It’s a pleasure to tell you about USA Today and internationally bestselling author Viola Shipman's new novel THE SECRET OF SNOW which just hit stores everywhere this week, as well as in my mailbox!
Reading Viola Shipman’s novels is like talking to
your best friend and wanting never to hang up the phone.”—Nancy Thayer, New
York Times bestselling author
This fascinating new tale comes from the author of The Summer Cottage
The forecast is calling for a reluctant homecoming and regrettable decisions with a strong chance of romance…
Sonny
Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist who knows only sunshine and seventy-two-degree
days, is being replaced by an AI meteorologist, which the youthful station
manager reasons “will never age, gain weight, or renegotiate its contract.” The
only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is one in a
famously non-tropical place—her northern Michigan hometown.
Unearthing
her carefully laid California roots, Sonny returns home and reacclimates to the
painfully long, dark winters dominated by a Michigan phenomenon known as
lake-effect snow. But beyond the complete physical shock to her system, she’s
also forced to confront her past: her new boss, a former journalism classmate
and mortal frenemy; more keenly, the death of a younger sister who loved the
snow; and the mother who caused Sonny to leave.
To
distract herself from the unwelcome memories, Sonny decides to throw herself
headfirst into all things winter to woo viewers and reclaim her success. From
sledding and ice fishing to skiing and winter festivals, the merrymaking
culminates with the town’s famed Winter Ice Sculpture Contest. Running the
events is a widowed father and Chamber of Commerce director, whose genuine love
of Michigan, winter, and Sonny just might thaw her heart and restart her life
in a way she never could have predicted.
Meet the Author: Wade Rouse/Viola Shipman
Wade Rouse is a popular award-winning memoirist and internationally bestselling author of twelve books, which have been translated into twenty languages and selected as Today show Must-Reads, Indie Next Picks, and Michigan Notable Books.
Rouse
writes fiction under his grandma’s name, Viola Shipman, to honor the woman whose
heirlooms inspire his writing. Rouse said, “Her heirlooms, life, lessons
and love not only inspire my fiction but also inspired me to become a writer
and, I hope, the person I am today. She taught me that the simplest things in
life – family, friends, faith, fun, love, and a passion for what you do – are
truly the grandest gifts. My fiction is meant to honor the elders in our lives
whose sacrifices and journeys helped make us who we are today. I couldn’t be
prouder of my novels, which I hope reconnect you to your own family’s stories,
heirlooms, histories and traditions.”
He
lives in Michigan and California, and hosts “Wine & Words with Wade, A
Literary Happy Hour,” every Thursday live on the Viola Shipman Facebook page.
ON A SIDE NOTE
I
want to say thanks to everyone who stops by to read my sporadic posting of
late. There’s no excuse other than I’ve just been sidetracked doing other
things.
When
I look at the calendar today, I realize that Sunday (Oct. 31) is not only Halloween
(Happy early Halloween by the way), but also the anniversary of this blog. It’s
hard to believe this all started 12 years ago. A lot has changed in 12 years.
One of the best things I can say about the ride is that it’s been a wonderful
place to “meet” new friends and discover some amazing books to read.
I’m
looking forward to seeing what the next year brings. I’m not making any
promises of posting everyday like I have in the past, but I will try to get
back to a schedule of sorts soon. A huge THANK YOU again to
everyone. Y’all are awesome. Be safe, have fun if you’re out trick or treating,
and take care of yourself.
Now, doesn’t THE SECRET OF SNOW sound intriguing?