A daughter left to burn. A wife lost in the maelstrom. A mother consumed by the flames of the worst firestorm Minnesota has ever seen.

Now, the town of Hinckley rises from the ashes, its people determined to rebuild their lives.

But in the darkness, someone is watching. Someone is waiting. Someone who knows the secrets that the fire laid bare.

Come to a time when hope rose from the smoke of sacrifice, when trust hid behind a veil of fear, when dreams were robed in a mantle of fire . . .

Veil of Fire is a powerful story of sacrificial love, excruciating loss, and radical redemption. Skillfully weaving spiritual truths and historical facts into a lovely tapestry, Marlo has created a lyrical story that will stay with readers long after the last page. I highly recommend this book.

~Annette Smith, author of a dozen books, including A Bigger Life

Moving. Heartbreaking. Compelling. I loved this novel! This beautiful, sensitive story of pain, loss, and ultimately, healing and redemption, touched the deepest parts of my heart. Although I usually prefer contemporary fiction, the gifted Marlo Schalesky has converted me--first with her Only the Wind Remembers and now with her amazing Veil of Fire. Bravo, Ms. Schalesky! Highly recommended.

~Laura Jensen Walker, author of Miss Invisible and Reconstructing Natalie (Women of Faith Novel of the Year, 2006)

Reading Veil of Fire is like feasting on a banquet of rich words and images. Schalesky's voice is lyrical, and the story gripping. It's a tale of truth-and true beauty-centered on a historical firestorm that altered a community forever. And, in turn, it's a story that tugged at my heart and made me think twice about my own fears and prejudices.

~Tricia Goyer, award-winning author of five novels, including A Valley of Betrayal.

A truly gifted storyteller, Marlo Schalesky has woven a beautiful tale that confronts readers with truth and the character of God. Marlo possesses a lyrical style and deep characterization that will transport you into a story populated with characters you’ll never forget—you will actually walk through the Veil of Fire with the residents of Hinckley. If you’re brave enough to search, you may even discover answers to some of those hard questions from your past. This book is one you don’t want to miss!

~Judith Miller, Author of The Bells of Lowell, Lights of Lowell and Freedom’s Path Series.

Author of:
BEYOND THE NIGHT (Fiction, Love Stories with a Twist!), coming in 2008 from Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishers
VEIL OF FIRE (Fiction, 1890’s Minnesota), coming in May 2007 from RiverOak Publishers
CRY FREEDOM, Crossway Books, 2000 (Fiction, 1740's Colonial America)
FREEDOM'S SHADOW, Crossway Books, 2001 (Fiction, 1750's Colonial America)
EMPTY WOMB, ACHING HEART, Bethany House Publishers, 2001 (Nonfiction, Infertility)
ONLY THE WIND REMEMBERS, Moody Publishers, 2003 -- Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (Fiction, 1911 San Francisco)

Dear Readers,

Thanks so much for stopping by my page on At Home with Christian Fiction! I hope you enjoy the information you find here and will pick up a copy of Veil of Fire. People often ask where I get my ideas for my books. My answer? You never know! For Veil of Fire, the idea was birthed at my favorite Mexican restaurant in the mission town of San Juan Bautista. There I was, sitting with my family, nibbling chips and salsa, when a wedding party came by. The bridesmaids were dressed in beautiful turn-of-the-century style gowns. As they passed, my mother-in-law began to tell me of the dresses that her great grandmother, who lived in Hinckley, used to sew for the rich ladies in Minneapolis and St. Paul. From there, came the story of the great Hinckley fire and the rebuilding that this woman, my husband’s great-great-grandmother, was a part of. And finally, I heard the tale of the mystery figure in the hills, a person burned beyond recognition. A person never identified, living as a hermit until one day he just disappeared.

At that moment, the first inklings of the story that would become Veil of Fire were born in my heart. Who was the hermit in the hills? What happened to him? And how would I solve the mystery if I could? As I pondered those questions, I knew that I had to write the hermit’s story. Had to explore what it would be like to lose everything, even your identity. Had to hear the hermit’s voice in my mind, and hear the story for myself.

So, the writing of the book became for me a process of discovery, as I hope it will be for you. I hope that as the mystery of the hermit drew me, so too it will draw you to this story of how fire can change you, take from you, and in the end, may just set you free.

MARLO ONLINE:
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WHAT'S NEXT FROM MARLO?

After Veil of Fire, I am writing 3 contemporary novels for Waterbrook-Multnomah. All of them are “Love Stories with a Twist!,” a new type of story that I think will knock readers’ socks off. The first, Beyond the Night, releases in May 2008. With groovy 70’s trivia and a whopper of an ending twist, this one was as fun to write as it will be to read. Here’s a blurb about it: