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Welcome To Carson Springs (Carson Springs 0.5)

by Eileen Goudge (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 18 ratings · 9 reviews

A Hollywood film crew upends life in an idyllic California village in this prequel to the Carson Springs trilogy.

In the late 1950s, filmmakers descended on Carson Springs to shoot the movie that made this sleepy Spanish mission town famous. A plaque commemorates the filming of Stranger in Paradise, but nowhere does it mention Cora Delarosa, whose life changed forever when...more

Published May 15th 2012 by Open Road (first published March 15th 2012)

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Oct 16, 2012 Julie Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Welcome to Carson Springs, Heaven on Earth by Eileen Goudge
Cora DeLarose is tending the store when Hank from the production company stops in to ask if he can use the store as a backdrop in the movie he's making.
He takes a fancy to Cora and will find out later if her husband will allow it.
Love the descriptions of the wildlife in the area and the overlook...
She lies when it comes time for her to go see the production in action. Her husband has said no to them filming the store front.
She learns fro...more

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Jun 04, 2012 cupcake rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm pretty sure I have a crush on Eileen Goudge.

First of all, The Replacement Wife is one of my favorite books that I've read this year. I still think about those characters (and I still don't like Camille). I find myself debating what I would do if I were Camille and Edward and Angie and Elise. What would I do if this was my marriage? That's the kind of writing I can't get enough of.

So when I got my hands on Welcome to Carson Springs, I was so excited. Until I realized that it's a little over...more I'm pretty sure I have a crush on Eileen Goudge.

First of all, The Replacement Wife is one of my favorite books that I've read this year. I still think about those characters (and I still don't like Camille). I find myself debating what I would do if I were Camille and Edward and Angie and Elise. What would I do if this was my marriage? That's the kind of writing I can't get enough of.

So when I got my hands on Welcome to Carson Springs, I was so excited. Until I realized that it's a little over 20 pages long and serves as an introduction to Goudge's forthcoming Taste of Honey. It also references characters from Stranger in Paradise.

But even at 20-some pages, it's still wonderful, and I still loved it, and now I can't wait for Taste of Honey. I also see a purchase of Stranger in Paradise headed my way.

Welcome to Carson Springs tells us about Cora Delarosa, a "motherless daughter of a roustabout," who is married to Jack, with whom she has three young daughters. Cora's life sort of ambles along until she meets Hank Montgomery, the director of "Stranger in Paradise," a movie being filmed in Carson Springs. Hank wants to use Cora's general store as the backdrop for a scene, which Cora is all for but Hank turns down. Cora and Hank's marriage has devolved into comfort and predictability; when Cora sees Hank's razor on the bathroom sink, she "knew to put in her diaphragm." So when Hank Montgomery and his film production roll into town, the comfort of Cora's marriage is put under the glare of those movie set lights.

What Eileen Goudge does so well is show us the inner workings of a marriage. All relationships are complicated, and it's impossible to understand a couple's marriage unless you're in it with them. Eileen Goudge takes us in those marriages. Neither partner is perfect, true, but Cora and Jack's marriage suffers not from their flaws but from their inattention and neglect. Do we tell our spouses that we love them? Do we mean it when we say it?

If you've read Stranger in Paradise and want to know more about Cora and Jack, you need to read Welcome to Carson Springs. It will make you want to read more.

Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata
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May 30, 2012 Tez rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In my early teens, I read a lot of Virginia/V. C. Andrews' novels, and Eileen Goudge's work was recommended as similar. I binge-read her backlist. After the Carson Springs trilogy, the author switched to a new publisher, and the new novels just didn't attract me like her previous ones. I was growing up, though. And this was before I learned that Eileen Goudge ghost-wrote for Sweet Valley High.

Browsing NetGalley recently, I found Welcome to Carson Springs catalogued by Open Road, and scooped it u...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction

This very short novella is the prequel to Goudge's Carson Springs books (a trilogy). This book also included the first part of the first book of the series to give you a little taste of what's to come. Also, the book includes a couple recipes of Goudge's own. They all looked delicious, especially the Pina Colada cake. Om nom nom nom.

