Summer People

 

 

Summer People

by Corinne LaBalme

GENRE: Cape Cod Romance

Jessica Stratton's long-cherished dream of opening her own Folk Art gallery in an idyllic Cape Cod setting finally comes true. However, her start-up is anything but smooth sailing. Her ten-year marriage hits the rocks and, when the hunk next door to her shop - a brooding ecologist on a mission to save the planet - proves too irresistible to ignore, she's got to relearn the rules of the dating game while working overtime to lure clients to her boutique. Unfortunately, someone's already far too interested in a 19th century example of advertising art in her collection and will go to any means - legal or illegal - to acquire it. Maybe the planet isn't all that needs to be saved...

Excerpt:

“To you...” he began.

   

Jenna leaned forward, both hands cupping her wineglass.

   

“To you and...” Wait a second! Where was that humongous gem she had on her left hand ring finger this morning? What kind of crazy game was this woman playing with him?

   

“Yes...?” prompted Jenna.

   

“To you... and to the unexpected,” said Rick slowly.

   

“To unexpected pleasures, at any rate,” said Jenna brightly after the pause threatened to become uncomfortable.  “Like this marvelous homemade chili. I think the toast should be to the chef.” She raised her glass and took a sip. 

   

Plan B. What the hell is Plan B? wondered Rick as he watched her intently. He didn't detect any come-hither in her straightforward gaze. In fact, her smile conveyed nothing except neighborly concern that he might have been struck deaf and dumb all of a sudden. He raised his glass again, took a long swallow, and turned to his plate. Plan B is all hers, he decided.

About the Author:

Corinne LaBalme lives in France and loves everything about it… except eating snails. Her articles about European fashion, food and fun destinations have appeared in The New York Times Travel section, Diversion, La Belle France and France Revisited. Her favorite place to write? Any Parisian café with a good croissant connection…  

The setting for SUMMER PEOPLE is founded on childhood memories of vacations on Cape Cod and based on my mother’s (very real) house in Brewster. 

The romantic hero of SUMMER PEOPLE -- Rick Martell -- is the kind of guy who exists only in our sweetest & beachiest dreams…. sigh! 

Q&A With the Author

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

The first beach that I remember was at the end of Pilgrim Road in Harwich Port. The Nantucket Sound is, for me, forever enshrined as the Perfect Seashore. Even though Jessica’s house is the quieter Bay side of the Cape, working on this book induced such homesickness, such a longing for fried clams in P’town, that I’m already planning and looking forward to an overdue visit next spring. 

   
Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?

I live in Paris, and last January, the Wild Rose Press published my comedy mystery called FRENCH GHOST that tells the tale of a ghost-writer who gets stranded in Paris after the nasty movie star, a sexual predator who hired her to write his memoirs, dies under suspicious circumstances. Melody gets involved with the police investigation and falls in love with the actor’s very conflicted son, Carlos Ortega. 

This romantic relationship is not resolved by the end of the book so right now, I am in final edits of FRENCH TOAST, which takes Melody to the less savoury edge of fancy Parisian cuisine as she pursues True Love on the side. The final book in the triology, FRENCH POSTER GIRL, is projected for mid-2023. 

Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?

After I get Carlos and Melody’s crazy love-life sorted out (and believe me: those two are a handful!), I’m plunging into a mythological project. HEKATE – which I describe as “Harry Potter for the Menopause Set – allows a 46-year-old fashion model, recently fired for being ‘past her prime’, to get in touch with her Inner Goddess. Unfortunately, her Inner Goddess is not exactly on the Mount Olympus A-List. Fasten your seatbelts. It’s gonna be a hot mess.

How long have you been writing?

I feel like I’ve been writing forever since I’ve made my living as a journalist for most of my life, free-lancing for In-Flight magazines, the New York Times Travel Section, and penning destination  newsletters like La Belle France. I’ve concentrated on fiction for the past few years… and I LOVE making everything up instead of being restricted to dreary old facts.

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Only that I hope you enjoy SUMMER PEOPLE… and if you do.. please drop a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or wherever you found the book. Reviews are greatly appreciated! 

Twitter: @corinnelabalme

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corinnelabalme/

Website:  https//corinnelabalme.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Summer-People-Corinne-Labalme/dp/1509243275/r

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61449367-summer-people

GIVEAWAY

Corinne LaBalme will be awarding $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway