Tag Archives: Kathleen Shoop

Book Review & Giveaway ~ The Road Home by Kathleen Shoop

NEW RELEASE….

Find your way home…

1891—Living separately for three years, fourteen-year-old twins, Katherine and Tommy Arthur, have done their best to make each boarding house feel like home. But unrest grows as they are driven to questionable actions just to survive. Meanwhile their desperate mother is confronted with breaking yet another promise to her children. Then a miracle descends. Hope rises on a cold, rainy night and changes everything. If Jeanie could just get word to Katherine and Tommy, she knows she can set their lives right again. Agitators, angels, and dangerous “saviors” illuminate the Arthurs’ unmatched determination and smarts.

1905—Though she tries to forget the awful years that hurt so much, the memories still haunt Katherine. Now, tearful mourners at her mother’s funeral force her to revisit a time in her life that both harmed and saved her in the most unexpected ways. Tommy grieves his mother’s passing as well. He too is thrust backward, compelled to rediscover the events in his life that shaped the man he has become. Will he commit to reconstructing his broken life? The Arthurs come to understand that forgiveness is the only way back to hope, the only way to find all that was good in the misfortune that transformed their lives forever.

My Thoughts:

The Road Home is the 2nd book in The Letter Series by Kathleen Shoop. Although it continues the story of the Arthur family we met in The Last Letter, it can easily be read as a standalone book as well.

I love reading historical fiction. Kathleen Shoop’s style of writing does a wonderful job of teaching her reader about the way things were during that time period while engaging us with a well told story. She does a great job bringing each character to life … you really feel like you know and care about them.

The story goes back and forth in time, from 1891 to 1905, and is told from each character’s viewpoint. The chapters from Katherine’s and Tommy’s point of view gave the background of all they endured while being boarded out. The chapters from Jeanie’s perspective tore at my “mother’s heart”. The chapters from 1905 began with Jeanie’s funeral and then went into the different ways that the family coped with the many pent up & pushed down feelings that each character dealt with.

Times were very hard on single mothers and their children back then … I’m so happy that conditions have improved (for the most part). Being a single parent is not easy, no matter what time period you are in.

5 STARS ~ I loved this book and can’t wait for the next one 🙂

Book available to buy from the following sites…

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   Kobo   iBooks

“Kathleen Shoop has woven a story that crosses over several years with events that define lives. Katherine and Tommy are two characters that will stand out in my mind for a long time. The way the story blends back and forth between the two time periods is seamless and enjoyable, slowly painting a whole picture for the reader to see. I have not read the first book in this series, but I honestly feel that this one stands alone beautifully. You will take a journey with these characters that will evoke emotions and entertain you. This is my favorite kind of historical fiction; emotional and fun at the same time. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a great book.”
Reviewed By Kathryn Bennett for Readers’ Favorite- 5 stars!

“I loved this riveting tale of hope and redemption. The Road Home comes to life with gorgeous imagery and a setting that eased me seamlessly and beautifully back and forth in time. Each character stood out, coaxing me into her story, making me want more. With the turn of every page there’s a revelation, something hidden or something wonderful and unexpected. The Road Home is a must-read for any book lover and a perfect follow-up to The Last Letter.”
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Melissa Foster

Letter Series Book 1 – The Last Letter

A Father’s Deceit
A Husband’s Betrayal
A Loved One’s Death
A Mother’s Choice
A Daughter’s Resentment
A Time to Forgive

For every daughter who thinks she knows her mother’s story…

Katherine wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t found the last letter…

Katherine Arthur’s dying mother arrives on her doorstep, forcing her to relive a past she wanted to forget. When Katherine was young, the Arthur family had been affluent city dwellers until shame sent them running for the prairie, into the unknown. Taking her family, including young Katherine, to live off the land was the last thing Jeanie Arthur had wanted, but she would do her best to make a go of it. For Jeanie’s husband Frank it had been a world of opportunity. Dreaming, lazy Frank. But, it was a society of uncertainty — a domain of natural disasters, temptation, hatred, even death.

Ten-year-old Katherine had loved her mother fiercely, put her trust in her completely, but when there was no other choice, and Jeanie resorted to extreme measures on the prairie to save her family, she tore Katherine’s world apart. Now, seventeen years later, Katherine has found the truth — she has discovered the last letter. After years of anger, can Katherine find it in her heart to understand why her mother made the decisions that changed them all? Can she forgive and finally begin to heal before it’s too late?

