What do a trailblazing female engineer, a man of mixed heritage, and one of the most audacious construction projects in American history have in common? The captivating Christian historical romance by Barbara Blythe that’s  as theologically rich as it is romantically compelling.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Henry Flagler’s railroad extension to Key West (aka “Flagler’s Folly” ) Blythe’s novel follows Kimball Delacroix, a Cornell-educated civil engineer defying every expectation of her era, and Logan Stillwater, a man of mixed Seminole and European heritage who has fought prejudice at every turn. Barbara brings together two people who shouldn’t succeed by giving them each a calling neither can ignore.

Today, we sit down with Barbara Blythe to talk about the history that inspired her, the characters who surprised her, and the spiritual journey behind every page of this unforgettable novel.

PBG: Kimball Delacroix breaks into the male-dominated world of engineering on the Florida East Coast Railroad, wearing trousers, lifting fifty-pound concrete chunks to prove her worth, and diving into waters where men have died. Yet her very first morning on the job, she prays aloud on the porch, asking God for “strength, wisdom, endurance, and acceptance.” How did you craft the balance between Kimball’s fierce self-reliance and her deep dependence on prayer? Was that tension intentional from the beginning, or did it emerge as you wrote her?

BB: Kimball had already embraced a deep faith in God, but in doing so she believed He was directing her toward a path filled with purpose and accomplishment. She found little pleasure in the pursuits of her peers and resisted her parents’ efforts to mold her into a perfect lady of society. She was very much aware of the dangers of diving having received instruction from those who’d made a living from diving and understood the inherent hazards of the profession. Kimball does struggle with self-reliance versus God’s guidance and approval. As the story unfolds, she comes to realize just how much God’s will should and does take precedence over her decisions. It is an evolving awakening for her.

PBG: The hymn “The Solid Rock” appears at a pivotal early moment in the novel, when Kimball hums it underwater during childhood dives as a secret prayer, and then hears it again in the Stillwater family church, where its words speak to her “in a different way.” The book’s very title echoes this theme of standing firm against shifting ground. How did you develop this central metaphor of rock versus sand to reflect the spiritual journey you were mapping for your characters?

BB: I have always loved the hymn “The Solid Rock,” one that inspired me, along with a trip to Marathon Key (Key West) at five years of age and additional visits to Key West as I got older, to write this story. I recall seeing the abandoned Flagler Hotel on Key West before it was restored and it stuck in my imagination. Thus was born the idea of how Flagler built his railroad some fifty years later when I began this tale. The shifting sands for Kimball is her search to find a purpose and defy her expected role as a woman. Logan’s shifting sands are coping with his heritage, preserving the Seminole way of life, and accepting his place according to society. He struggles with all three, yet his faith and Biblical truths clearly show him none of those things matter. Both he and Kimball come to realize placing their lives and futures in God’s hand (rock) far outweighs any success they manage to achieve.

PBG: Logan Stillwater is one of the most layered heroes in the story; he’s a brilliant engineer who was deliberately passed over for promotion because of his Seminole heritage, a man who prays for his rivals, and a descendant of the great Chief Osceola. His grandfather Micco calls him Katcha (tiger), yet Logan consistently wrestles his fiercest impulses into submission before God. What drew you to explore racial prejudice and Christian grace together through Logan’s character, and how did you research the legal and social realities facing Seminole men in early 1900s Florida?

BB: I, as well as many others, have begun to pay more notice to the role the Native Americans played in the formation of the United States. Though there are many ethnicities who have contributed and continue to play important roles in the United States and throughout the world, I’ve attempted to include examples of the often unacceptable treatment of Native Americans in some of my writing (also features prominently in my Fires of Destiny series), giving a voice to some of the trials they faced. In researching the rights we all enjoy today, I discovered how the Native Americans were denied the right to vote until the early 20^th century unless they fell into a very few categories that provided exceptions. Just as other groups faced, the descendants of the indigenous peoples of this nation were subjected to the same disparities.

