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!
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.
But, 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
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 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.
I have been to Aruba & it is beautiful, one of my favorite places I have visited.
Great excerpt! I have never been to Aruba, but I would love to. It is one of those places I have always wanted to visit…
Love the blurb and the excerpt. Never been to Aruba myself but i think Cray did a good job trading his Mexico honeymoon for a vacation in Aruba 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway’s
Would love t go to Aruba – maybe reading Jonathan’s book will have to keep me going until I can do the real trip!!!
Thanks for your comments! Aruba is absolutely beautiful, and the best thing is that it’s the same year round so it doesn’t matter when you go! So far, it sounds like the ocean is winning… LOL
Thanks for the excerpt and giveaway.
Never been to Aruba but would love to read this!
Is there anyone out there who prefers fresh-water lakes to the ocean? I can’t wait to go up to Maine for the July 4th weekend!
I love the ocean for it’s sounds, power, movement and making me feel small!
I prefer Oceans. Growing up in Michigan were surrounded by Lakes. They’re fun but, Once i discovered the Pacific Ocean it was love. I took an airline job so i could go to beaches in other counties. Brazil,Cancun, Dominican Republic, Miami S. Beach and Hawaii. The Ocean gives me life. I feel that connection to the world.
Tery, lucky you with all that travel! I fear that the ocean will win out; it’s just so large. I do agree that humans feel a link to the ocean. It’s sort of primeval, isn’t it?
I enjoyed the post I was born in a costal town but we moved into a town a few months later luckily by chance my mum got a letter from her sister who still lived by the coast and said come stay at our house for the holiday’s. So every year we spent the summer on the beach. Now we’ve moved back and the sea air is wonderful better than a town any day.
I’ve only been to the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, but enjoyed both and would go back one day.
I’ve always lived near oceans, so lakes do seem mysterious and alluring!
I would love to go to Aruba. I have never traveled out of the US. I have been to some beautiful beaches in this country. I would rather be at a beach then a lake.
Beaches win with me hands down! The beautiful shades of green and blue are so pretty and relaxing! Congratulations on the release! Looking forward to reading it!
Grew up in San Diego, awesome beaches. Been to Mexico, Hawaii and Florida, love those beaches too. But never been to any of the Caribbean beaches, it’s on the bucket list.
Loved the post. Aruba is on my bucket list of places I’d love to visit. I’ve always thought the pictures I’d seen were so beautiful. I look forward to reading this.
Thanks, flutterfli! I definitely recommend going to Aruba. It really is stunning.
Looks like the beach is the winner, hands down! LOL I must admit that just sitting and listening to the waves is very calming, but I can relax just as easily at either the beach or the lake. Swimming is easier in the lake, of course. We were all fish in the water, and the next generation of kids inherited that as well.
Thanks for the giveaway! Great post.
Love giveaways . Hope I win.
Oh and I prefer lakes to me they are so calm and relaxing.
I grew in a coastal town, went to college in a coastal town, and moved back close to my home town. My experience with lakes is limited to Lake Tahoe which makes the Pacific ocean feel like a warm bath! Thank you for the . Post and the giveaway opportunity!
Prefer oceans! Loved Aruba and Bonaire, never been to Curacao (ABC islands). Please count me in this giveaway– thanks!
Great excerpt. I like the lakes and I like the beach.
Thanks for the great post and excerpt! I haven’t ever been to Aruba, but I would love to go there some day. I prefer lakes even though I love the oceans and beaches in Hawaii. I think that it has to do with growing up around lakes and spending a lot of summer time fishing and swimming in them.
Thanks for the great post! I prefer the ocean but I haven’t spent as much time at lakes.
I’ve never been to a lake but I have been close to the ocean a few times. Actually I’m a bit afraid of big bodies of water since I can’t swim.
Definitely lakes. Don’t care for sand at all. And I’ll always prefer freshwater to saltwater. Thanks for the post!
I prefer oceans although my experience is somewhat limited to the narrow strip of water between Sweden and Denmark where I grew up, and the Mediterranean from a number of summer vacations during the years. Main reason is that I prefer the sandy bottom (and yes, even with seaweed and jellyfish – no very poisonous in Scandinavia – around) to the usually soft and slimy/muddy bottom you’ll find in most lakes around here. I hate the feeling of sinking down in the mud …
I like the beach just slightly more than the lake. I live on the coast, so I go several times a year. The lake has a different feel than the beach, but it’s nice,too.
This looks like a great beach read.
I’m not much of a traveler and since I live in North Texas I’m pretty far away from a beach. I’ve only been to the Gulf Of Mexico (Padre Island) once, and had a great time. I drove past the coast in Northern California once (on the way to Alaska), but even in July it was COLD. I definitely spent much more time at lakes as a kid and loved every second of it. I haven’t been to a lake in years, and I miss it. 🙂
I really don’t go places like the ocean or lake any more. When I was younger we would go to both. I preferred the lake over the ocean. Not really a fan of salt water. Lakes and creeks are calm. Also there generally not as many people around lakes or creeks.
I’ve gone swimming in both Great Erie and the Atlantic Ocean, and can’t say that I have a favorite. Both were awesome! Swimming in the rain is great, though. 🙂
I would probably say oceans, as the lakes remind me of mosquitoes and far to many people in their motor boats to allow anyone to swim or relax. Even though the ocean nearest to me is very cold and the beaches are pebbled, I have more fun beach combing finding fossils, bits of amber, semi-precious stones and sea glass. Its also a lot quieter and you can find miles and miles of beautiful walks and countryside. Thank you for a chance to win a copy of your book
I do prefer ocean beaches – that is what I grew up with. Although, the ocean of my childhood was COLD and as an adult I treat myself to trips to warmer waters (Hawaii and the Florida Keys are favs.) But, your childhood cottage sounds lovely.
Thanks for the great post and participating in this fun tour!
Well, oceans look like they win, although it was nice to see some who prefer lakes! Thanks for participating, everyone!
Jon
I prefer a nice, clean lake. There aren’t any sharks!
Oceans! They’re so big. It’s like there’s no end to them.
Yeah, Anne! LOL And because oceans are so big, that’s part of why I like lakes better. But there’s nothing like sitting on the beach and getting hot, then hopping into the ocean (or lake). Both are great fun!
I love the Great Lakes. Lake Superior is really cold with a rocky shoreline. But Lake Michigan, on the Michigan side, has the best sandy beaches. Personally, I don’t don’t like swimming in salt water. Never have, never will.
Despite visiting the ocean many times, I’ve actually rarely been to any of the countries lakes. I definitely need to check them out. 🙂
They are beautiful! Our lake in Maine is small (5 miles long and 1 mile wide) but there are trees all around. We’re going up this weekend for the 4th and I can’t wait!