Today's special guest is
Lauren
Clark. Lauren writes contemporary novels sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and
secrets. A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book
stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her
family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends.
Lauren
is a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association, the Mobile Writers Guild,
and a regular contributor to Parents & Kids Magazine's Mississippi Gulf
Coast Edition. Check out her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Single mom Grace Mason doesn’t believe in miracles, magic, or love
at first sight. She likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old son,
their tiny house, and her teaching job. For Grace, happiness means that nothing
much ever changes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Then, one thousand miles away, tragedy strikes. A massive heart
attack leaves Grace’s estranged father comatose in an Upstate New York
hospital. While a team of doctors fight to keep Henry Mason alive, Grace and
Evan rush to his bedside to say their final goodbyes.
Henry’s passing brings little closure for Grace, but she finds
herself inexplicably drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a short trip
results in an entire summer spent with Henry’s second wife, Kathleen, and her
next-door neighbor, Ryan Gordon, the town doctor. When a series of unlikely
events lead to Evan’s disappearance, Grace must face her worst fears to find
her son and bring him back home.
Stardust Summer explores the complexities of forgiveness, what it
means to be a family, and the fabulous possibility of falling in love—again.
AN EXCERPT
Kathleen hadn’t counted on the
Sailfish being this difficult to manage. She had been on it a thousand times
with Henry and chided herself for worrying.
Her husband had patiently shown her
how to trim the huge sail and make the boat go faster. She remembered that
letting out the rope allowed the Sailfish to slow down. Kathleen knew how to
move the rudder, and when to pull up the centerboard.
But she never had asked—or didn't
remember hearing—exactly what steps to take when stuck in the middle of the
lake. By herself.
Kathleen, in her hurry to enjoy the
morning solitude, hadn't thought to bring her cell phone. She didn't leave
Grace a note. And, of course, by now, Dr. Ryan Gordon was long gone, driving
into work, his mind squarely focused on the dozens of patients waiting for him
at the office.
If Henry could see her, Kathleen
thought, he was probably having a chuckle. She looked up at the few white puffs
floating by against the blue and leaned her head against the steel mast.
Kathleen scanned the horizon. It was
daybreak. Lights were just starting to come on in houses dotting the shoreline.
A few birds swooped down, nearby, in search of breakfast. They paid her no
attention, darting and calling out to each other. Otherwise, the lake was
empty. Even the Sheriff’s boat would have been a welcome sight at this point.
She considered her options. Kathleen
could try to paddle back to her dock using the centerboard, which was awkward
and unwieldy. She could try to swim back, as she had the life vest on, but
she’d have to leave the boat. She could wait. Or, if it wasn't so early, she
might try to yell or scream and attract some attention.
The latter, however, was out, she
decided. She'd rather not completely lose her dignity. The talk in Penn Yan
would be nothing but stories about the crazy woman who lost her husband, and a
day later, tried to drown herself in the middle of Keuka Lake.
Paddle it was, Kathleen decided.
At least she was facing the right
direction. Letting the rope go slack, she tugged at the slippery centerboard.
It wouldn't budge. Kathleen set her jaw and tried again, readjusting her grip.
With a small grunt, she yanked hard, finally freeing the centerboard.
The effort threw Kathleen off
balance, and out of the corner of her eye, she watched the rope unfurl and slip
into the water. A second too late, she grabbed for the thick, white strand, but
felt the braided edges brush past her fingers.
Trying not to panic, Kathleen tucked
the centerboard behind her, eased toward the edge of the Sailfish, and slid one
leg into the water, trying to catch the rope with her toes.
No such luck. Kathleen slapped at
the lake in disgust, causing droplets to spray her nose and mouth. With the
back of one hand, she wiped at her face, trying not to cry.
How had she ever gotten herself in
such a predicament?
Kathleen rubbed at the back of her
neck and blinked away tears. She glanced around, hoping to see another sailboat
or a swimmer. She saw no one, but noticed with increasing concern that the sky
had grown dark. Thick clouds were rolling in from the South, covering what had
been a perfectly blue horizon.
A few droplets of rain fell against
her leg and spattered the boat.
Kathleen let out a tiny moan.
Gusts of wind now pushed persistently at the
sail, rocking the Sailfish from side to side. Kathleen clung to the rails,
unable to think. She shifted back, inching closer to the mast. When her
tailbone hit something hard and cold, she jumped.
The splash, directly behind the
boat, stopped her cold. With horror, Kathleen realized she had lost her only
other means of saving herself. Holding her breath, she turned her head.
The centerboard was in the water,
floating away. Damn!
Wind, causing the lake to whitecap,
whipped at Kathleen's hair. The strands played on her cheeks and eyelashes,
making it difficult to see. Before she could tuck them out of the way, a bigger
gust took the sail and spun it.
There was an awful scraping sound,
metal on metal.
All at once, the long, silver boom
swung around, gathering speed, and hit the back of Kathleen’s neck. She winced
in pain and grabbed at nothing, too late. The Sailfish tilted up, unsteadily,
then back. Water washed over her legs and feet, pulling and dragging her away.
Kathleen plunged into the dark, cool
lake. The last thing she remembered was watching the sail crash to the water
next to her head.
CONTACT THE AUTHOR - AND WIN A PRIZE!
Lauren
will be awarding winner's choice of either Dancing Naked in Dixie or Stay Tuned
(in .mobi .pdf or .epub) to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop. Also, a $20
gift card to Amazon or BN.com (winner's choice) will be awarded to two randomly
drawn commenters during the tour and a signed paperback copy of Dancing Naked in
Dixie and Swag will be awarded to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour
(USA ONLY).
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better
your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
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