Rose House

Evangelical fiction author Tina Ann Forkner offers readers a visual feast for the soul and the spirit in this tender story that journeys with Lillian Diamon, the grief-stricken widow of Robert, and their two young children, Sheyenne and Lee. Less than two weeks after a tragic car accident took the lives of Lillian's nearest and dearest, she travels back to La Rosaleda and allows herself some precious moments outside the Rose House to wander, reflect and weep. Warned by detectives not to venture out alone until they can determine if the accident was malicious or not, Lillian feels drawn to the place. Surrendering to the beauty of the lush landscape, she notices other figures around and realizes she's being watched and photographed. Feeling a sudden rush of fear, Lillian runs into the Frances-DiCamillo Vineyards wine tasting room, where the elderly proprietor, Kitty Birkirt, seems God-sent to calm her and offer some kindly words of support and understanding. As the two women sit chatting, Lillian feels a sudden irrepressible urge to get back to Sacramento to tend to her young family's resting place. As she begins to leave, a captivating painting of the Rose House stops Lillian short. Commenting on its stunning "aliveness," Kitty explains that the painting seems to evoke whatever emotions a person is feeling inside. Interesting and more intriguing is the town's claim-to-fame artist, Truman Clark. On the way back to Sacramento, Lillian ponders the beauty of the Rose House and how much her estranged sister, Geena, would have loved it. Geena was with Robert and the children in the car when it crashed, and fled the scene shortly after. Lillian again brings all the doubts and accusations to the forefront of memory as she wonders, again, how involved Geena and Robert were before his death. There are too many unanswered questions, and the grief is still so raw. Enter Geena, rebellious, hard to love, and similarly grief-stricken. Recounting their childhood and the traumatic loss of their parents and brothers to a house fire, Geena rakes herself through the mental paces, too. Having grown up with Pastor and Aunt Bren, their beloved uncle and aunt, Geena turns to Aunt Bren for some support. The message is always the same: make things right with your sister. Fast forward four years later. Lillian revisits La Rosaleda and is stunned to find a painting of the Rose House and herself in it. With questions running through her mind, Lillian feels outrage at being watched so carefully during one of the most difficult times of her life. How did this artist so accurately capture her grief on canvas? Even the title, Beauty and the Beast Within, was telling. She is frustrated in her attempts to unmask the anonymous painter and leaves with more questions than answers. Lillian tries to forget about the painting and her painful past, and decides a week at the local B & B would be a good retreat and resting spot. Very swiftly, she runs into Truman Clark again, and imme

In a follow up novel to Ruby Among Us, Tina Ann Forkner takes the reader back to the Sonoma Valley area in Rose House. The setting, this time, though, is contemporary and what a lovely journey it is. Two sisters, the sole survivors of a childhood tragedy, have grown apart. Denial, betrayal and the inability to forgive have hardened their hearts and stolen the joy they once shared. The writing is lush, yet serene. You can almost smell the roses and feel their thorns as the magnificent blooms scramble across Rose House, the source of inspiration and healing for many who've witnessed its beauty and walked the breathtaking grounds of the Frances-DiCamillo Vineyard. The story drew me in and held me captive from the start as Lillian Diamon was also drawn to the Rose House following the mysterious accident which took the life of her husband and two small children. When she discovers her private pain and grief have been captured by an unknown artist, she returns time and again, hoping to find out who painted the masterpiece. Haunting at times, the story winds through the picturesque countryside as Lillian weaves her way into the lives of those in the tiny town of La Rosaleda. Finding beauty from the beasts within us resonates through this story, and I found the ending to be unexpected, but lovely. You don't want to miss it.

I was nearly certain that it was impossible for Tina Ann Forkner to write a novel that would even come close to her masterpiece, "Ruby Among Us"--I was wrong! "Rose House" is a brilliantly written story that will capture your heart and delight your soul. You'll find that through the deepest pain and the most unthinkable betrayals, there is forgiveness and there is hope. You will instantly be captured by the characters and the connection to the story will be unlike anything you've experienced. You will not have to read Ms. Forkner's first novel...but I would HIGHLY suggest you do because the two novels together are utterly fantastic! When I had finished "Ruby Among Us," I longed for more and Ms. Forkner delivered! (a talent and gift that is rare among authors) I was ecstatic when Ms. Forkner subtly brought characters from her first novel into "Rose House." She did it in such a way that did not isolate those readers who had not read "Ruby Among Us." But I will tell you this, you will find this novel so much more incredible if you start with "Ruby Among Us." If you're looking for a novel that will instantly capture you and keep you on the edge of your seat, "Rose House" is the novel for you! Do yourself a favor this summer...or this coming winter...buy "Ruby Among Us" and "Rose House" and then enjoy the setting on a beach or nestle by a warm fire and get ready to dive into two of the best books you'll ever read. Tina Ann Forkner will have you, too, longing for more. I'm counting on God using Tina for a third novel!?! :)

Rose House is about a woman, Lillian, who has lost everything, but finds hope in her visits to the Rose house in the vineyards of California. Tina Ann Forkner's writing is very descriptive drawing the reader into the scenery and the story itself. From the very first chapter the reader is drawn into the scene of the Rose house and a mystery that captivates you. As the story unfolds, so does the mysteries from Lillian's past.

Tina Ann Forkner's second novel, Rose House, is an engrossing and worthy successor to her outstanding first book, Ruby Among Us. In Rose House, Forkner revisits La Rosaleda, a fictional town set in the beautiful Sonoma Valley of California. I'd call the plot of Rose House "a mystery wrapped in an enigma," to paraphrase Winston Churchill. The main character, Lillian Diamon, is mourning the loss of her family when she finds herself drawn to the fabled Rose House in La Rosaleda. Forkner starts the pages turning right away, with a mysterious photographer who is spying on Lillian. From there the story spins out question after question. We walk in Lillian's shoes as she lives through her grief and confusion--each new revelation deepening the mystery of what happened to her family. As always, Forkner evokes emotion with her skillful phrasing. One line I particularly loved has Lillian reflecting, "My house is worse than an empty shell. It is full and overflowing with what is missing." The story is filled with a sense of menace. We share Lillian's doubts about whom she can trust. The reader is drawn further into Rose House to answer questions raised about each of the fully-drawn characters that Forkner introduces. As the plot lines converge, the book sweeps to a heart-stopping conclusion. The characters became real to me--I'm still thinking about them. I loved the way this novel resolved. I had tears in my eyes when I read the ending.