I find that the issue with some prequels is that sometimes, if they are written after the books that they are prequels for, you feel like you should read the other...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Kari Anderson rated it 3 of 5 stars

From Goodreads.com:

A Hollywood film crew upends life in an idyllic California village in this prequel to the Carson Springs trilogy.
In the late 1950s, filmmakers descended on Carson Springs to shoot the movie that made this sleepy Spanish mission town famous. A plaque commemorates the filming of Stranger in Paradise, but nowhere does it mention Cora Delarosa, whose life changed forever when Hollywood arrived. Barely thirty, but married for over a decade, she does not realize that her marriage is...more From Goodreads.com:

A Hollywood film crew upends life in an idyllic California village in this prequel to the Carson Springs trilogy.
In the late 1950s, filmmakers descended on Carson Springs to shoot the movie that made this sleepy Spanish mission town famous. A plaque commemorates the filming of Stranger in Paradise, but nowhere does it mention Cora Delarosa, whose life changed forever when Hollywood arrived. Barely thirty, but married for over a decade, she does not realize that her marriage is falling apart until she meets the handsome and charming film director Hank Montgomery. In this novella, Eileen Goudge sets the stage for her Carson Springs trilogy, showing that in this small town, passion, heartache, and long-buried secrets have always been a way of life.

This is a short prequel to the Carson Springs trilogy. It takes you back tot he 50s when the movie crew comes to town and gives you a look at how it impacts Cora’s life. The prequel is only 20 some pages long, then includes the first chapters of two of the three books in the series, some recipes by the author and a biography of the author.

I was concerned when I downloaded this book and it was only 60 pages. I thought something was wrong with my download, but read some reviews and realized it was really just that short.

This prequel is good at standing alone. I have not read the rest of the series, so I wasn’t sure if I would understand the prequel, but it gave me a little history to the series and some teasers to what lies ahead.

Since this was so short, I wanted to do a little research. I got this book for free, for review, but wanted to see how much it would cost. On Amazon.com, the Kindle version is $1.99 and includes the previews of the other book and the recipes that were in my version. Same with B&N for the Nook. It appears there are also some paperback copies that are selling for as little at 1 penny.

This book peaked my interest a little and I will most likely read the series at some point, but am not ging to rush out and buy it.

I give Welcome to Carson Springs 3 out of 5 bookmarks.

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May 30, 2012 Christa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-arc

I enjoyed this extremely short prequel to Goudge's upcoming Carson Springs trilogy. It defintely peaked my interest, and I am very much looking forward to the upcoming books. I enjoyed the characters in the short story, especially Cora Delarosa. The storyline kept my interest, and was enjoyable to read.

When a Hollywood film crew comes to Carson Springs, Cora Delarosa begins to question what she wants in life. She meets the exciting director of the movie, Hank Montgomery, and is intrigued by him....more

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Jun 04, 2012 Book Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Welcome to Carson Springs is a beautiful story about love and self-discovery. To read my review in its entirety, please visit
http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy....

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Jun 04, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Welcome to Carson Springs is a beautiful story about love and self-discovery. To read my review in its entirety, please visit
http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy....

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Mar 11, 2013 Judy Collins rated it 3 of 5 stars

Eileen is one of my longtime favorite author, having read all her books; however, I still purchased this short E-Nook Book “Welcome to Carson Springs-Heaven on Earth”, a prequel about Sam’s parents and life in Carson springs back in the 50s - A short summary to the Carson Springs Trilogy (Stranger in Paradise #1) and (Taste of Honey #2), which I read years ago, as well as a bonus -some of Eileen’s recipes. (Be sure and read #3 Wish Come True ). It was fun hearing from these characters again as t...more

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May 07, 2013 Grammy rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 04, 2013 Miyoshi added it

Feb 27, 2013 Tj Moore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 25, 2013 Renee marked it as to-read

Feb 07, 2013 Diana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jan 01, 2013 Cindy Matthews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nov 27, 2012 Kellie Demarsh marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Nov 27, 2012 Kellie Demarsh marked it as to-read

