The Rosie MacIntosh /Allen Connelly 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. "

       Twenty-seven year-old Taylor Thomas has been plagued by bad decisions. Struggling to survive in impoverished South Philadelphia, she sets her mind on a college degree. Odd jobs, unambitious boyfriends, and indulgence in chocolates are her downfalls. She decides that a flexible job a a nurse's aide is a better way to manage her time if she can't avoid trouble. When she takes Rosie MacIntosh as a client, though, she discoveres who her worst enemy is.

       At 79, Rosie has learned not to let defeat stand in the way of wise choices. Fifty years may 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.

"...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.

       Autumn Rose is available in both e-book format and print-on-demand trade paperback from Amazon.com. You can read an excerpt and/or order the book through the link below.

Read an excerpt/Order Autumn Rose

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HAND IN HAND: IT TAKES A FAMILY

       For followers of Rosie MacIntosh who have wondered how Rosie, her husband, and Allen formed a family, here is the first book in Allen's story.

       Rose MacIntosh and twelve-year-old Allen Conelly are distant relatives, but when Allen is orphaned, there is no choice but for him to live with Rose and her husband Patrick. Rose and Patrick are childless and set in their ways, with the further complication that Patrick is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and Rose is his sole caregiver. Sympathy abounds for the orphaned child, but Rose doesn't feel herself capable of caring for an insolent boy, and wonders if she has the strength to cope with all she is facing.

       There must be reasonable solutions for this dilemma. Follow instincts? Or advice? The best advice could make matters worse for this non-traditional family..

       Hand In Hand is available in both e-book format and print-on-demand trade paperback from Amazon.com. You can read an excerpt and/or order the book through the link below.

Read an excerpt/Order Hand In Hand

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The story continues: TWO LANE HIGHWAY: A KID NAMED ALLEN

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

       Allen Connelly isn't a stranger to problems. Orphaned after his father caused the fatal accident, rejected by his grandmother, he lives with a nervous middle-aged aunt and an uncle with Alzheimer's. Not an ideal situation for a boy on the cusp of teenage rebellion. Two Lane Highway covers the five year period as Allen adjusts to his alternative lifestyle.

       A hero's journey, Two Lane Highway is a stellar story about this man's rite of passage. Look for Allen's journey to continue in Summer Wayside.

       Two Lane Highway is available in both e-book format and print-on-demand trade paperback from Amazon.com. You can read an excerpt and/or order the book through the link below.

Read an excerpt/Order Two Lane Highway.

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SUMMER WAYSIDE: POINTED WEST

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

       Summer Wayside  takes the reader on a summer excursion of self-discovery, hope and second chances.

        Is he his ruthless father's son or will he become a man others admire? WIthout explanatioin, Allen leaves the aunt and uncle who cared for him after his parents died. No excuses, no complaints. Determination may help Allen Connelly on his journey but it takes grit to keep him alive. A series of events makes the city boy question if he's tough enough to weather the storms ahead. Stranded with strangers, a dangerous job on a cattle ranch? Allen's impulsive nature leads to trouble and there's always a price for revenge. He's heading west in his Mustang, Route 66, all the way to California. Who will be the man who returns?

       Summer Wayside is available in both e-book format and print-on-demand trade paperback from Amazon.com. You can read an excerpt and/or order the book through the link below.

Read an excerpt/Order SUMMER WAYSIDE

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