Monday, October 25, 2021

Spotlight and Giveaway: The Secret of Snow

Today we are pleased to feature The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman, which publishes tomorrow! Melissa is a fan of Viola's novels and is excited to add this one to her queue soon. The cover is gorgeous. Thanks to Graydon House, we have THREE copies for some lucky readers!

The forecast is calling for a reluctant homecoming and regrettable decisions with a strong chance of romance…

When Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist whose job is all sunshine and seventy-two-degree days, is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight or renegotiate its contract, the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is the very place Sonny’s been avoiding since the day she left for college—her northern Michigan hometown.

Sonny grudgingly returns to the long, cold, snowy winters of her childhood…with the added humiliation of moving back in with her mother. Not quite an outsider but no longer a local, Sonny finds her past blindsiding her everywhere: from the high school friends she ghosted, to the former journalism classmate and mortal frenemy who’s now her boss, to, most keenly, the death years ago of her younger sister, who loved the snow.

To distract herself from the memories she's spent her life trying to outrun, Sonny throws herself headfirst into covering every small-town winter event to woo a new audience, made more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But with someone trying to undermine her efforts to rebuild her career, Sonny must make peace with who she used to be and allow her heart to thaw if she’s ever going to find a place she can truly call home. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

"A beautifully written story about second chances. Fans of women’s fiction won’t be able to put this down." —Publishers Weekly

Wade Rouse is the internationally bestselling author of ten books, which have been translated into nearly 20 languages. Wade chose his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman, as a pen name to honor the woman whose heirlooms and family stories inspire his fiction.

Wade’s novels include The Charm Bracelet, a 2017 Michigan Notable Book of the Year; The Hope ChestThe Recipe Box, The Summer Cottage, The Heirloom Garden, and The Clover Girls.


Library Journal writes that Wade has “hit upon the perfect formula to tell heartwarming, intergenerational family stories by weaving together the lives, loves and history of family through cherished heirlooms.” 

Wade's books have been selected multiple times as Must-Reads by NBC’s Today Show, featured in the New York Times and on Chelsea Lately and chosen three times as Indie Next Picks by the nation’s independent booksellers. His writing has appeared in a diverse range of publications and media, including Coastal Living, Time, All Things Considered, People, Good Housekeeping, Salon, Forbes, The Washington Post, Writer’s Digest and Publisher’s Weekly.

Also a noted humorist of four memoirs, Wade was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards in Humor (he lost to Tina Fey) and was named by Writer’s Digest as “The #2 Writer, Dead or Alive, We’d Like to Have Drinks With” (Wade was sandwiched between Ernest Hemingway and Hunter Thompson).

Wade earned his B.A. from Drury University and his master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. He divides his time between Saugatuck, Michigan, and Palm Springs, California, and is also an acclaimed writing teacher who has mentored numerous students to become published authors. (Bio adapted from Viola's website.)

Visit Viola online:
Website * Wade's website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

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Giveaway ends October 31st at midnight EST.

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32 comments:

Carla S. said...

Staying in and watching the snow fall.

Padmini Rao said...

Building snow men

Melissa said...

Watching the snow peacefully and calmly falling while enjoying hot coffee and watching movies.

Donna said...

I love waking up to untouched and beautiful snow. Watching the snow fall is always magical.

Sue DeVries said...

I can't wait for The Secret of Snow!

Bernice Kennedy said...

I love snow days! I like watching it snow. Then going outside to make a snowman or have a friendly snowball fight. Then go inside and sit by a warm cozy fire drinking hot chocolate and playinh board games or reading

Charlotte Lynn said...

I always have firewood stacked and ready to go so that after I play with my nephews in the snow we can warm up by the fireplace.

Toni Laliberte said...

I love to watch the flakes fall, and especially love the quiet hush it brings outside. Plus it looks so beautiful.

Kelley said...

I love the feeling of cozying up after a snowfall.

Mary C said...

I love the snow covered landscape.

godsdaughter0407@yahoo.com said...

I love the purity and beauty of new fallen snow! It is equal to the veil of a bride.

traveler said...

The pristine snow is beautiful and gives me great pleasure to watch when I am inside sipping tea.

Cherisse said...

Watching the snow falling with hot cocoa then if it stops, play outside

Bonnie K. said...

I love curling up with a book and a cup of tea when it's snowy. Watching the snowfall from the comfort of my chair and looking out the window is relaxing. We don't get snow here, but I do the same when it rains. I most likely would stay inside the lodge if I'm at where there is snow.

Grandma Cootie said...

The best thing about a snowy day is being warm and cozy on the inside admiring the beauty outside.

Unknown said...

Staying home and reading a book with a cup of coffee

Unknown said...

Being happy I'm in a warm apartment

diannekc said...

I like to watch it snow from a warm house. It's a good time to stay in and read.

dstoutholcomb said...

love the quietness a blanket of snow creates outside

Peggy said...

Can't wait to read this! Waiting for cool winter temperatures and maybe some snow! Hopefully we'll get some in Georgia this year!

Nancy P said...

Playing in the snow & then enjoying a hot chocolate indoors afterwards.

jtmswim said...

Taking a walk while the snow is still coming down and everything is still clean and white. Thanks for the giveaway chance. Stay safe and healthy. 💕📚😷📚💕

jtmswim said...

Taking a walk while the snow is still coming down and everything is still clean and white. Thanks for the giveaway chance. Stay safe and healthy. 💕📚😷📚💕

Mary Preston said...

We don't get snow here.

StoreyBookLover said...

I enjoy reading, curled up with a cup of hot cocoa while watching the snow fall! <3

Jeanne said...

A surprise day off of school has become a thing of the past, so now I’d say staying in and watching the landscape change is my favorite thing about a snowy day.

bn100 said...

fireplace

Peggy Russo said...

I love the quiet, the coziness and the extra free time for reading.

Rita Wray said...

Building a snowman.

Mary Patricia Bird said...

I love looking at it from the inside of my warm house. It looks beautiful watching the snow falling down and blanketing the earth with white.

Denise98 said...

I love snow so much.

Sherry Moe said...

I love the sounds of my grandkids playing outside in the snow and the sounds of the snowmobiles. 😄 Living in the UP we get our share of snow. I also love the nights when it’s snowing a lot and I can look out at the street light to see it quietly falling.