Rose House

By Tina Ann Forkner

Description:

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 brush strokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.

“Tina Ann Forkner offers readers a visual feast for the soul and the spirit in this tender story…Readers will appreciate Tina Ann Forkner’s finely tuned ability to bring to life both her characters’ strong realistic emotions and the physical beauty that surrounds them. ROSE HOUSE is a lovely rendering of working through grief and learning to live fully again, despite the abiding wounds of loss.” – Michele Howe, Faithfulreader.com

“Captivating, mysterious, and romantically enticing, Forkner’s Rose House keeps the pages turning.”
–Alice J. Wisler, author of Rain Song and How Sweet It Is

“In Rose House, Tina Ann Forkner brings us back to the beauty of California wine country and draws us into a story fit for the misty gothic moors. Just as the Rose House itself sits within a mass of beautiful, entwined roses and vines, so is the story nestled in a masterful weaving of secrets, betrayals, hope, and healing.”
–Allison Pittman, author of Stealing Home and Saturdays with Stella

“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

“With Rose House, Tina Ann Forkner paints a breathtaking canvas of lush prose brushstrokes. Don’t get lulled into a sense of calm; the storyline casts suspenseful shadows on this masterpiece of women’s fiction. Delightful!”
–Patti Lacy, author of An Irishwoman’s Tale and What the Bayou Saw

Book Takeaway:

One can always go back to our roots with Jesus. He takes us all back. There is always hope to be found, just as the characters in this book found hope in the Rose House of La Rosaleda.

Why the author wrote this book:

After I finished writing Ruby Among Us, I couldn't get the Rose House from that novel out of my head. I kept getting questions from readers about it. It really was born out of the prologue of Ruby Among Us. Rose House is a standalone novel, but it is definitely linked to Ruby Among Us. Reading both of them is beneficial, but not necessary to enjoy Rose House.