Monday 29 October 2018

Spotlight & Review: Painting Blue Water by Leigh Fossan



Painting Blue Water by Leigh Fossan


Katherine Ross, a struggling artist-turned-successful-businesswoman, has a life many would envy. At only thirty-one years old, Katherine runs one of the top luxury real-estate firms in Manhattan, and she lives in a fabulous loft with her dreamy husband. That is, of course, until her marriage comes to a screeching halt, forcing Katherine to face the truths she’s been burying deep within her heart. She hasn’t been happy for a long time. And her life, while glamorous, is not the life she ever wanted.

Fighting through the fog of her confusion and pain, Katherine makes the daring, or possibly insane, choice to start over somewhere new. She leaves her business, her friends, and the city behind, while she ventures alone to the mountains in hopes of rediscovering her artistic roots in a place surrounded by beauty, peace, and quiet.
  
But life in Bluewater isn’t as simple as it may seem, and when her art career suddenly begins to take off in this unlikely setting, Katherine finds herself torn between two worlds. Does she pursue her lifelong dream and become the world-famous artist she always wanted to be? Or does she open her heart to the possibility of new dreams and a life she never imagined?




When Michael Kristoff told his wife, Katharine he was leaving her for someone else, it was a shock but not unexpected. With divorce papers following soon after her husband's departure, Katharine, a successful businesswoman decides it's time to re-evaluate her life in Manhattan after visiting her favourite place in New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Shocking her friend and business partner, she moves to Bluewater Lake, Colorado; a place she visited as a child. On arrival, she instantly feels at home, surrounded by warm, friendly town-folk. Her new surroundings inspire her to begin painting again and along with it brings a resounding new release of life...

Mesmerizing. The narrative comes alive when the author describes Bluewater Lake. It is no surprise to learn Ms Fossan is an accomplished artist too. Capturing her love of art in the words she uses to describe Katharine's new surroundings and the landscape which ignites her passion for painting. I enjoyed visualising the dramatic scenery as Katharine makes peace with her past and meets someone as creative as herself. The vibrancy of natures colours shining through to create a warm, loving atmosphere for anyone who lives in this beautiful haven or just passing through.

While the plot is predictable, the strength of the writing comes from the protagonists and the secondary characters the author created along with a wonderful small town cosiness where you can relate to the people who live there. The ensemble of residents in this breathtakingly pretty town compliment the tentative relationship between Katharine and Will.

The words within this novel mirror the beautiful cover and as a début novel, Painting Blue Water is a captivating and heartfelt story about the power of friendships and taking control over your destiny to live life by your own rules.

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources***





Painting Blue Water is the debut novel for Leigh Fossan. A creative soul at heart, Leigh grew up with a paintbrush in her hand, and went on to study the arts in Florence, Italy. While abroad, Leigh was one of the few recipients of the Coluccio Salutati Award for Creative Writing. Today, Leigh is a professional artist and her paintings are collected around the world. She lives in Colorado with her artist husband, and their young daughter, who wants to be a scientist.
You can see Leigh's paintings at www.lavfineart.com



INSTAGRAM: @leighfossanauthor
TWITTER: @LeighFossan