Book Your Lunch with Debut Southern Author Rhonda Riley

Greenville, SC, April 29, 2013 - Book Your Lunch with debut Southern author Rhonda Riley on Wednesday, May 29th, 2013 at Twigs Tempietto. Tickets are $25 per person. Tickets must be purchased in advance at http://www.bookyourlunch.com or by calling Fiction Addiction at 864-675-0540.

In The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope (Ecco, paperback, $15.99),  Rhonda Riley gives us an unconventional and passionately romantic love story that is as breathtaking and wondrous as The Time Traveler's Wife and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

In the waning months of World War II, young Evelyn Roe's life is transformed when she finds what she takes to be a badly burned soldier, all but completely buried in the heavy red-clay soil on her family's farm in North Carolina. When Evelyn rescues the stranger, it quickly becomes clear he is not a simple man. As innocent as a newborn, he recovers at an unnatural speed, and then begins to change -- first into Evelyn's mirror image, and then into her complement, a man she comes to know as Adam.

Evelyn and Adam fall in love, sharing a connection that reaches to the essence of Evelyn's being. But the small town where they live is not ready to accept the likes of Adam, and his unusual origin becomes the secret at the center of their seemingly normal marriage.

Adam proves gifted with horses, and together he and Evelyn establish a horse-training business. They raise five daughters, each of whom possesses something of Adam's supernatural gifts. Then a tragic accident strikes the family, and Adam, in his grief, reveals his extraordinary character to the local community. Evelyn and Adam must flee to Florida with their daughters to avoid ostracism and prying doctors. Adrift in their new surroundings, they soon realize that the difference between Adam and other men is greater than they ever imagined.

Intensely moving and unforgettable, The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope captures the beauty of the natural world, and explores the power of abiding love and otherness in all its guises. It illuminates the magic in ordinary life and makes us believe in the extraordinary.

"First-time novelist Riley's exquisite language draws the reader into this improbable, beautifully rendered, somewhat biblical love story with a wildly imaginative premise that is irresistible, tender, and provocative." - Library Journal  

 About the author:

Rhonda Riley

Rhonda Riley is a graduate of the creative writing program at the University of Florida. This is her first novel. She lives in Gainesville, Florida.

In her own words:

 

The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope is my first published book. When I was in college, I published a few poems, then a couple of essays, but there was one story I could not make fit into a poem, an essay or a short story -- the story of my mother's life. I attended the University of Florida and received an MFA in fiction writing, then real life distracted me. But still I wanted to write my mother's story. Finally, after a divorce and the death of my brother, I decided life was too short to wait any longer. I quit my job and bought myself some time to write a very fictional account of my mother's voice. Many drafts, three jobs, and two writing groups later, I had a polished novel and the fortune to find a wonderful agent and great editor at Ecco. I live in Gainesville, Florida, with a new, good man, two aging and equally good cats, and many frogs. 

 

     

 

 

 

If you cannot make the event, you can reserve a personalized copy of The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by contacting Fiction Addiction in advance at 864-675-0540 or at info@fiction-addiction.com.

   

 

ABOUT FICTION ADDICTION

Fiction Addiction is a local, woman-owned, independent bookstore established in 2001. The store carries a mixture of new and used fiction and nonfiction, including children's books, as well as gift items. We have recently moved to a new location at 1175 Woods Crossing Road (in the shopping center with Five Guys and Fried Green Tomatoes). For more information, visit our website at http://www.fiction-addiction.com or call us at 864-675-0540.

  

ABOUT BOOK YOUR LUNCH

The Book Your Lunch author event program was launched in September 2009, and is a new way to bring authors and readers together -- right here in Greenville. This luncheon series provides the ultimate food for thought with a wide range of authors -- from mystery writers, to award-winning regional novelists to nonfiction and cookbook authors. Jill Hendrix, the owner of Fiction Addiction, founded the event program and is responsible for booking the authors. For more information about Book Your Lunch, please visit our website at http://www.bookyourlunch.com.