Viola Shipman is the pen name of Wade Rouse, a popular and award-winning memoirist who writes women's fiction novels. Rouse chose his grandmother's name as a tribute to her, using her heirlooms and stories as inspiration for his writing. Rouse received his B.A. from Drury University and his Master's in journalism from Northwestern University. He splits his time between Michigan and Palm Springs, California.
Rouse's novels, which he writes as Shipman, are a tribute to family and our elders and are meant to inspire hope. His grandmother was a major inspiration for his writing, and he uses her memory as a tribute to the working poor Ozarks grandma who inspired him to become a writer. Rouse's novels remind readers of what matters most in life: each other. His new Christmas novel, "The Wishing Bridge," publishes on November 7 and is available for preorder now. It is being compared to the holiday works of Kristy Woodson Harvey, Jenny Colgan, and Nancy Thayer. "The Wishing Bridge" is a beautiful story about why we leave home, why we come home, the magic and meaning of Christmas, the spirit of the American entrepreneur, lost love, and the beautiful story of a father and daughter.