PBG: Aunt Vera is a former debutante who turned her back on St. Augustine society to become a frontier physician serving the Seminole community in the Everglades. Kimball observes that her aunt’s energy “could only be attributed to the power of the Holy Spirit” and openly envies Vera’s unshakable faith. What role did you want Aunt Vera to play as a spiritual mirror for Kimball, and how did you use her quiet, sacrificial service to model what a life yielded to God might look like?

BB: Aunt Vera fell in love with an “unacceptable” man when she was very young. Her father refused to consider her choice, but he couldn’t prevent her from using her medical degree in the Florida Everglades which she’d also fallen in love with, determined to treat and serve those who were ignored and disparaged. Kimball was inspired by her aunt who reinforced her own desire to chart an unexpected path, making Vera Kimball’s “rock.” Knowing of her aunt’s lost love, when Kimball finds herself attracted to Logan, she fears she may end up like her aunt, afraid that God’s will won’t be what she hopes for. It is a tug and pull on her heart, her desires, and expectations until all her plans crash when Logan decides to leave the Flagler organization. She wonders how this can be part of God’s plan.

PBG: The scene in which Kimball addresses the hostile male construction crew for the first time is unforgettable; she silences them by lifting concrete chunks one by one, then closes with “Thank you and God bless you.” It’s both ferociously strong and disarmingly gracious. How did you craft that scene? Did you want readers to see Kimball’s faith as the source of that graciousness, even in the face of contempt?

BB: I believe that line spoken by Kimball stemmed from two instincts: 1) she had a point to prove, and 2) she wanted to emphasize their disrespect and remind them God saw and heard all. Ultimately, she wanted to be the “better man” in this confrontation and take the high road, choosing to remain composed and in control of her emotions. Something all of her subordinates had lost along the way. Even Logan to some extent.

PBG: The Florida Keys setting, with its subtropical heat, aqua water, oyster shell paths, coral bedrock, and looming hurricanes, feels almost like a character in its own right. You ground the reader in very specific engineering details: Portland cement arches, coral rock pilings, the swing truss drawbridge at Moser Channel. How did you research the construction of Flagler’s “Folly,” and what was it about this particular moment in Florida history that felt spiritually resonant to you as a backdrop for a story about faith under pressure?

BB: The sheer magnitude of Flagler’s endeavor was astonishing. Numerous hurricanes dogged the construction efforts, many lives were lost as well as a few high ranking employees. It was a time in this country’s history that resonated with the idea that if a man set his mind to something, he would succeed. However, it was a belief that often lost sight of Who ultimately controls all things. As this story was first written more than ten years ago, I relied heavily on what was available on the internet and library research. Fortunately, these sources contained extensive information on construction materials and building requirements for anchoring the bridge spans. I’m certainly not an engineer, so I found the details fascinating. And the process extremely hazardous. Any individual who was part of that group had to be dedicated and committed to withstand the tension and stress. I’m sure many of those involved “…prayed without ceasing.”

PBG: One of the most poignant early scenes involves Logan pouring out his heart in a private prayer during a church service, asking God whether there is any place in his life for Kimball Delacroix…and admitting his desires feel worldly and selfish even as he makes the request. Readers rarely get to hear a male character pray with that kind of raw honesty. What inspired you to give Logan such an openly vulnerable interior prayer life, and how do you hope male readers respond to seeing that side of him?

BB: I hope male readers would find assurance that it’s all right to doubt and fear for none of us are impervious to either. I believe one of Logan’s strengths is expressing his uncertainty through prayer, having lived in a household of those faithful to and reliant on our Lord. Logan’s father and grandfather had endured their share of slights and derogatory comments. And Logan’s mother chose to marry a Seminole native surely suffering from gossip and unkind remarks. Logan is certain Kimball will never want to tie herself to him yet clings to hope.

