The Rosie MacIntosh Series

AUTUMN ROSE   *   HAND IN HAND   *   TWO LANE HIGHWAY   *   SUMMER WAYSIDE

AUTUMN ROSE (Orignally published as TAKING ROSIE'S ARM)

"We should all have a Rosie in our life. Once I started reading [this book], I couldn't put it down. "

"...the riveting story of Taylor Thomas and her journey from emotional defeat to a profound sense of personal joy.... When Taylor finds herself embroiled with the consequences of bad decisions and family members with problems even greater than her own, she becomes involved with 79 year old Rosie MacIntosh. The two women form a friendship to help Carolyn (a middle-aged woman debilitated by disease and depression) and in the process Taylor learns invaluable lessons of compassion, wisdom, and love. Very highly recommended reading, this is a superbly crafted novel from first page to last!" -- Midwest Book Review about Taking Rosie's Arm, April 2002.

       You’ll find Autumn Rose, the updated, new edition of Taking Rosie's Arm, as refreshing as a---rose. A new blossom is always enlightening. However, the last rose of summer can prepare the heart for a long winter.

       Taylor Thomas has fallen behind on her plans. Her eye on the future has been thwarted by unplanned and self-chosen obstacles that block her path. She’s short on confidence and doesn’t always make the wisest decisions.

       As a nurse’s aide with a flexible schedule, Taylor can just pay her bills. That is, until an elderly client informs Taylor she needs to keep her commitments or risk losing her job. The client, Rosie MacIntosh, lectures but pays well enough for young Taylor to complete college courses that may lead to a better life. Rosie’s subtle demands, though, come with ulterior motives and if Taylor doesn’t see the light, the path may be unsteady for both of them. Fifty years separate the two women but the need for family and unconditional love brings them closer together.

NOTE: Autumn Rose was originally published in hardcover in 2002 by Five Star First Edition Women's FIction Series, under the title Taking Rosie's Arm.

Read 5-Star Customer Reviews on Amazon.com

TOP

HAND IN HAND:

       For followers of Rosie MacIntosh who have wondered how Rosie, her husband, and Allen formed a family -- look for Hand in Hand, a Rosie prequel, coming soon (I hope).

       “Rosie MacIntosh doesn’t have everything but she has the perfect husband. The fact they’ve been childless has weighed heavy on her mind but when they learn Patrick has a serious illness, she’s relieved. She will focus entirely on his needs until a solution is found for the problem. Difficulties mount and the diagnosis is worse than expected. At the same time, a twelve-year-old nephew becomes homeless. Rosie’s not in any frame of mind to rescue the unruly boy, but Patrick has other ideas about managing Allen’s care.”

TOP

The story continues: TWO LANE HIGHWAY

       Allen and Rosie's story continues with Two Lane Highway, the third book in the Rosie series.

       After an accident that kills his parents, Allen Connelly’s transition isn’t smooth. A home with an insecure aunt and an uncle with Alzheimer’s isn’t a perfect fit for a boy on the cusp of teenage rebellion. Aunt Rose struggles with the edgy boy’s restlessness and her husband’s forgetfulness. Yet, it’s Allen who mends the seams when everything falls apart. Is it his need or theirs’ that keep this unlikely family together?

        Ready for the mainstream market, at 75k, Allen’s story is a bittersweet read about an orphan and caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease.

Read an excerpt from Two Lane Highway.

TOP

SUMMER WAYSIDE

       Allen finally finds his way home in Summer Wayside, the last of the Rosie novels.

       Summer Wayside follows Allen Connelly’s transformative journey from a nontraditional family to independence. Allen has just graduated from high school and his adoptive aunt and uncle expect him to attend the University of Pennsylvania where his uncle graduated. But since the loss of his parents, Allen has only dreamt of traveling Route 66 to spread his wings. Unbeknownst to his acquired family, he leaves without revealing his plans. Aunt Rose helped to curb Allen’s impulsive nature in the past but now, as the west beckons him onward, repressed anger issues rise to the surface. Allen attracts trouble with a vengeance and soon discovers his strength is not necessarily in his fists. Summer Wayside  takes the reader on a summer excursion of self-discovery, hope and second chances.

Read an excerpt from SUMMER WAYSIDE

TOP

*   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *

*   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *   ~   *