Today I am so pleased to welcome Jonathan Treadway to Joyfully Jay. Jonathan has come as part of our Beach Read Bonanza event to talk to us about her release, Arriba Aruba! She has also brought along some great giveaways! Please join me in giving Jonathan a big welcome!

Photo courtesy of http://www.connecticutwilderness.com

Photo courtesy of http://www.connecticutwilderness.com

Oceans vs. Lakes: What Do You Prefer?

I grew up in Connecticut on the Long Island Sound. It’s definitely not as exciting as the Atlantic Ocean, as the waves are smaller and the beaches a bit rocky. I never felt safe in the Sound, as there were tales of raw sewage being released. Yuck!! My parents weren’t beach people either, so going to the beach was not part of my childhood. I never got used to the sand, or the saltiness of your hair and skin, or all the scary creatures that could sting you.

Awww, poor you, I can hear you all saying. Here’s the world’s smallest violin playing.

BeachReadBonanza_FBpostBut, you see, I was actually lucky; my parents loved lakes, particularly in Maine. My mom grew up in Chicago across from Lake Superior, and her grandparents lived on Trout Lake in Wisconsin. So when I was about nine, we bought some land on Thomson Lake in Poland, Maine. The land was wild, and my dad was able to clear an area where we could camp in our little trailer (and I mean little!). We even had a small beach. I ended up going away to camp every summer from then on (in Maine, at Camp Wyonegonic, in case anyone has ever heard of it), so I only spent about a week at the lake before we headed home. My brothers were there every summer, all summer. I still loved it and spent my summers in the lake at camp.

Then the cottage next to our land went up for sale, and my parents bought it. That first cottage had a wonderful beach that was just ours. The beach was nice and sandy, and the sand crept out into the lake so that it was easy and comfortable to walk into the water. No crowds (except for my three younger brothers); easy access to a dock to sunbathe on; a canoe to horse around or go fishing in; and beautiful clear, cold, fresh, unsalted water that was delicious on hot days. We spent hours running in and out of the water, playing in the sand, and generally having a wonderful time. The cottage was basic but had three bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room as well as the kitchen. There was even a small porch. Unless it rained, however, we were down on the beach. Actually, even when it did rain! I remember running around the yard in my bathing suit; the water seemed warmer in the rain. We learned how to snorkel, fish, build camp fires, hunt tree frogs, catch lightening bugs, and all the other idyllic children’s pastimes during the beautiful Maine summers.

When my parents divorced, the cottage had to go. But with all the wonderful family memories of summers in Maine, my dad bought another cottage on Pleasant Lake in Casco, Maine in the 1980s. Another simple cottage, it was fantastic to be up there with the family and the next generation of kids. I never missed the ocean beaches.

When I was in my thirties, my father and stepmother started going to Aruba every year. They ended up with five weeks in a timeshare (lucky them!), and I came as a guest with my husband on a family vacation. Wow, the beaches were wonderful! Beautiful white sand and turquoise water that was just the right temperature. Big waves where you could body surf, and the cute huts where we dozed, read, and enjoyed the breeze.

I fell in love again, this time with salt water. I even went back alone one year, and a third time with my brother and daughter (husband is not a sun and sand kind of guy). But I haven’t been since 2002, and when the jilted groom premise stuck in my head and the guys in my head pushed me to write it, I immediately jumped to Aruba as the honeymoon place for Maria and Cray. It didn’t quite work out that way, but Cray finds love there anyway.

However, as much as I loved the beaches in Aruba, my heart is still definitely with the lakes in Maine.

So, in celebration of Dreamspinner Press’s Fun in the Sun (with 25% off all novellas!! #DREAMER), I’m giving away a copy of the novella Arriba Aruba! It will come on a 4 MB memory stick. There will also be a $25 allromanceebooks.com gift certificate. Both prizes will be picked randomly based on who comments below.

I want to know how the ocean versus a lake stack up, and why you prefer one over another. Have fun!

And stock up on those novellas for beach reading by any type of water.

Jon

Excerpt

Cray’s attention stopped wandering as he spotted an incredibly handsome man sitting at his gate. He couldn’t help admiring the thick blond hair that was pulled straight back from his forehead and hung down his back, though how far he didn’t know because the back of the chair hid it. Long hair on men was something that usually caught his eye because it was not always attractive on a man, but could be an incredible asset if it were well cared for and suited the man’s face and appearance. For instance, Cray himself did not look good in long hair, as he found out in high school.

Cray studied the man’s face. His profile was magnificent—nicely shaped nose that had no crooks or broken bones; light eyebrows that arched above deep-set eyes; and a sculpted mouth that would look perfect on any statue. He had a short beard and mustache that matched his hair color and made him look very masculine, not at all detracting from his firm jaw. Cray couldn’t tell from where he was what color the man’s eyes were, but he was betting they were some shade of blue. It just seemed to fit the coloring of the man, particularly since his shirt was a royal-blue knit polo that would make them pop.

Handsome was wearing khaki shorts and flip-flops that showed off nice feet and defined legs. And what broad shoulders—and a deep chest pulling the polo shirt tight over his biceps and pecs. He obviously worked out or had a physical job of some sort. Wow, what a great leading man for a novel, Cray thought. No one would believe he was actually real—too perfect for that.

The man glanced over at Cray, and Cray quickly dropped his eyes to his book. Whoops, don’t want to be caught staring. He could feel Handsome’s eyes on him, but Cray studiously read his book and even got caught back up in the mystery that was unfolding. He actually forgot about the semigod for a while.

At last the boarding call came, and Cray was able to get settled pretty quickly in his seat by the window. He loved flying first class; he was one of the first to get on the plane, and the female attendant handed him a glass of champagne to drink while the plane loaded up with the rest of the passengers. Cray lazily wondered where Handsome would be sitting. He pulled out his book again, glad that he had bought it because it was good and had succeeded in holding his attention. He needed some mindless entertainment today.

He was therefore startled when a deep voice said hi as its tall owner sat in the seat beside him. He looked over into Handsome’s deep blue-green eyes, thinking abstractly that he had almost been right about the color. The actual shade was stunning with his blond looks and slightly tanned face.

“Hey,” Cray said, stunned that this man was in the seat beside him and hoping he didn’t look as stupid as he felt. He reached over to shake the man’s offered hand.

“I’m Stone. Looks like we’ll be seatmates to Miami.”


Blurb

Arriba Aruba!Jilted at the altar when his best man ran off with his fiancée, Craydon “Cray” Wright trades in his Mexico honeymoon for a vacation in Aruba. When godlike Stone Ferris walks onto the plane, sits next to Cray, and makes his interest known, Cray decides to act on desires he’s felt since high school but ignored.

He agrees to let Stone show him the island, but what starts as fun-filled and casual turns earth-shattering for Cray. When his time in Aruba ends, Cray realizes his feelings for Stone have grown beyond fun, but he worries that it might not translate to real life in LA. Can he convince himself and Stone their love can be paradise at home?


Bio

Jonathan TreadwayJonathan Treadway lives with her husband in northern Massachusetts and has a daughter in college. She has a professional job doing market analysis (and commuting, it seems like) during the day, and writes in the evenings and on weekends. Her stories focus on the romance and relationship between two men, and all the trials gay men have to survive in order to have a healthy, happily-ever-after (or for now) relationship. To her there’s nothing sexier than two men exploring each other physically and emotionally as they fall in love. When Jon’s not writing or reading the embarrassingly large number of ebooks she buys every month to support her Kindle habit, she’s quilting, dancing at gay bars, or playing with her bunny Annabelle.


Giveaway

Jonathan has brought some great giveaways! The first winner will receive a 4 GB memory stick with a copy of Arriba Aruba. The second winer will get at $25 gift certificate to All Romance eBooks. And every comment will enter you as part of our Beach Read Bonanza event. So be sure to leave a comment below to enter. Jonathan’s giveaways end on Monday, June 22nd at 11:59 pm EST and the Beach Read event runs through the end of the month.  

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.