Nov 26, 2012 Kristi marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: chick_lit, fiction, historical, kindle, short

Nov 05, 2012 Yolanda marked it as to-read

Oct 28, 2012 Diane Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Oct 26, 2012 Kelly Arendt marked it as to-read

Oct 05, 2012 Joyanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-fluffery

Sep 23, 2012 Shona rated it 3 of 5 stars

Aug 29, 2012 Dianna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Aug 21, 2012 Nikki marked it as to-read

Aug 01, 2012 Anita marked it as to-read

Jul 30, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jun 19, 2012 Alicia marked it as to-read

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About Eileen Goudge

I was born on the Fourth of July, and it's been fireworks ever since. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area as one of six kids, I was never without a cast with which to stage my early theatrical productions, which included a musical rendition of "The Christmas Carol," in which I was Ebenezer Scrooge. I began writing at age eight, with short stories and poems, and I haven’t looked back since. Fr...more I was born on the Fourth of July, and it's been fireworks ever since. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area as one of six kids, I was never without a cast with which to stage my early theatrical productions, which included a musical rendition of "The Christmas Carol," in which I was Ebenezer Scrooge. I began writing at age eight, with short stories and poems, and I haven’t looked back since. From the early days of mostly collecting rejection slips, I went on to publish thirty-two novels for young adults, thirteen (and still counting) of women’s fiction, as well as numerous short stories and magazine articles, and one cookbook.
Often I’m asked where I get my ideas. Fortunately, I have a wealth of life experiences to draw from. Not all of them so good, but they each contributed to my writing in some way. Starting when I dropped out of college to get married, at age eighteen. Two years later I was divorced, with a baby son and no means of support. I ended up briefly on welfare, and stood in line for government surplus food. But every cloud has its silver lining, and this one led to my determination to make a go of it as a professional writer. I borrowed a typewriter from my next-door neighbor, and lacking a desk, plunked it down on the living room floor. The rest, as they say, is history.

I wrote non-stop for the next couple of years, selling a few articles here and there. Enough to fan the flame, if not to make ends meet. Oddly enough, with each rejection slip my determination only grew. I guess it's true what they say: Success is getting up one more time than you fall down. My first break came in the early eighties, when I was chosen to help launch a line of teen romances, which went on to become the phenomenally successful "Sweet Valley High" series. At last I had enough money (barely!) to strike out on my own. Ending another bad marriage, I pulled up stakes and moved east with my two children to New York City, where I was determined to make it as a novelist.

In 1986, my first adult novel, GARDEN OF LIES, was published. The saga of baby girls switched at birth---one rich, the other poor---went on to enjoy a combined total of 16 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, in hardcover and paperback. Though there’s no such thing as an overnight success, I felt like one, having gone in a matter of months from not knowing how I would pay the rent to wondering what I was going to do with all that money. The first thing I did was fulfill a fantasy born of years of wearing hand-me-downs: I walked into Saks Fifth Avenue and bought a dress...without even looking at the price tag!

I've since gone on to write many more novels. My most recent, which came out in June of '08, is titled DOMESTIC AFFAIRS ---a Cinderella story in reverse: Riches to rags but with a happy ending. I've posted a few sample chapters on this site. In '09, I have two new titles coming out, a Mother's Day novella, THE DIARY (April), about two adult daughters who come across their mother's girlhood diary while cleaning out her attic and discover a shocking secret. And ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (August), about sisters separated in childhood who are reunited later in life, after having lived drastically different lives. Look for a "sneak preview" of each in the weeks prior to publication.

My own real-life romance reads like those in my novels. After three failed marriages, I finally found true love in the most unlikely place of all: sitting at home. I was being interviewed over the phone by a radio talk show host named Sandy Kenyon, formerly of CNN and now a correspondent for WINS and WABC-TV, here in New York City. He sounded so nice that when he asked if he could call back later on, I said, "Sure!" We talked for three hours that night...and every night after that. Six weeks later, when we finally met, it was as if we'd known each other all our lives. We were married in September of 1996, and after more than ten years w(less)

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Welcome To Carson Springs (Carson Springs 0.5)

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