HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!

Born May 19, 2015
On store shelves now!

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU… To my fans, who lined the block outside of the South Carolina Aquarium, Monday night in Charleston, SC for the official book launch party of THE SUMMER’S END.

Nearly 300 came to the book launch party!

THANK YOU... To my team and the aquarium staff who organized this huge party.

Thanking the crowd and sharing exciting news!

THANK YOU... to my publisher, Gallery Books, for continuing to give me the opportunity to share my stories with readers around the world.

My amazing editor, Lauren McKenna flew in to town.

THANK YOU... to my family for always believing in me and uplifting me.

Signing books 

And  THANK YOU... for being a reader, buying my books, and telling your friends about my novels.  Without you, I would not be celebrating this book release, one that marks twenty years for me as a published author.  I’m incredibly grateful for this milestone.  

Nearly 300 friends and fans came to the Aquarium to celebrate THE SUMMER'S END book launch with me.  People from near and far.  Some drove from Charlotte and Highland, North Carolina.  Others drove in early from North Myrtle Beach, and a handful flew into town from Ohio.  And my dear sweet daughter Gretta, endured delayed flights and layovers from Los Angeles to Charleston, just to be with me.  

Gretta made it! I'm one very happy mama.

Thank you all for making this book release extra special.  You made me feel like a beautiful queen. It's a night I will never forget!

With THE SUMMER’S END now out on store shelves, I’m on the road for book tour.  I do hope you’ll join me at an event near you.  We’ll talk, we’ll laugh and we’ll celebrate together our love for great books! 

Click here for book tour schedule.    Click here to order your copy today.

Watch this short video for a little back story about THE SUMMER’S END:

When you finish the final page of THE SUMMER’S END, take heart.  All is not entirely over.  My publisher has asked me to continue the story of Mamaw, and her three granddaughters—Eudora, Carson, and Harper.  And this time, someone’s getting married!  Look for the new book, LOWCOUNTRY WEDDING (working title) next summer.  

For now though, I hope you thoroughly enjoy this next installment of the Lowcountry Summer Series.  

BEHIND THE NOVEL: A MOTHER-DAUGHTER PERSPECTIVE

The publisher sent me this last week-- a box of THE SUMMER'S END. This is my first time seeing my story in book form. It's such a thrill!  And it can only mean one thing... pub day is almost here!

In just two weeks THE SUMMER'S END will hit store shelves and I'm excited to share the final installment of the Lowcountry Summer Trilogy with you.  This book cover has special meaning to me; the model is my daughter Gretta.  She's also the inspiration of one of the trilogy's main characters.

Recently, we were asked by women's fiction book website XOXOAfterDark to share the details on how the cover came to be and talk about our special mother-daughter relationship in a guest blog post.  Here it is: THE SUMMER'S END: A MOTHER DAUGHTER LOOK BEHIND THE NOVEL

I enjoyed hearing my daughter's perspective on our relationship and my work. Feel free to ask us follow-up questions after reading this.  And make sure to go to the end of the blog post to see a short video that inspired THE SUMMER'S END cover.

I can't believe the book comes out in two weeks and I hit the road for book tour.  I'm excited to reconnect with friends, booksellers and readers, plus make new friends along the way.  Am I coming to a city near you?  CLICK HERE to see my book tour schedule.

And I'm kicking the tour off with an official Book Launch Party at the South Carolina Aquarium, May 18th in Charleston, SC.  If you're local or want to take a fun road trip with friends, come celebrate with me!  CLICK HERE for the invitation.  Let's launch THE SUMMER'S END together!

Girls Take Flight on Isle of Palms

Editor's Note: This week's guest blogger is Isle of Palms native Gretta Kruesi, professional kiteboarder, artist, and environmentalist.  You can follow her work at http://grettakruesi.com/

On the Isle of Palms, we don't often get great waves but we consistantly get a lot of wind. I grew up mostly surfing but the moment I first saw kiteboarding introduced at my local beach and how much fun those guys were having gliding across the water, hitting waves and soaring through the sky, I knew I'd be hooked. It's a sport that we have perfect conditions for with long flat beaches and a steady sea-breeze most days of the year.

Back when I first learned, it was intimidating because there weren't any other girls doing it in the area. There wasn't a female in the sport I could learn from or look up to and say "hey, I want to do that too!" But over the past couple years, the equipment has become more user-friendly and the sport has become increasingly popular among women and men alike. Charleston (known as Chucktown to the kite community) has quickly become a popular kiteboarding destination, with more and more women and girls entering the scene.

I've noticed a big influx of local women ready to give kiteboarding a try. Air Kiteboarding co-owner Elea Faucheron started the Air Kiteboarding Club For Girls last year.  The Club served as a vehicle for local women and girls to get together, look out for each other on the water, and have fun. I'm thrilled everytime I return home to the Isle of Palms and see the comraderie and new female faces at the beach-- and how much everyone has progessed.

Photo: Gretta teaches a girls only workshop on Isle of Palms

This past Sunday, I hosted a "Miss Independent Rider" workshop and Naish gear demo for the Girl's Club. Fifteen enthusiastic women attended to learn more ways to push their riding limits. A few girls even came by just to hang out and support. Not only did we have a blast, it's amazing to think that just a few short years ago the were only a couple female riders total in all of Charleston.

I'm excited to go to the beach and see the emerging community of female kiteboarders and I feel honored to be in the position to promote the sport and help other girls get off the beach and into the water, the way I wish there were girls to do that for me. 

As my friend Dan Floyd always says, "Share the stoke!"  And that's just what these ladies do. So if you happen to see kites flying on the Isle of Palms, chances are it's one of the girls.