Video above compliments of Mike Wesala

 

                          We’ll Find a Way

Released — February, 2017

e book available on Amazon and Nook

Paperback available at Best of Books, Edmond, OK,  Another Chapter Bookstore in Owasso, OK,

Brace Books and More in Ponca City, OK

and on Amazon.com

Signed copies may be ordered directly from the author

 

Reviews:

“Woven in the pages with believable characters, Connie Wesala asks questions we all whisper in the secret corners of our heart: Am I loved? Am I wanted? Where do I belong? Discover the answers in the story We’ll Find a Way.

– Lynne Hartke, author of Under a Desert Sky

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“Excellent read! Hollywood, don’t miss this one.”

– Joe Weber, New York Times bestselling author of: Defcon One, Shadow Flight, Rules of Engagement, Targets of Opportunity, Honorable Enemies, Primary Target, Dancing with the Dragons and Assured Response

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Synopsis:

After a tumultuous last year, Karen Johnston feels that life is back on track. she’s grieved her adoptive mother’s death and cleaned out the attic of her parents’ house in Oklahoma, where she discovered a trunk fill with diaries and memorabilia that led her on a search for her past.

She has begun a relationship with her biological father, a man she never knew, and, despite all odds, has revived her failing marriage.

She’s content. She’s even happy. So much so that she’s considering the possibility of a career move and having the child she’s postponed for twenty years.

But life has a way of challenging us, and Karen is no exception. Faced with situations she would never have thought possible, does she have the strength to get through them? Or is it time to let go of her dreams?

We’ll Find a Way is a stand-alone novel and a sequel to The House on 4th Street

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I researched extensively for the two historical stories within this novel. The Tulsa Race Riots were an unknown to me and I spent months reading and watching on-line interviews with survivors of the destruction of the Greenwood neighborhood. The presence of the K.K.K. in Oklahoma astounded me. Their numbers and their influence were tremendous. I also researched Oklahoma during the dust bowl days and the depression when thousands of “okies” fled the state. Rural Oklahoma and Kansas lost its farmers and farmland during those years. Oil discovery changed in the 1920’s when the science of drilling came to be more accepted by the big names in the Oklahoma oil industry. These two family stories include all of this and more.

 

 

The House on 4th Street

e book available on Kindle and Nook

Paperback available at Best of Books, Edmond, OK, Another Chapter Bookstore – Owasso, OK, Brace Books and More, Ponca City, OK and Amazon.com. Signed copies may be purchased through the author.

Recommendations:

“This historically accurate fiction work is an emotional page-turner – a must-read!”- Joe Weber, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Connie Wesala’s fictional world lyrically shape-shifts across several generations through artful collisions of people and place, of memory and mystery, and of love and loss.” – Patrick Michael Finn, author of From the Darkness Under Our Feet

“One house, and all the human joy and suffering contained therein through multiple generations. Wesala’s characters jump off the page as they live through pioneer days, world wars, deaths, births, marriages. If these walls could talk—oh, the stories they would tell.” – Katy Grant, author of Hide and Seek

A fast-faced novel in stories with masterful attention to detail. Just enough history with twists and turns to make the reader want more!

 

Book Description:

A yellow cottage sits on a quiet, tree-lined street in Edmond, Oklahoma: a witness of the past century and the lives contained within its walls. Faced with a marriage that is falling apart and the death of her adoptive mother, thirty-nine year-old Karen Johnston returns to the place where she was born. She has always known that her biological mother died during her birth. But she has never felt the need to find her real father—until now. The house and the old trunk she finds in the attic lead her on a search for her biological father and answers to the life choices she has made.

The House on 4^th Street consists of five interconnected stories with an unexpected conclusion. In the journals Karen finds in Oklahoma, we meet:

~Lily, a strong, outspoken woman, follows her husband to the plains of Oklahoma in 1886 to complete the rail line. Her driving desire is for a home of her own, and she will do anything to achieve that goal—even if it puts her marriage at risk. The local tribe, the Land Run, and the opening of the university are only a few things she faces.

~Davis, Lily and Charles’ son, returns from Kansas City in 1922 to prove himself to his father. He uses people and connections to involve himself in the local real estate market in 1922. A lovable scoundrel, he cons both friends and family until he meets the beautiful Belinda. Little does he know how their meeting will change his life.

~Maxine Watson has to find a way to tell her husband, just returned from WWII, a terrible secret. Bob, a pilot, comes home from England wounded emotionally and physically. Will her news destroy their marriage or will Bob find the courage and strength to forgive?

~Angela Johnston, Karen’s adoptive mother, struggles with the conflict between career and children, with the war in Viet Nam, and with her resolve to remain true to her self. She and husband Richard are professors at the local university and find themselves embroiled in the lives of their students.