PBG: Kimball’s secret life as a certified diver is one of the most surprising and delightful revelations in the story’s early pages. Diving becomes a metaphor for the hidden depths of who Kimball truly is. Was this passion for the underwater world something you discovered for Kimball organically, and how did you use it to complicate the “proper woman” expectations of 1909 society?

BB: I wanted to give Kimball a unique ability, one that would lend itself to bridge construction as divers would have been needed for various reasons. She needed to perform the same activities as any man and be able to inspect any underwater work that might have been required in the construction process. Her unusual talent also set her apart from a typical woman of the time period and baffled the men she was supervising, giving them no actual reason to complain about her other than she was a woman. Her affinity for diving also brings her face to face with Logan for the first time, portraying him as a hard-nosed, inflexible male who considers her lacking in sense and in need of discipline. Kimball, as time passes, forces Logan to rethink his assumptions as to a woman’s proper place even while struggling with his own “proper place.”

PBG: Grandfather Micco Stillwater serves as a kind of prophet figure in the story, offering Logan counsel that consistently points him back to God’s will rather than his own wounded pride. When Micco tells Logan, “That is not more than God can provide,” it cuts through pages of tangled conflict in a single line. How did you develop Micco’s voice and role, and did you always intend for him to embody the intersection of Seminole wisdom and Christian faith so seamlessly?

BB: I created a character closely connected to Logan—other than his loving parents—to be Logan’s “rock.” Micco, to me, was a mix of common sense, practicality, acceptance, and faith. Micco, given his age, has experienced many changes in the world, the loss of an ancient heritage, removal of many natives to Oklahoma, encroachment on native lands, dismissal as a relevant people, and the target of countless insults. Amidst the adversity, he gives praise to God.

PBG: Stronger than Shifting Sands weaves together multiple strands of social injustice: a woman denied credit for her legitimate credentials, a half-Seminole man deliberately “kept in his place” by Flagler’s organization, a young Hispanic woman navigating prejudice in an island community. Yet the story never feels like a lecture; it feels like lives being lived. How did you navigate the line between authentic historical injustice and the warmth and hope that modern readers come to the page expecting…and how does your faith inform the way justice unfolds in the story?

BB: The characters of various ethnicities were living their lives in spite of the obstacles and going about it without complaint. The Florida Keys were a perfect location for those of different heritage, language, abilities, and social status for at the time it was home to many seeking a new life, acceptance, and peaceful co-existence. With the advent of the train, that changed, as all things do with time. Throughout the story, several crucial events occur forcing those of one societal tier to interact closely with those on lower tiers. Hispanic fishermen help Logan and Kimball rescue a drowning society gent; Kimball’s former beau actually shares some of his uncertainty with Logan, whom he hates; Kimball’s parents are thrilled when Vera marries the half-Seminole man she’s always loved. And numerous individuals come to the aid of children trapped by a collapsed bridge. When I think of faith and living a life pleasing to God, I think of ways that bring people together. Most often it happens because of a disaster. I pray one day it might be present at all times.

Stronger than Shifting Sands

Kimball Delacroix has done the impossible: earned her Cornell degree in civil engineering. Now she must prove herself on Henry Flagler's impossible railroad to Key West, a place where hurricanes, prejudice, and a white tiger of a man named Logan Stillwater stand between her and her dream.
Raised between two worlds, Logan Stillwater, a skilled engineer and diver of Seminole heritage, knows exactly what prejudice looks like. He's fought for every ounce of respect. When the woman hired for the job he deserves arrives in trousers and spectacles, he's torn between resentment and a longing he can't quiet. She's brilliant, brave, and everything he never expected...and everything he cannot have.
As concrete piers rise from coral bedrock and storms batter the Keys, Kimball and Logan must choose: cling to pride and safety, or risk their hearts on a love as daring as the railroad itself. Secrets, sabotage, and society's scorn threaten to sweep them apart, but providence has woven their lives together in ways neither can see.
This Christian historical romance is closed-door and slow burn, steeped in courage and grace; where faith, duty, and a hard-won happily-ever-after prove stronger than the shifting sands.

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