or higher. Cactus. Heat shimmering off the highways. Bleached bones baking in the desert sun.
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That may be true for parts of Arizona, but while the majority of you are roasting across the country, there’s a portion of the state many don’t know exists! It’s a high-elevation, pine-studded world where daytime highs hover in the low-mid 80’s and overnight temps ranges from the low 40’s to the low 60’s. It’s a a world where summertime warmth can rapidly transform to an autumn-ish 50’s or 60’s when an afternoon cold front moves in, often heralding a monsoon downpour. As hard as it may be to believe, many people in this region don’t even have air-conditioning in their houses!
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No doubt about it, summer in the high country of Arizona is hard to beat!
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It’s in that part of the state that my fictional Canyon Springs is set--home to three books, with a fourth debuting in March 2012! A rugged mountain haven for elk, deer, bears, mountain lions and towering ponderosa pines, it’s also a retreat for people seeking relief from the worst summer can deliver. It’s a region catering to campers, bikers, hikers, trail riders and fishermen. And amazingly, in the “off season” it’s a winter wonderland! Yes. in Arizona!
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At HOME IN HIS HEART (August 2011)
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Finding Her Way Home... As soon as she got married, Sandi Bradshaw wanted nothing more than to move out of Canyon Springs, Arizona. Then everything changed when her military husband was killed. Now, establishing a veteran's memorial in his honor has brought Sandi and her daughter face-to-face with the man who'd once stood in the way of her marriage.
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Sergeant Bryce Harding has a lot to prove to this hometown crowd--and the very stubborn Sandi. But can they embrace the possibility that God might be giving them both a second chance at love?
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If you’re looking for a “cool” romantic escape for a hot summer day, “At Home In His Heart” may be what you’re looking for! Pour yourself a glass of icy lemonade or sweet tea, pull up a lawn chair under a shade tree—and settle down for a visit to Canyon Springs!
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Then if you’d like to make a return trip to this little mountain community, check out the story of Sandi’s friend Meg and her ex-Navy corpsman hero in my award-winning “Dreaming of Home” (Love Inspired October 2009). And the story of their friend Kara and her rodeo cowboy hero in “Second Chance Courtship” (February 2011).
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Glynna Kaye