When he finished, the waves washed away a message that he offered to the heavens and the ocean. ""I believe in God and the sea, believe in me."" As the two walked up the beach towards the house, you could almost hear the waves say the words Jim gave the ocean to keep forever. Chances. We all have taken them in our lives. For Jim Harris, he has taken the biggest chance of all. Giving up everything to chase a career. The one thing that he didn't count on was that the chance he was taking would lead him to what he needed most in life, the true love of a woman. Keep the Light is a story of family, friendship, true love, and taking that chance. Author Myron Stenzel invites you to take a chance by reading this story of true love. In the end, you will look inside your own self and envision your dreams and passions, and you will forever keep the true meaning of life in your heart-love.
Myron Stenzel was born and raised in the small Western Kansas town of Ness City. His career path has been in the engineering design field which he studied and graduated in 1998 from NWKTC in Goodland, KS. He also received his Associates Degree in Engineering Technology from Colby Community College in Colby, KS in 1998. Although his studies and professional career have been in drafting and design, Myron has always possessed the power of writing. He found his niche for writing while in college and over the years he has favored the art of writing poetry and short stories.
Myron believes inspiration comes in many forms and in many ways throughout one’s life. He believes that the “power of the pen” allows him to express life’s true meanings. His belief is there is no topic he cannot write about if he is truly inspired. Myron believes God has allowed him to pursue a passion for writing and he feels blessed every day to be published and to be able to share his vision with all who wants to be inspired.
In the vast sea of books available to read in this day and age, it can be a challenge to decide which one to choose. Some want romances. Others would prefer inspirational reads. And even others long for a simple, peaceful book to read as they curl up for some quiet time of reflection. All too often, it can be impossible to find a book that will meet all these requirements, but I do believe that I have found one--this book. It encapsulates all those genres and more, and better still, it can be read in one setting.
Within the pages of this debut novel, the reader will be delighted to find a generally relatable cast of characters as well as a story that reads quite conversationally. Although the story is predictable at times, the reader should be able to find something within the essence of this story that inspires and refreshes him/her. If nothing else, the reader can count on stirring poetry at strategic points within the story that will remind him/her that light can be attained in any situation.
My complaints regarding this book are few and far between, and they also are more personal preference than anything else. It is important to note that there is extremely mild profanity (I was not offended by it--hardly worth mentioning), and there were some intimate scenes without detail. Additionally, I struggled to connect with the character of Dana, but that is due to my own concept of what women should be. Sometimes the writing was a bit choppy and as refined as I prefer, but I believe that future books from this author will only improve.
The most important thing to point out is that the author's zeal and passion to inspire others is readily apparent. This is a short, poignant book that will cause you to think and reflect if nothing else. I would list this book high on my list of recommended reading.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
This is a sweet love story for the most part. It starts out with a man wanting and needing to make a change in his life. He moves to a whole different area of the U.S. to make this change. He meets for the first time his estranged uncle who offers him not only his home, the light house, but a new chance at life. There he gets the opportunity of a life time and finds the women of his dreams.
Essentially, that is the whole book.
The overall theme of working hard to achieve your dreams appeals to me. Even the idea of falling in love and that it will concur all is charming considering the world we live in today.
However, I wish I could say that I overwhelmingly liked this book. There were a few issues I had with it. First being at times the writing seemed rushed and often very repetitive. Some scenes could have been elaborated on which would make for better writing.
I had trouble getting into the characters. I found myself wanting to know more about Dana, this seemingly hard working woman who was, in my mind, relegated to a passive character at best. The character, Phil was an interesting character who seemed to have stories of living in the lighthouse but his stories were lost to a plot development that focused on something else.
Overall, I feel the author was aiming at the inspirational side for this book. For that, he did seem to achieve. I hope in the future to read another book by this author and can see his potential but for now, I can only give this book 3 stars.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book for my open and honest opinion. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Naila Moon
Keep the Light by Myron Stenzel is a book about Jim Harris, an architect. He takes a huge chance by packing up his things and moving away to live in a lighthouse with his Uncle Phil. When he gets to his new home, he's amazed and inspired by the historical value of the building, as well as learning a few things about his own family.
It's somewhat of a happy book and following Jim's story is somewhat lovely. Not only that, it was lovely to follow the story of Phil, Dana and even the lighthouse. It's a short book and mostly upbeat. Though, I think it would work well as a longer book, or even a short series. I would have liked to look more into Phil's life and the original dispute into the lighthouse ownership. It might also have been nice to learn about whatever problems Phil might have had owning the lighthouse for so long. I would also liked to have learned more about how other people feel about the lighthouse and whether it affects their lives as well.
Overall, I thought it was quite a lovely book. For those worried about the religious aspects (if you don't like that kind of thing, for whatever reason), you could probably simply ignore them and it's still a good book with a great theme. I received a free copy from winning a giveaaway. Though, the opinions I've presented in this review are honest.
Nicholas Spark fans take note! Looking for a new read? Try Keep the Light by Myron Stenzel. When life gets difficult for Jim, he takes it as a message and decides to change his life. He moves to the east coast to live with his uncle, a lighthouse keeper. There are many lessons to be learned from maintaining the lighthouse and the sea itself. Jim finds all the things that were missing from his former life but is he brave enough to risk it all and take a chance on life and love? When opportunity knocks… open the door! It’s true for Jim and true for you. Read Keep the Light, a story of hope, inspiration, love and family.
Inspiration finds all of us at least once in our lives. Take this book of one man's journey and vision your own journey. Then, CHASE THAT INSPIRATION to fulfill your own destiny in life. Enjoy my first book. -Myron
Keep the Light was written by yours truly and was published/released nationwide by Tate Publishing on June 10, 2014.
My greatest of thanks to the entire staff who believed in me and my writing at Tate Publishing. The honor will forever be all mine to be associated with a class act company and great people.
Keeping The Light is Mr. Stenzel’s debut novel. The story centers on the main character’s courage of stepping out from a comfort zone. It’s about his taking risks to face the unknown squarely, which including an unfamiliar place, a new career, a new relationship, and a newly reconnected family member.
Mr. Stenzel keeps the story-line light-hearted and entertaining. He shares his love of the ocean poetically. What I like the most is the message of the story. The author’s enthusiasm to convey his love for life is genuine, and his desire to inspire others is admirable. I just wish that the editor would have done a better job to polish the dialog and refine the manuscript a bit to reduce the redundancy in wordings. However, I do not think these have affected the value of the message.
I recommend this book because the message of “dare to dream and love” is empowering.