CFBA presents ROSE HOUSE by Tina Ann Forkner

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingRose House(Waterbrook Press - May 5, 2009
byTina Ann Forkner


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that challenges and inspires. She grew up in Oklahoma and graduated with honors from CSU Sacramento before settling in Wyoming. She lives with her husband, their three bright children and their dog and stays busy serving on the Laramie County Library Foundation Board of Directors. She is the author of Ruby Among Us, her debut novel, and Rose House, which recently released from Waterbrook Press/Random House.




ABOUT THE BOOK

A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope

Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.

She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.

What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.

A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.

If you would like to read an excerpt from HERE


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Rose House, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on June 3rd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

From Dream to Reality with Tina Ann Forkner

It's my great pleasure to introduce today's guest blogger, novelist Tina Ann Forkner!

“Is this a computer from the olden days?”

My daughter was pecking away at an old-fashioned manual typewriter that my daddy bought about forty-five years ago. Her words made me chuckle.

When I was a kid, I’d asked my parents why their typewriter didn’t have a plug. I’m sure they chuckled at that too, but one thing they never laughed about was my dream. They figured all I needed was a typewriter, so they gave me that old manual one to start out on. It still had some ink left on the old ribbon and it was my plan to use it to write my first book. Needless to say, it was slow going.

When I was sixteen, my parents gave me a typewriter that I could plug in and finally I made some headway. What I wrote is now safely hidden away in a trunk somewhere, but it was at least a good start. Having an electric typewriter seemed to make a difference, at least as far as quantity, if not quality.

These days I write on a laptop; a pink laptop to be exact. My daughter thinks it is pretty cool, but not as cool as the old-fashioned typewriter. Times have certainly changed, but I finally did finish a book and got it published. Thanks to technology the actual typing didn’t take all that long and a laptop has a few things that a manual typewriter just can’t give an author during the editorial process: Track Changes and Email.

That antique typewriter my parents gave me all those years ago is still around. It holds a place of honor on my writing desk in close proximity to my pink laptop. Every time I see it, or tell its story to my kids, I remember how it inspired me to dream. It still inspires me to dream.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that challenges and inspires. She lives with her husband, their three bright children and their dog and serves on the Laramie County Library Foundation Board of Directors in Wyoming. She is the author of Ruby Among Us, her debut novel, and Rose House, which releases in May from Waterbrook Press. You can visit her at her home page at http://www.tinaannforkner.com/



ABOUT THE BOOK - Ruby Among Us

Set in the lush vineyards of present and past Sonoma Valley, Ruby Among Us weaves a story of three generations of women and the memory that binds their hearts together. Journey with Lucy as she searches for a heritage long buried with her mother, Ruby, in this stirring tale of remembrance and redemption.

“Memorable…Characters well written and interesting. Readers will not want this story to end”
-4 1/2 Stars Romantic Times Book Reviews

“A multi-generational saga of hope, regret, and the grace that brings us home, Ruby Among Us evokes an invitational sense of place, a cache of characters you enjoy knowing, and a story that rips and mends your heart all at once.”
–Mary E. DeMuth, author of Watching the Tree Limbs and Daisy Chain

ABOUT THE BOOK - Rose House

Coming in May of 2009 from Waterbrook Press. A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting and one woman’s search for hope.

“Tina Ann Forkner pens a compelling tale of betrayal and grief, of hope and forgiveness in Rose House. The unique setting and her lyrical descriptions enticed me into the scene, where I was captivated by the appealing characters and the story’s underlying mystery. I couldn’t put it down.”
–Ane Mulligan, Editor and Co-Owner of Novel Journey


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Ruby Among Us, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on March 30th. (NOTE: Sorry, no international winners on this one.) Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Meet Tina Ann Forkner - Interview & Book Giveaway

A big welcome to Tina Ann Forkner, author of the wonderfully compelling novel, Ruby Among Us. Let’s meet Tina!

THE BIO

Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that focuses on the intricacies of family relationships. Originally from Oklahoma, she graduated from CSU Sacramento where she lived for five years before ultimately settling in Wyoming where she now lives with her husband and their three children. Tina stays busy serving on the Laramie County Library Foundation board of directors in her hometown and writes full-time!

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Your debut novel is Ruby Among Us. Please tell us a bit about it.
TAF: Here is a description: Set in the lush vineyards of present and past Sonoma Valley, Ruby Among Us weaves a story of three generations of women and the memory that binds their hearts together. Journey with Lucy as she searches for a heritage long-buried with her mother, Ruby, in this stirring tale of remembrance and redemption.

JA: There’s a very strong thread of grace versus legalism in this book. Why was this particularly important to showcase?
TAF: I didn’t plan to showcase it at first, but as the characters developed it became an integral theme to the plot. I truly believe we are under grace, but one aspect of Ruby Among Us is that the characters struggle with a crisis of faith because they see religion, especially Christianity, as a condemning institution.