Book available to buy from…

Amazon.co.uk    Amazon.com    Barnes and Noble   Kobo   iBooks

About Kathleen Shoop

I have a PhD in Reading Education and have worked in schools for over twenty years. I work with teachers and their students in grades k-8 and am lucky to learn something new from them every time I walk through their doors. This experience was a huge help in writing LOVE AND OTHER SUBJECTS–a quirky, post-college coming of age story with a splash of fun romance.

My first novel, The Last Letter (2011 IPPY Gold Medal–Regional Fiction, Midwest, 2011 Indie Excellence Finalist Award for Historical Fiction and Regional Fiction, 2011 International Book Awards Finalist for Historical Fiction and Best New Fiction), was a fascinating trip through history, punctuated with fictional characters and events. The idea for the story grew from my great-great grandmother’s letters (see My Dear Frank for the complete set of letters!) written during the year of her engagement to Frank Arthur. The beautiful letters are the inspiration for the novel, the seed from which The Last Letter’s characters and their voices grew.

I’ve also written women’s fiction–LOVE AND OTHER SUBJECTS– and have written another historical fiction novel, AFTER THE FOG, set in 1948 in Donora, PA. AFTER THE FOG is also an award winning book–A finalist in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards, a silver IPPY and WINNER in the literary category of the National Indie Excellence Awards.

I adore writing historical fiction (The Letter series, After the Fog) but am having a blast writing romance like Home Again and Return to Love (Endless Love series) Thank you so much for the time you take to read.

Follow the author on the following sites…

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads   Amazon

Follow the tour

Photobucket I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR’S GIVEAWAY !!

 

 

Win $15 Amazon.com Giftcard – 3 Winners!!

 

Ending on Sunday 8th August at 11.59pm EST Open Worldwide

 

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review ~ Tending her Heart by Kathleen Shoop

My Thoughts:

Tending Her Heart is sweet, small town romance set during the Vietnam Conflict / War. Historically, it was a time of change … from Civil Rights to Women’s Rights. Our country saw many changes … but not in the Labor & Delivery Ward of Waterside Hospital, where Julie Peters worked as a nurse.

 Attractive, eligible bachelor, Dr. Michael Young could have any nurse on staff, but he is attracted to Julie’s spunky personality, the way she passionately sticks up for the mothers giving birth in her ward. At a nearby café, they have many deep discussions about the hospital’s procedures and protocols in the Maternity Ward. Through their long talks, they discover they agree on many points – but not on how to introduce these changes. He is calm and methodical ~ she is a hot-headed spitfire. They both feel their attraction and enjoy these flirtatious talks, even though they both know that workplace relationships rarely work out.

 Dr. Mann is their “set in his ways” boss who doesn’t like Julie’s radical, new fangled ideas to improve the birthing process for the mothers. He won’t tolerate anyone questioning his techniques – not his doctors on staff … and certainly not from the nurses.

 Sharing a Thanksgiving meal at a friend’s home, they realize that they can no longer deny their feelings for each other. Can they make it work? Can they each have successful careers working together? Can they actually “buck the system”?

 Psst … Kathleen Shoop, I, for one, would love to read more about this couple (hint, hint) … just sayin’ 🙂

Sweet, Fun Romance–Set in 1971, nurse Julie Peters is ambitious and tenacious, but her plans to modernize Waterside Hospital’s labor and delivery protocols are thwarted by old-school doctors and brown-nosing colleagues. The last thing on her mind is falling in love as she confronts her career-related demons. Still, she feels the pull of attraction to one special doctor.

Dr. Michael Young turned away from a prestigious research position at Duke University to practice medicine in a smaller, less intense setting at Waterside Hospital. While nurses chase him by the dozen, he is intrigued and satisfied with building a nest-egg for when the right woman finally happens along.

When Julie is faced with choices that put her job, her life’s dream in peril her relationship with Michael begins to ignite. Can a Thanksgiving stay in the regal home called Bliss give her the space she needs to right her future and fall in love? Will their growing love mean Julie loses herself? Humor, love and a similar attitude toward medicine seal their love, but will it destroy their careers?

Available to buy from….

