A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

Very Nice!

I am finishing reading this good book today as it rains, and the leaves fall. A Lasting Impression is a story that gripped me right away. Claire is a painter, something close to my heart as well. She was taught by her Mother, who was quite ill and dying. Her Father has seen fit to use her gift to copy famous paintings and then sell them off as originals. Claire hates this, but with out income or a husband, she is rather trapped. And when we are trapped, or in a mess and ask God to help, He steps in.

Claire quickly finds herself out of New Orleans, in Nashville, Tennessee, and positioned to be liaison for the wealthiest woman in the area! Mrs. Adelicia Acklen was the richest lady in America in the 1860's. She owned Belmont Mansion. I have been to Biltmore Estate/Mansion in North Carolina and seen what it is like,so as Claire struggles to come up with a good party plan for Mrs. Acklen's son, and all the incredible surroundings are described, I have a very dramatic sense of what that would feel like!

But we can't leave out Sutton! Mr. Sutton is trying to deal with the circumstances surrounding his dear Father's death, and what it has done to his Mother as well. He works as the personal lawyer and an advisor to Mrs. Acklen. He is also quite drawn to Claire, but know she has to be hiding more than a few things and he would very much like to know what and why. In addition, he is working on the side on a case to find out more about some forged art work.

A Lasting Impression is beautifully painted with all sorts of historical things interwoven. The story its self is captivating and fascinating. In Tamera Alexander's books you will also find God present, working in the "mysterious" ways that He guides and directs us. I am very happy to have gotten to read this wonderful Southern book this week. It just makes me love the area I grew up in that much more!

Carol

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  A Lasting Impression  Bethany House (November 1, 2011)  by  Tamera Alexander  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered, the critically acclaimed Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Her second historical series, Timber Ridge Reflections (From a Distance, Beyond This Moment, and Within My Heart) continue her signature style of deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose which has earned her devoted readers—and multiple industry awards.

These awards include the 2009 and 2008 Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the 2010 and 2007 RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the 2010 and  2007 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2010 HOLT Medallion, the 2007 Bookseller’s Best Award, the 2007 National Reader's Choice Award, and Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction for 2006, among others.

Tamera's newest novel A Lasting Impression is the first of a brand new three-book Southern historical series, and the first two chapters are available for review. She's at work on her ninth novel which will release in fall 2012.

After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, along with Tamera's father, Doug, and with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.  

ABOUT THE BOOK

To create something that will last is Claire Laurent's most fervent desire as an artist. It's also her greatest weakness. When her fraud of a father deals her an unexpected hand, Claire is forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville, only a year after the War Between the States has ended. Claire's path collides with that of Sutton Monroe, and she considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But when they meet again and he refuses to come to her aid, she realizes she's sorely misjudged the man. Trading an unwanted destiny for an unknown future, Claire finds herself in the middle of Nashville's elite society and believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art may finally be within reach.


All that Sutton Monroe holds dear lies in ruin. He's determined to reclaim his heritage and to make the men who murdered his father pay. But what he discovers on his quest for vengeance reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined.

Set at Nashville's historical Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America in the 1860s, A Lasting Impression showcases the deep, poignant, unforgettable characters that set Tamera's stories apart and provides an inspiring love story that will capture readers' hearts and leave them eager for more.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Lasting Impression, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764206222