Welcome to the Blog Tour for Tales from the Matthewsburg Manse by Kate Tompkins, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Tales from the Matthewsburg Manse
Author: Kate Tompkins
Publisher: The Matthewsburg Manse
Release Date: October 26, 2023
Genre: Short stories/Poetry, Christian fiction, general fiction, rural fiction, wholesome fiction
When city girl Viv’s husband Mark accepts his first pastoral charge in rural Matthewsburg, she wonders what to expect, and what will be expected of her. This collection of connected fiction stories, some humorous, some suspenseful, some even romantic, explores Viv’s new life as she tries to find her place in the community while dealing with local gossip, old rivalries, suspected murder, sabotaged car shows, and more. Who says life in a small town is boring?
“This book entertains us with our own humanity, we laugh at human foibles, nod our heads in the mutual pains of life’s adventures. Interspersed are poems expressing poignant moments. These provide a place to rest, ponder and even smile before we are once again taken on the life journey of being a spouse in a small town parish. I found myself laughing out loud on occasion. This book is a wonderful read and leaves us with the feeling that life is good.” – Nita Kotiuga, retired pastor, Director of Spiritual Formation at Bakke Graduate University.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
MY THOUGHTS:
These stories are fun! Most of them are told from Viv’s point of view, but a few are from other people’s perspectives. I found that switch slightly confusing at times, but soon figured it out each time. Most stories were totally believable; one fun chapter, though, had to do with a ghost and a time-traveling cat (although, “cats sleep 15 hours a day, when would they have time to develop the technology?”). I did notice a bit of language; “hell” was used a couple of times and “bloody” once. Other than that, the book is very clean, and like I said, fun, especially the stories about the cruise nights, and the trip to a music camp by two amateur musicians.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
About the Author
Kate Tompkins lives in Montreal’s West Island, where she shares a small house and a big backyard with her husband and the latest in a series of very spoiled cats. She writes short stories, poetry (yes, the non-literary, rhyming kind), and the occasional essay. When not hanging out with her church’s writing group or getting lost down an internet rabbit hole, she can be found trying out recipes from old cookbooks for her cooking blog, Kate’s Virtual Kitchen, or outside keeping the flowerbeds in order.
Connect with Kate by visiting katetompkinsbooks.ca to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 11, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 18, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the book.
Sounds like a great read
This looks really good. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a good book.
Thanks so much for reviewing Tales from the Matthewsburg Manse. I really appreciate it and will take your comments into account if I do a revision.
Thanks also to the commenters for their feedback.