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble

“I love Julie Peters and the Endless Love Series! Julie’s relationship with Dr. Young was just so sweet and fun and I hope there’s more to come about this couple. There is nothing like reading Kathleen’s books–moving, funny, page-turning and Tending Her Heart is all of that–just fun.”
L. McShea

Praise for Home Again and Return to Love–Don’t miss out on reading book 3 in the series!
“lyrical writing that is a joy to read!”
L. Zottola

“A spell-binding story of a love which seemed to transcend time, space and circumstance.”
N. Budden

“Shoop’s character’s breathe”
Bev Rosenbaum

Also available…….

Endless Love series. Book one, Home Again

1969– Set on the shores of the Albemarle Sound, April Harrington has fond memories of summers at her family home, Bliss. After her fairytale wedding disintegrates, it becomes her refuge—the one place where she can attempt to pull the unraveling threads of her life back together. Unbeknownst to April, the stately house has been neglected in recent years. The once-sturdy roof is leaking in a few dozen places, and the wharf is rotting. Nothing is the same as she remembers. Nothing except for Hale, a Viet Nam pilot who is haunted by a dreadful secret, and who is also her brother’s best friend, a brother killed in the conflict that is tearing the country apart.

In Hale’s presence, April finds familiarity and solace. They share grief for a lost loved one, and from the comfort of Hale’s arms, passion blooms. Yet, April’s future is unresolved. Her wealthy, arrogant almost-bridegroom wants her back and the ghosts of Viet Nam are whispering to Hale. Can they find new love in an old treasured home, the kind of affection and trust that lasts forever?

Home Again, was named a finalist in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Buy the book from…….

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble

Endless Love Series, Book Two, Return to Love

Sweet Romance… Fresh off their whirlwind nuptials and unexpected, but joyous pregnancy, April and Hale Abercrombie are gleeful about their life together. But, while Hale is serving his country in Vietnam, he receives news of the loss of their newborn daughter.

Back home on leave, Hale can barely wait to hold his wife. Their reunion is passionate and their physical connection, strong and soothing. His embrace, his touch, and his love are just as perfect as April remembered. But nothing, not even Hale, can ease April’s heartache.

Hale stumbles through his attempts at convincing her that their future will be rich and full of wonder despite their loss. His good-hearted, but take-charge approach causes her to retreat. Even in grief, April recognizes Hale’s earnestness, yet she can’t help but distance herself from him. With only a short time before Hale must return to war, the couple begins to understand that hope starts with them—that the bliss they once knew will return only if they are willing to trust again.

Set on the beaches of the Outer Banks, Return to Love is the second book in the Endless Love series.

Buy the book from…….

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble

About the Author

A Language Arts Coach with a Ph.D. in Reading Education, Kathleen lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Kathleen has also written award winning Love and Other Subjects, After the Fog and her debut novel, The Last Letter. Recently, Kathleen has released the her first romance novella, Home Again (Book One of the Endless Love Series), Return to Love (Book Two) a novel-length work and has just released Tending Her Heart (Book Three). Books Two and Three in the historical fiction series that started with The Last Letter are nearly complete and should be shortly.

Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and Pittsburgh Parent magazine.

Find the Author on the following sites….

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads

Book Tour Dates

Photobucket I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR’S GIVEAWAY

 

 

Three lucky winners will win a $15 Amazon.com Giftcard Open Worldwide

 

Ending on Sunday 8th February at 11.59pm EST

 

Enter Below and Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review & Giveaway ~ The Last Letter by Kathleen Shoop


A Father’s Deceit
A Husband’s Betrayal
A Loved One’s Death
A Mother’s Choice
A Daughter’s Resentment
A Time to Forgive

For every daughter who thinks she knows her mother’s story…

Katherine wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t found the last letter…

Katherine Arthur’s dying mother arrives on her doorstep, forcing her to relive a past she wanted to forget. When Katherine was young, the Arthur family had been affluent city dwellers until shame sent them running for the prairie, into the unknown. Taking her family, including young Katherine, to live off the land was the last thing Jeanie Arthur had wanted, but she would do her best to make a go of it. For Jeanie’s husband Frank it had been a world of opportunity. Dreaming, lazy Frank. But, it was a society of uncertainty — a domain of natural disasters, temptation, hatred, even death.

Ten-year-old Katherine had loved her mother fiercely, put her trust in her completely, but when there was no other choice, and Jeanie resorted to extreme measures on the prairie to save her family, she tore Katherine’s world apart. Now, seventeen years later, Katherine has found the truth — she has discovered the last letter. After years of anger, can Katherine find it in her heart to understand why her mother made the decisions that changed them all? Can she forgive and finally begin to heal before it’s too late?

