Today I am so pleased to welcome Karen Stivali to Joyfully Jay. Karen has come as part of our Beach Read Bonanza to talk to us about her book, Moment Of Truth (Book two of the Moments In Time series). She has also brought along two great giveaways. Please join me in giving Karen a big welcome!
I’m not a typical “beach person.” Bright sunlight hurts my eyes and gives me wicked headaches. I tend to wilt in the heat. And the high SPF sunscreen I require to keep my pale skin from turning lobster-red usually means I sparkle like a reject from the Twilight extras cast.
None of that makes me love the beach any less.
There’s only been one summer in my entire lifetime that I didn’t wind up spending at least a week at the beach and the fact that the beach-week was missing made it feel like there was no summer that year. That’s how attached I am to the beach. It marks time. I know what time of year it is by thinking about how long it’s been since I’ve gone to the beach and how long it will be until I go again. That week of sand and surf and boardwalk and curly fries and salt water taffy and midnight strolls along the water’s edge is part of who I am.
It’s not so much about being on vacation from work (particularly since I became a writer, because honestly since I started writing there hasn’t been a single trip anywhere that didn’t involve me working part—or all–of the time), it’s about the different lifestyle at the beach. There’s a freedom to it. Most beach goers wear things out and about that they wouldn’t consider being seen in public in anywhere else. I live in a small town and I work at home as a full-time author. I’ve been known to run an errand in my pajamas (they’re nice pajamas, no different from yoga pants, but I still know they’re my PJs) so I’m no slave to fashion or decorum, but in my home town I wouldn’t go to the grocery store with wet hair or sandy flip-flops. I wouldn’t go out to dinner in an oversized T-shirt covering a still-damp bathing suit. I also wouldn’t get up early just to go for a walk. But I do all of those things at the beach. Why? Because the rules are different there. And some of the rules are that there are no rules. The pace is slower. The expectations are different. Maybe it’s because so many people there are on vacation, but I don’t think so because the locals seem to have that feeling year-round.
The freedom I’m talking about is part of what I love about my annual beach vacation. It’s also the reason I chose a beach setting for the second book in my Moments In Time series. In book one, MOMENT OF IMPACT, Collin and Tanner are college roommates who fall in love and are forced to face the fact that not everyone in their lives is comfortable with their sexuality. In book two, MOMENT OF TRUTH, they spend their summer on Fire Island, away from their conservative college town and all the judgment that come with it. Why Fire Island? In part because Fire Island has long been known to be LGBT friendly and in part because being at the beach—any beach—is different from being anywhere else. Collin and Tanner needed a break and a chance to be together without judgment. And what better way to spend a college summer than sharing a beach house with a bunch of people while you earn money working at the popular local dining establishments? For them, the summer is filled with new experiences and a chance to be who they are. For me, it was a chance to relive my own summer beach memories.
Here’s an excerpt of their summer adventure (leave a comment below with your favorite summer beach memory and one random commenter will win a copy of MOMENT OF IMPACT or the title of their choice from my backlist):
Excerpt
Walking into Dylan’s General Store was like stepping back in time. The wooden floors were old and bare. Half the customers were wearing flip-flops, while the other half remained barefoot. Sand had been tracked everywhere. For a tiny shop, they had an amazing stock of food. Baskets of fresh fruits and veggies, artisan bread, every herb I could name. Deli case full of cheeses and smoked meat plus a butcher case.
“What are you thinking for dinner?” I asked.
Tanner shrugged. “You know me, I’ll eat anything.”
I scanned the shelves. “Okay, how about pasta with meatballs? And maybe some of those pies over there for dessert. French toast for breakfast? Everyone should like French toast, right?”
“Who do you think is going to do all this cooking?”
“Me.” The stunned look on Tanner’s face amused the hell out of me.
“You can make all that?”
“And plenty more. Gino lets me cook a lot. I know my way around a kitchen.”
“Awesome.” Tanner reached for a jar of ready-made tomato sauce, but I shook my head.
“We can do way better than jarred.” I tossed fresh garlic and a bunch of basil into my basket along with cans of crushed tomatoes and a package of ground beef. I’d seen plenty of pasta in the pantry at the house. We picked up several loaves of fresh crusty bread, milk and eggs, brown sugar, enough butter for the French toast, and some homemade garlic bread.
The produce looked amazing so I picked out some tomatoes and cucumbers for salad along with some mixed baby greens, and raspberries and blueberries to go with the French toast.
“What kind of pie did you get?”
Tanner had four pie boxes in his hands. “Mixed berry, apple, strawberry rhubarb, and peach. I think we need some vanilla ice cream too.”
“Good thinking.”
I couldn’t wait for dinner. Tanner hadn’t ever seen me cook before. I was looking forward to it. I hoped like hell I got stuff right and he liked the food.
After we paid we shoved all the perishable stuff into the big cooler and wheeled the wagon home, making it into the house just in time to miss an afternoon thunderstorm. Huge raindrops poured down, turning the deck from light to dark gray as we unpacked the food. I went to work cooking. Chopping garlic nice and small for the tomato sauce, cutting up the cucumbers so they could marinate in some vinegar. I wanted everything perfect.
I put half the garlic in the big stockpot with some olive oil, sautéed it until it was fragrant, then added in the tomato paste, stirring just until it started taking on a deeper color. The crushed tomatoes went in last with a canful of water, a half dozen fresh basil leaves ripped into pieces, and the lid so it could all simmer until the flavors merged and formed one new, better one.
I cut the tips off the other heads of garlic, put them in a small ceramic dish, covered them in olive oil, then wrapped them tightly in foil and set them to roast in a hot oven. While they were cooking, I made the meatballs.
Tanner came in and sat at the table, watching. “Jesus, you actually know what you’re doing.”
I grinned. “Imagine that.”
“You know what I mean. I’ve lived with you a whole year, and I had no clue you could cook. How’d that happen?”
“If we’d had a kitchen, you’d know. Trust me. I’d have cooked for you all the time.”
“Sex and cooking all in one place? I’d never leave the house.”
I laughed, knowing he was serious. “Then my plan’s working, because I don’t want you leaving the house tonight.”
“Good, because I’d kinda planned to spend the whole night in our room.”
Blurb
Moments In Time: Books 1-3
Moment of Impact
Beyond Collin Fitzpatrick’s dorm room, the students of his conservative college think he’s straight, as does his Catholic family, who’d disown him if they learned the truth. Inside, he’s safe with his sexy roommate Tanner D’Amico. Tanner wants to show the world how much he loves Collin, but Collin’s not sure he’s ready for the impact stepping outside will make.
Moment of Truth
Collin expected to spend another summer fixing cars and working at the college pizzeria. Instead, he’s living in a beach house on Fire Island, and for the first time, he and Tanner can publicly be known as boyfriends. Being “out” takes some getting used to, and doubt and jealousy threaten their happiness. Collin and Tanner must confront the truth or risk losing it all.
Moment of Clarity
Spending the summer on Fire Island brought Collin and Tanner closer than ever, but back in their conservative college town, new challenges confront them.
When Collin’s relationship with Tanner becomes an issue in his brother’s custody battle and Tanner struggles with feelings for his heartbroken friend Wendy, Collin wonders if everyone would be better off without him. In order to save them both, Tanner must make it clear his love for Collin is all that matters.
Bio
Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She’s also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. She writes novels about love…like real life, only hotter.
Giveaway
Karen has brought a great giveaway to share. One lucky commenter will win a copy of Moment of Impact or any other book off her backlist). Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Sunday, June 20th at 11:59 pm EST.
Karen’s post is also part of our Beach Read Bonanza. You can enter here (or at any of the 11 other stops this month) to win a beach bag of goodies, including a Kindle!
- 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 live on a small island so beaches all round and all year round!!!
I actually love in late autumn when it is a windy day, sun shining walking on the beach or coastal paths – salty air, great views, choppy waves and a cup of coffee and cake from the ruck sack!!!
I live in FL and am surrounded by beaches!! Too bad we don’t have seasons!!
Thanks for the post. I really liked Moment of Impact and i have Moment of Truth on my ereader and will definitely start reading it soon. Moment of Clarity is on my Wish/TBR list 🙂
My favorite summer beach moment was when I was a teenager and got to hang out with a group of hot surfers in California for the first time. 🙂
Love the beach. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve had my eye on this series fr some time, but have still to get around to read it.
As for beach memories, I have a few from various times of life. A romantic summer vacation date once began with a restaurant visit and ended on a small beach late the same evening in north of Spain. Me and my now husband spent a summer at a small beach by a lake at a walking distance from our student apartment, and then there’s the time when we took our first daughter, then two, on vacation to Spain and she had her first sip of coca-cola on the beach, and was completely taken by the way it made her mouth and nose tickle, or the time when my middle child took his first dip in the ocean in early April and he got out of the water after a few minutes grabbing his privates and screaming because they were so cold they hurt and that happened on our regular beach here in south of Sweden.
