Word Gets Around
February 6, 2009
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Bethany House (February 1, 2009)
by
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lisa Wingate lives in central Texas where she is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books. Her novel, Tending Roses, received dozens of five-star reviews, sold out ten printings for New York publisher, Penguin Putnam, and went on to become a national bestselling book. Tending Roses was a selection of the Readers Club of America, and is currently in its tenth printing.
The Tending Roses series continued with Good Hope Road, The Language of Sycamores, Drenched In Light, and A Thousand Voices. In 2003, Lisa’s Texas Hill Country series began with Texas Cooking, and continued with Lone Star Café, which was awarded a gold medal by RT BOOKCLUB magazine and was hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as “A charmingly nostalgic treat.” The series concluded with Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner.
Lisa is now working on a new set of small-town Texas novels for Bethany House Publishers. The series debuted with Talk of The Town and continued with Word Gets Around. A new series is also underway for Penguin Group NAL, beginning with A Month of Summer (July 2008), and continuing with The Summer Kitchen in July, 2009. Lisa’s works have been featured by the National Reader’s Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, The Literary Guild, American Profiles, and have been chosen for the LORIES best Published Fiction Award.
ABOUT THE BOOK
When Romance Is In the Air, Word Gets Around Lauren Eldridge thought she’d wiped the dust of Daily, Texas, off her boots forever. Screenwriter Nate Heath thought he was out of second chances. Life’s never that predictable, though. Cajoled by her father, Lauren is back in town helping train a skittish race horse set to star in a Hollywood film. But the handsome screenwriter gives her more trouble than the horse. And Nate is realizing there’s a spark of magic in the project–and in the eyes of the girl who is so good with horses. Daily, Texas, has a way of offering hope, healing, and a little romance just when folks need it most.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Word Gets Around, go HERE
What people are saying:
“Lisa Wingate writes engaging stories that strike the heart. God has gifted her with a marvelous talent and I, for one, am most grateful.”
—Debbie Macomber, New York Times #1 bestselling author
Sally Says: One of the most fun things about reading fiction is discovering new authors. This past summer I read A Month of Summer, mainly because it had a beautiful cover. (Yes, I’m a sucker for a good cover.)
But it was an incredibly well-written novel. In fact, I know I referred at least one editing client to it as an example of well-done character-driven novel with a strong plot. So when I saw Lisa Wingate’s name on the CFBA reading list, I didn’t even pay attention to what the book was about. I knew I’d read more books by her.
And I’ve enjoyed Word Gets Around. It’s very different from A Month of Summer, which I didn’t expect. The one thing that’s the same is Wingate’s ability to create realistic, intriguing characters. The people in Word Gets Around are just plain fun — Aunt Netta, Imogene, and Lucy, Nate and his take on Hollywood people (of which he is one), and of course the heroine, Lauren Lee.
The premise of the book is the often-done small-town girl forced back to her roots, but it’s done in a fresh, interesting way that fits the characters and the story. I had trouble in the beginning with the way she spelled out some of the Texans’s hard core accents, but I got used to it, and it gave a unique voice to the characters that I wouldn’t have been able to hear, otherwise. I recommend Word Gets Around and Lisa Wingate for whenever you’re looking for that fun, relaxing read.
Comments
2 Responses to “Word Gets Around”
I enjoyed this story, too, Sally, but I thought the cover, the title, and the back cover copy sold the story short. (You can read my review on Wed.’s post.) (Contest goin’ on over there, too, if you’re interested under “The Academy Awards” post.)
Sounds like fun, especially the Hollywood angle.