When Lee Tucker’s husband commits suicide, he leaves her pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a loan shark. Out of options, she escapes to her deceased mother’s dilapidated house located in a small Oregon town that, like her, is financially ruined, heartbroken and in desperate need of a fresh start.

Lee’s resilience leads to a plan for a destination restaurant named Riversong, to new chances for passion and love, and to danger from her dead husband’s debt as her business blooms.

Author Tess Hardwick assembles a colorful cast of endearing small-town characters and takes you on a journey that will make you believe in the possibilities of life – even in the face of overwhelming adversity and unimaginable grief. Lee Tucker is the kind of woman you find yourself rooting for long after the last page is read.

A surprising mix of romance, humor, friendship, intrigue and gourmet food – Riversong entertains while reminding you of life’s greatest gifts.

From the reviewers:

Riversong is a remarkable debut novel for Tess Hardwick. This warm-hearted, compelling book is an enveloping saga of human resilience. Hardwick’s real achievement is her knack for storytelling – she has carved her story with vivid grace and crafted a superbly plotted, and compulsively readable tale that triumphs. In short, Riversong is an inspiration. Tess Hardwick is a delightful new voice in fiction – one that is well worth listening to. –Natalie

The story was simply engaging, creating a world in which I was able to delightfully lose myself. I found the storyline to be quite empowering and hopeful, as it encapsulated a world filled with struggles and redemption.–Teresa P. Miller

I usually read action/adventure stories so I thought this would be a genuine “chick” book. My initial reaction was a guy’s off-the cuff review that “it could have used some guns, a car chase, danger and sex…” Then I realized, it had each one of those! I was pleasantly surprised that it was well crafted and engaging. –John Murphy

Tess Hardwick is a playwright and novelist. She started her artistic pursuits as an actress and director before writing her first play in 2000, which won the first place prize at Burien New Works in 2001.

Like her main character in Riversong, Tess Hardwick grew up in a small town in Oregon. She studied theatre at the University of Southern California and graduated in 1991 with a BFA in Drama. After college, she moved to Seattle where she met her husband when she was his HR Manager at a local technical company. She now lives in Snoqualmie, Washington with her husband, two small daughters and teenage step-son.

Riversong is her debut novel.  Contact her at: tesshardwick.author@gmail.com

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