So yeah, lots of favorite beach memories …
I have read and enjoyed the first two books in this series. so I would probably have to find another book in her backlist to read. If you haven’t started reading this series you are in for a treat. thanks for the giveaways.
Every summer as a kid we would pack up the car and head to my Aunt and Uncle’s house for two weeks by the beach. It’s funny looking back we seemed to spend nearly every day there in the summer and this is England so it must have of rained at some point!
I haven’t read any of her books, but these sound fun! Now I need to find a beach…
Love this series. And I grew up in San Diego, all of my teen years were spent at the beach.
I liked being in Pacific Grove one Fourth of July weekend…there was the Festival of Lights parade with lanterns and fireworks, very pretty!
I love the beach, too, and it is difficult to pick a favorite memory. But, I will choose playing on the beach in Hawaii (The Big Island) with my two kids when they were quite young. We built a castle and dug a huge moat around it and filled it with water. My son (at the time aged 2) thought is was his own personal mud (sand) hole.
My favorite beach vaca? Let me just say that I was born and raised in Puerto Rico so every year, all year round was a huge Beach Vaca! Summer vacations were spent on trips out of the island, though, and it was lots of fun as well even though no beaches.
I went ahead and bought all three books at once and looking forward to start reading.
Much success!
Not a big beach person but I do remember a family vacation that included a visit to the Gulf of Mexico a few days before a hurricane. Lots of big waves!
Thanks for the post!
I don’t go to the beach much, which is funny because I live 30 minutes from it. Too many people
Thanks for the great excerpt. I just got back from a beach vacation on which I thankfully avoided sunburn (not easy for me!) And spent a lot of time walking on the beach.
My favorite beach vacation was on the Rivera Maya in Mexico. Our daughter was 5. We spent hours investigating the tide pools.
This series sounds really good. I’m going to have to check it out.
Great excerpt! I must recognise I’m not a beach person myself either. I love going to the beach early in the morning or at dusk, when they are empty of people and the sensation is one of peace. And I hate the crowded beach of mid-morning/afternoon. I also tend to prefer wild beach where you cannot really bath because they are sort of dangerous (because of the tides) but perfect for a walk.
thank you for the post and giveaway.
i love going to the beach in winter and whale watching.
I live here on the coast of North Carolina, so the beach is only like 20 minutes away from me. I do love to just go & “veg out” while I sun my buns.
This sounds like an interesting series.
I totally love the beach!!! It’s so peaceful, serene and sunny! The perfect place to catch up on a great book and relax!
My favorite was when i stayed out in the sun so long and I forgot to apply sunblock. I got massively burned and looked like I had skin disease for a while when it peeled, but boy was a good day. 🙂
An author who shares my name, and she’s written about hunky college students! Now that’s a summer read. This Bead Read Bonanza is going to blow my summer reading budget. 🙂
I’m not really a beach person myself. Like you I am somewhat also sensitive to sunlight and suffer from horrible headaches that cause me to be nauseous. I also get a weird tan when I’m out too long.
I do like reading stories set in a beach setting though =)
I.love the beach but am now handicapped so beach combing is in my past. Thank you for this opportunity! I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in this series!
Not many beach memories, but I had a great time at my 10th grade class trip to Padre Island. That was soooo many years ago and the only time I’ve been to a coast. Another memory, but this was at a lake in east Texas, my grandmother and aunt took us to a lake for the day (way before sunscreen was the norm) and I ended up with second degree burns/blisters on my face, shoulders, chest and back. I was miserable.
Oh my goodness I have been wanting to read this!
I love the beach, though now I live mostly near lakes. It’s…kind of a beach? But there is nothing like that ocean sound.
I have been to many beaches but never at summer time. I have a skin disease that does not allow me to be in the sun for very long. That is so hard as I live in Tucson and so in the summer time I have to wait till night fall to do all my shopping and anything else that needs to be done. So just call me a summer time vamp. I am going to love reading this book.
I have to have high sun factor on as I have pale skin that burns so easily, even on windy dull days 🙁 The sea near me is also very cold and mostly pebble beaches, so you have to be very brave to even put a toe in the freezing water.
Thank you for the giveaway
I’m not too fond of the beach really. I burn too easily.