Rodney Walther

Space in the Heart Rodney Walther

Before his wife was murdered, astronaut Garrison Sterling couldn't wait to rocket into space on his first shuttle mission. Now he merely survives, one day at a time, blaming himself for the events that put his wife in a grave and his daughter Zoey in a wheelchair. And he struggles to raise Zoey, a headstrong teenager who longs for independence and rebels against his overprotective ways.

Danica Cortez, Houston's favorite morning news anchor, dreams of practicing real journalism instead of forever reading teleprompters. When she witnesses a plane crash and rescues the only survivor--a U. S. Senator--Danica becomes a national hero. But her journalistic instincts tell her that there is more to the story, leading her not only to confront a powerful politician but also to face the greatest regret of her past, her role in the tragic story that launched her career.

When Garrison and Danica meet, they sense an instant attraction. They take those tentative first steps toward love even as they wrestle with competing priorities: the needs of his daughter and the demands of her career.

Now their journey, like his planned spaceflight, might be over before it begins. Because a dark secret threatens to destroy their relationship. Forever.

Publishers Weekly says:
"When the paths of an agoraphobic former NASA astronaut, an investigative journalist forced to be something she isn't for her job as a news anchor, and a young woman going through her terrible teen years cross, sparks fly in this multi-perspective romance. Danica Cortez is a news anchor haunted by her past, driven to succeed and motivated by guilt. When she saves the life of an influential United States senator after a plane crash and becomes a national hero, her instincts lead her to uncover the deeper story, which puts her in the crosshairs of a powerful politician. Widowed father, Garrison Sterling, meanwhile, is trying to raise his paraplegic teen daughter, Zoey, alone after the murder that claimed his wife and Zoey's legs -- an event he blames himself for. The stars align for the trio to meet and fall in love -- though not without the requisite speed bumps along the way. Under the shadow of Danica's past and Garrison's fear, love must fight to take flight in this sweetly uplifting story. While Garrison's psychological fragility is difficult to bear at times, it's balanced by Zoey's teenage antics and Danica's quiet strength."