My Thoughts: 

Kathleen Shoop does a wonderful job describing life on the prairie in this story of historical fiction. Many authors romanticize the life that pioneers led, but actual history shows us the true hardships they endured on the prairie.

The story pivots back and forth in time, from 1888 ~ Dakota Territory and 1905 ~ Des Moines, Iowa … from Jeanie’s point of view and Katherine’s … mother and daughter. The Arthur family led a high society, privileged life until a scandal sent them to head for the hills – literally. They found a small cooperative community of several homesteading families and moved into a nearby abandoned dugout. Life was extremely hard on this spoiled family. Jeanie and Frank had a hard time adjusting from high society to barely existing on the harsh prairie. They endured every hardship imaginable, fire, grasshoppers, blizzards, drug addiction, infidelity, and even death. Needless to say, relationships were strained to the breaking point.

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot (or what’s in the last letter), so I highly recommend reading this book to learn for yourself how this family managed to survive.

Buy the book from…

Amazon.co.uk   Amazon.com   Barnes and Noble

About the Author

A
Language Arts Coach with a Ph.D. in Reading Education, Kathleen lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Kathleen’s debut novel, The Last Letter was garnered multiple awards in 2011.  Her second novel, After the Fog (Silver IPPY), was a category finalist in the 2013 Eric Hoffer Book Awards. Her third novel, Love and Other Subjects, earned a Silver medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards and received an Honorable Mention from the San Francisco Book Festival. Recently,
Kathleen has released the her first romance novella, Home Again (Book One). Book Two, a novel-length work in the Endless Love series called Return to Love, will be released in May, 2014.

Books Two and Three in the historical fiction series that started with The Last Letter are nearly complete and should be released by fall, 2014.

Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Follow the Author

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads

Follow the Book Tour

018836-glossy-silver-icon-symbols-shapes-square-2 I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR’S GIVEAWAY !!

THREE Lucky Winners will each receive a $15 Amazon Giftcard, courtesy of author of The Last Letter, Kathleen Shoop

 

Ending on Sunday 3rd August at 11.59pm EST Open Worldwide

 

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LOVE AND OTHER SUBJECTS ~ A Book Review

For every woman who wonders if she chose the right career

Carolyn Jenkins strives for two things–to be the greatest teacher ever and to find true love. She’s as skilled at both as an infant trying to eat with a fork. Carolyn’s suburban upbringing and genuine compassion for people who don’t fit effortlessly into society are no match for weapon-wielding, struggling students, drug-using colleagues, and a wicked principal.

Meanwhile, her budding relationship with a mystery man is thwarted by his gaggle of eccentric sisters. Carolyn depends on her friends to get her through the hard times, but with poverty-stricken children at her feet and a wealthy man at her side, she must define who she is.

The reality of life after college can be daunting, the road to full-fledged adulthood long and unscripted. Can Carolyn take control and craft the existence she always wanted?

 

My Thoughts:

Carolyn Jenkins is a character I can relate to … she leads a real life with everyday routine as well as highs and lows. She has her ideals and dreams, yet she has to deal with reality.

Personally, I was more drawn into the “Other Subjects” of the storyline than the “Love” portion.

I was interested in her passion of learning how to be effective in this inner city school while coming from a suburban background. I liked how the author addressed the interracial relationships between the roommates and the students. I feel Carolyn showed her true calling as a teacher in finding techniques that fit her student’s needs instead of just following the prescribed one size fits all approach.

I also liked hearing the witty, sometimes hilarious, “dialogue” in her head as she worked through issues and eventually matured in her personal relationships with her roommates, her parents and her boyfriends.

Buy the book from……. Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Barnes and Noble

About the Author

A Language Arts Coach with a Ph.D. in Reading Education, Kathleen lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Kathleen has also written Love and Other Subjects, award winning After the Fog and her debut novel, The Last Letter, garnered multiple awards in 2011.  The author’s stories have also appeared in several of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Follow the Author

Website,  Facebook,  Twitter,  Pinterest  Goodreads



Follow the Book Tour

Photobucket

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR’S GIVEAWAY !!

 

 

 

 

THREE Lucky Winners will each receive a $15 Amazon Giftcard,

 

courtesy of author of Love and other subjects, Kathleen Shoop

 

Ending on Thursday 6th February at 11.59pm EST

 

Open Worldwide

 

 

 

Enter  Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway