Using pen name Viola Shipman, Michigan author channels his grandmother's charm

Now that we've gotten ourselves past Memorial Day, nice lazy weeks of summer reading beckon. Packing supplies for a day at the beach has to include a book. Here's a great suggestion for a beach read: The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman. It's perfect because it is set in the fictional Michigan beach town of Scoops. 

The Charm Bracelet tells a story of three generations of women from one family finding ways to connect, all through a charm bracelet. Viola Shipman is the pen name for author Wade Rouse, who lives in West Michigan. And there's a good story behind that pen name too!

Listen to the full interview with Rouse above to hear more about the inspiration for this book and what project he has up next.