~Mark Roberts comes home from Cambodia in 1973 a broken man. He faces the demons of his past: his wife’s death, the atrocities of war, and a secret he can share with no one. He will have to make difficult decisions in order to heal.

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Photos of Historic Edmond, the 4th Street House Now & Then, Designing the Cover

October Newsflash: 

Just back from Oklahoma where I got to see my novel on the shelf at Best of Books in Edmond. Really was a treat to see them there!

Join me in Edmond in March!

I’ve had the honor to be invited to one of my favorite indie book stores, Best of Books, in Edmond, OK. Their book club is reading The House on 4th Street for the March meeting and I am so excited to hear their responses and be a part of the discussion.  If you’re in Edmond on the evening of March 28, please give me a call or email me or face book me so we can arrange to meet for dinner prior to the book club meeting!

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Book Club Discussion Questions:

Many book clubs are now requesting questions to begin their book discussions. Below you will find some that will relate well to The House on 4th Street …

• What were the dynamics of power between the characters? How did that play a factor in their interactions?
• Did you think the ending was appropriate? How would you have liked to see it end?
• Which character, minor or major, did you want to know more about? Why?
• Were the actions of each main character consistent with their character?
• What do you think will happen to the characters next?
• Was the major theme adequately explored? Was it brought to life in a unique way?
• Throughout the book, characters begin to change because of love. Which character did you relate to the most in this regard?
• What scene was the most pivotal for the book? How would the story have changed had the scene not taken place?
• Were there any memorable quotes that stood out for you?
• If you could smack any of the characters upside the head, who would it be and why?
• Were there moments where you disagreed with the choices of any of the characters? Who would it be and why?
• Were the voices of each character believable and genuine?
• Which of the time periods did you enjoy most and why? Did you feel the history was believable in the fictionalized account?
• Compare this book with others you’ve read with a similar theme or set in the same time period.
• The Bob and Maxine story presented two points of view. Did you like or dislike this technique?
• Did the book “break the mold” in any way?

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 Press Releases:

Here are two links if you wish to read the articles in the Enid Daily News and/or East Valley Tribune – Gilbert.

http://www.enidnews.com/news/enid-native-has-released-novel/article_0711c586-058c-11e5-b85c-932fcb34e00c.html.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_4825a9d8-0a2e-11e5-989e-a7862be8cb9b.html

 

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Don’t miss this exciting and fun event! See your favorite authors. Lots of Kid Activities. Go to the website — see what you might be missing if you don’t attend! Look for my booth!!

tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/

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Timing’s Everything

Published December, 2015

Available for Kindle and Nook as an e book

Paperback available at Best of Books, Edmond, OK and Amazon.com

Signed copies available through the author

Description:

Amy Crawford is headed to Oxford, England for a five-week writer’s workshop. She is “done” with relationships and is looking forward to focusing on her writing and herself. However, fate intervenes, and soon she is faced with not one, but two men, who vie for her attentions. Will she choose either? Or will she stick to her guns about staying single and happy?

There is mystery – who is stalking Amy in a gray sedan?

There is romance – new and old. Can she love them both?

There is suspense as Amy tries to figure out her life.

If you like stories with a strong setting and well written characters, you will find them in this novel. In addition, there is mystery and intrigue and several difficult decisions Amy will have to make. Though there seems to be a clear conclusion to the story … is there a sequel in the making? Perhaps.

Recommendations: 

“If you’ve ever been to Oxford, you’ll relish revisiting the countryside, the university and the city. If not, you’ll be planning a trip.” – Dana Schurtz, author of Stinking Creek

“Amy Crawford’s journey to England is a story of self-discover and romance. Connie Wesala brings Amy to life as she struggled with two love interests. You’ll be glad you came along for the ride.”

– Bev Stout, author of Secrets of the Realm and My Name is Nissa

“With an eye for historical accuracy, Connie Wesala pens a tale with heartwarming characters in the romantic setting of Oxford, England. Can new love be found in the beautiful English countryside?

– Lynn Harke, author of Under a Desert Sky

 

Information and Photos of Oxford, England

In 2014 my son, Michael, and I spent two weeks in Oxford. It quickly became my second favorite city. Paris still remains my first! We explored the university, Christ Church, Alice’s Shop, Bath, Stratford on Avon, the Cotswolds, abbeys, cathedrals and castles. As I re-read my novel, I relived every scene. It is a beautiful part of England and I fell in love with the rural atmosphere and sheep. I’d love to return. The Strathmere American Institute mentioned in the novel does exist although I wasn’t lucky enough to attend their summer workshop. But Debenham’s Department Store, our basement apartment, and the number 6 bus were a big part of our stay. I intend to return this year or next and just wallow in the British countryside and the quaint small villages as well as the university campuses of Oxford and Cambridge. I have discovered my roots in Powis Castle and in the Poole estate in western U.K. and I want to go see them for myself.