It is difficult for Kitty and Lucy to believe that God can extend grace without casting judgment and placing conditions on that grace. They can’t see how God would do that because they have had a negative experience with church and religion. Examples have shown that God doesn’t show mercy.

In the biblical story of the prodigal son, the father doesn’t yell at his son and demand an explanation for his son’s mistakes. He takes his son back with no conditions. So why do we sometimes act as if God’s grace is only big enough to cover some sins and not all? Kitty thinks she falls into the category of sins that can’t be covered.

JA: You do a wonderful job at exploring the complex relationship between mothers and daughters. What’s your favorite thing about the women you created in this story?
TAF: Thank you. Lucy, Kitty, and Ruby really took on lives of their own and I am sad the book is over. There is so much more about them I wish the reader knew. One of the things I love about them is how the thread between the three of keeps tugging even when they are mad at each other or in disagreement. I like how that thread keeps them thinking of one another and how their shared memories and experiences influence their decisions over a lifetime.

JA: What do you hope people take away after reading Ruby Among Us?
TAF: I hope they get lost in the world of Lucy, Kitty, and Ruby and fill satisfied and hopeful after they have read it. The book is about grief and redemption. Those are things I hope readers will be able to relate to.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
TAF: I have written a second book that is a stand-alone, but is related to Ruby Among Us. It comes out in May of 2009.

JA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
TAF: I love to garden. I don’t do it very well (I live in cool, dry, windy Wyoming), but I try. I also love to spend outdoors with my kids and husband.

JA: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
TAF: Most readers might be surprised that I’m a Daddy’s girl. I write mostly about relationships between women, but I am really a daddy’s girl at heart.

JA: What authors inspire you?
TAF: Elizabeth Berg, Mary E. DeMuth, Amy Tan, Lisa Samson, Francine Rivers, among many others.

The writers who endorsed my book (you can see them on my blog) especially inspire me and I am so blessed they read my book.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
TAF: They can visit my website at www.tinaannforkner.com and my blog at http://tinaannforkner.wordpress.com/blog/.

Thanks for having me!

Thanks for stopping by, Tina. May God continue to bless your writing journey!

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Ruby Among Us just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on July 21st. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

CFBA Presents - RUBY AMONG US by Tina Ann Forkner

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingRuby Among UsWaterBrook Press (May 20, 2008)byTina Ann Forkner


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that challenges and inspires. Originally from Oklahoma, she graduated with honors in English from CSU Sacramento before ultimately settling in the wide-open spaces of Wyoming where she now resides with her husband and their three children. Tina serves on the Laramie County Library Foundation Board of Directors and enjoys gardening, spending time outdoors with her family, and works as a full-time writer.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Sometimes, the key that unlocks your future lies in someone else’s past...

In Ruby Among Us, Lucy DiCamillo is safely surrounded by her books, music, and art─but none of these reclusive comforts or even the protective efforts of her grandmother, Kitty can shield her from the memory of the mother she can no longer remember. Lucy senses her grandmother holds the key, but Kitty seems as eager to hide from the past as Lucy is eager to find it.

From the streets of San Francisco and Sacramento, to the lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley, Lucy follows the thread of memory in search for a heritage that seems long-buried with her mother, Ruby.

What she finds is enigmatic and stirring in this redemptive tale about the power of faith and mother-daughter love.

“What an incredible story. As both mothers and daughters, Ruby Among Us struck a special cord in each of the four of us. Tina writes in a way that makes us feel like we’re there; from the first line, we were captivated and drawn into an intricate weaving of the precious and fragile relationships that define us.”
~Point of Grace~

“Reading is a passion of mine, and when I find myself identifying with the characters, anxious to get to the next page to find answers to my questions, I know I’m into a good book! The daughter-mother-grandmother theme in Ruby Among Us pulled me in. Wonderful story-telling.”
~Jordin Sparks~, 2007 winner of American Idol

“Highly recommended. If you’re a mother or daughter, you’re going to love Ruby Among Us. Forkner does an extraordinary job…. I look forward to more from this author.”
~Ane Mulligan~, Novel Journey

“Don’t miss this one! Tina Ann Forkner is a strong new voice in fiction and Ruby Among Us is an amazing story of trials, regrets, and, ultimately, redemption. Lucy and her family history in the historic wine country of Sonoma bring to life the Scriptures about the Vine and His branches.”
~Kristin Billerbeck~, author of The Trophy Wives Club

If you would like to read the first chapter go HERE


JEN'S REVIEW

Every family has secrets. For Lucy DiCamillo, who lost all memory of her early childhood at the time of her mother's tragic death, it seems that every day uncovers something knew to deal with.

In Ruby Among Us Tina Ann Forkner weaves together memorable characters and a unique setting to create a standout debut novel. She explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters with honesty, and shows how the secrets we keep inside can eat us alive. This novel is a mixture of heartbreak, reconciliation and joy. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it, and look forward to the next offering from this talented new author.