Release Day Giveaway!

Hi Everyone,

Today is the release day for Mary Alice Monroe’s newest book, Beach House for Rent. Below you will find my review of this fabulous book, as well as an author interview and giveaway! The contest will be open until noon on June 30, 2017. The winner will be announced on July 1, 2017. Good luck to you all and I hope you enjoy today’s spotlight.

Review:

Beach House for Rent

By: Mary Alice Monroe

(Beach House #4)

Cara Rutledge is a survivor, just like her family’s historic beach house. Cara has fond memories from her childhood, thanks to this house. When she decides to rent her place out for the summer, she is introduced to a young, shy artist. Heather Wyatt has battled anxiety for years. She prefers to stay indoors, in the quiet, with her birds. Since she was hired to create new postage stamps for the post office, she hopes to find inspiration on the island. As the shorebirds arrive and the women are forced to deal with life’s adventures and disasters, an unlikely friendship is formed. However, what will happen at the end of the summer?

Mary Alice Monroe weaves a poignant tale of nature and human relationships. This beach read covers topics of anxiety, grief, friendship, and love. The parallels between the rescuing and healing process of the shorebirds and the women themselves,  is strengthened by the fact that this book is broken down into four sections. Healing is a unique process for everyone, and readers will appreciate the author’s ability to represent these differences. Beach House for Rent is a beautiful novel for readers who love the Lowcountry.

Author Interview:

Hi Mary Alice Monroe! Thank you very much for participating in today’s spotlight post. Happy Release Day to you!

All of your books have a nature-theme. They all show how nature can heal the soul, but also how humans need to respect wildlife. Which animal organization have you worked with recently?

I find inspiration from the wildlife and landscape of coastal South Carolina. And you’re right all of my books published since 2002 have a nature theme. I was inspired after moving to the Isle of Palms with my family. My work with the island turtle team opened me up to a new way of storytelling. This time, my inspiration came from my volunteer work helping rescue injured pelicans on my beach. We took the pelicans to the Birds of Prey Center in Awendaw, SC. It’s a special rescue, rehabilitation, and release educational center–not too far from the Grand Strand area–that I first started working with when writing the novel “Skyward.” My hands-on experiences with the pelicans lead me to the world of shorebirds and I connected with Audubon South Carolina and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The state agency and the non-profit organization are both devoted in their own ways to helping reverse the direction of the staggering statistic that 70% of migrating shorebird populations are in decline, according to a national Audubon report. I hope my new novel BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT awakens readers to the wildlife that relies on South Carolina beaches for survival.

As some readers may know, you wrote two children’s books: Turtle Summer and A Butterfly Called Hope. Will you be writing any more children’s books based on your work with animals?

Yes, I absolutely plan to continue writing children’s books. I have a few ideas. I just need the time to work on the stories. And I am currently working on a book for middle grade readers. Details coming soon.

What is the one thing you hope readers will take away from reading your books?

During the summer, it seems everyone is planning a vacation and oftentimes it’s to a beach. Whether you’re able to go on a trip or must do a staycation, you can escape to my favorites beaches in my books. And when you finish reading one of my books like my new one BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT, I hope that you feel both satisfied by the story and pleasantly surprised by all that you learned too. And when we learn something, we care. And when we care, we do better.

In Beach House for Rent, my readers will connect with all the shorebirds we expect to see on our beaches.  But did you know the population has dropped 70% since the 1970s?  Readers CAN make a difference.  One easy example is to not let dogs (or children) chase the birds.

Together we can make our world a better place for our families and wildlife.

You can find more information about Mary Alice Monroe’s books and her work with wildlife on her website. (Photos provided by Mary Alice Monroe.

Giveaway Time:

Courtesy of Mary Alice Monroe’s publisher, Gallery Books through Simon and Schuster, I have a Brand New Hardback Copy of Beach House for Rent to giveaway to one lucky person. To enter to win, comment on this post with your favorite place to visit during the summertime. The contest will stay open until June 30th, at noon. One random person will be chosen from the comments to win this book. Winner will be announced on July 1, 2017! Good luck to you all!