Mary Alice Monroe's Blog, page 11
June 24, 2019
BOOK TOUR: LIGHT ONE CANDLE FOR PANAMA CITY
This is Week 3 of book tour. One of my recent stops included Panama City, FL–a place I always love to visit. This time though, it was a sobering arrival. I was struck by the devastation of the trees and so many houses.
It looked like someone took a chainsaw to the top of the beautiful oaks. Huge swaths of pine trees were toppled like snapped twigs.
Houses were covered in tarp, and many more were evacuated and stood waiting to be demolished.
All of the photos I’m sharing with you are my own. This is the scene 8 months post Hurricane Michael’s category 5 hit last October!
The people have suffered. Despite their losses, I was also struck by the optimism of the citizens who love their city.
They hope to rebuild. Though they know it will take a very long time for the trees to return.
Sadly, in neighboring Mexico Beach, there’s nothing much left to save. The people have left. There are no construction workers to rebuild. It was a ghost town.
Panama City has a long way to go and they need our help! Like many of you, I’m wondering, “What can I do to help?”
I learned that if you donate to the United Way of Northwest Florida, 100% of the funds will go to hurricane victims there. I made a financial contribution, and I want to do more by spreading the news to you, my dear readers. Please make any donation you feel comfortable offering. This is a simple way we can each “Light One Candle” for the people of Panama City.
For anyone who gives $50 or more, I will mail to you a hardcover copy of The Summer Guests as a thank you for your donation. My new novel is about hurricane evacuation and it seems appropriate.
HURRICANE MICHAEL RELIEF AND DISASTER FUND
To receive your book, please send my assistant (angela@maryalicemonroe.com) an email with your mailing address and proof of donation–a simple screenshot of your receipt is all I need. This offer is available to you through the Atlantic hurricane season, which ends November 30th.
Stay strong, Panama City! We love you!
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ON “THE SUMMER GUESTS” BOOK TOUR!
I’m writing to you from the road for “The Summer Guests” book tour. I’m starting Week Three of the 30-city adventure meeting hundreds of readers and enjoying every city and town. 
I love Panama City! I have been fortunate to visit several times. This time though, when I arrived, I was struck by the devastation of the trees and so many houses. It looked like someone took a chainsaw to the top of the beautiful oaks. Huge swaths of pine trees were toppled like snapped twigs. Houses were covered in tarp, and many more were evacuated and stood waiting to be demolished.
This description is 8 months post Hurricane Michael’s category 5 hit last October! The people have suffered.
Despite their losses, I was also struck by the optimism of the citizens who love their city. They hope to rebuild. Though they know it will take a very long time for the trees to return.
Sadly, in neighboring Mexico Beach, there’s nothing much left to save. The people have left. There are no construction workers to rebuild. It was a ghost town.
Panama City has a long way to go and they need our help! Like many of you, I’m wondering, “What can I do to help?”
I learned that if you donate to the United Way of Northwest Florida, 100% of the funds will go to hurricane victims there. I made a financial contribution, and I want to do more by spreading the news to you, my dear readers. Please make any donation you feel comfortable offering.
For anyone who gives $50 or more, I will mail to you a hardcover copy of The Summer Guests as a thank you for your donation. My new novel is about hurricane evacuation and it seems appropriate.
HURRICANE MICHAEL RELIEF AND DISASTER FUND
To receive your book, please send my assistant (angela@maryalicemonroe.com) an email with your mailing address and proof of donation–a simple screenshot of your receipt is all I need. This offer is available to you through the Atlantic hurricane season, which ends November 30th.
Stay strong, Panama City! We love you!
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May 22, 2019
MY FAVORITE BEACH BOOKS
For me, the summer season is synonymous with two things:
beach books
book tour
My books are almost always released in the summer. It seems it’s become tradition. This year, my new release is THE SUMMER GUESTS. In stores June 11th. For longtime readers of mine, they’ll enjoy the thread of connection between this standalone novel and my bestselling The Beach House series.
In THE SUMMER GUESTS, a cast of characters from Wellington, NC and Isle of Palms, SC evacuate their coastal homes as a major hurricane threatens everything they own. They flee to horse farm for safety in the foothill mountains of Tryon, North Carolina, bringing with them horses and dogs, and whatever else they can fit in their vehicles. This eclectic group of strangers and friends grapple with an important question during the storm: What do you treasure the most– in your life and within yourself?
With every book I write, I go to great lengths to create an authentic story world that accurately weaves together the landscape and wildlife into the lives of the characters. When you finish reading my novels, I want the reader to be both satisfied by a compelling story and pleasantly surprised about the things they learned.
Every new book release also means book tour! This year, I’ll be making more than 30 stops during my national book tour. Right now I’m busy preparing my book talks and finalizing details of the book tour with my team. Am I coming to a city near you? Check out the book tour schedule
This is the time of year that I also turn into an eager reader, awaiting the release of other great summer beach books. I’ve got a few new titles on my reading list. But, I also have my old favorites on my bookshelf that I return to often. I want to share with you some of my all-time favorites about the beach and sea. They’re perfect for the summer season!
Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
This sweeping novel is centered on the life and times of Penelope Keeling, from her youth in the Bohemian art world of Cornwall to the ravages of World War II. The complicated effects that inheritance and money can have on a family is a strong theme, as is the connection of family. Throughout, however, the call of the sea and a quaint Cornwall cottage remain a constant.
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Spanning three generations and two continents, from contemporary ravages in the American South to the haunting horrors of the Holocaust to the lingering trauma of Vietnam, Beach Music reveals the enduring human spirit. Pat beautifully describes the lowcountry and how magical it was to grow up here. It is another masterpiece in PAT CONROY’s legendary list of beloved novels.
Voyage of the Turtle by Carl Safina
This compelling natural history adventure makes clear that the fate of the leatherback turtle—the largest of the sea turtles whose ancestry can be traced back 125 million years– is in our hands. In his peerless prose, Safina captures the delicate interaction between these gentle giants and the humans who are playing a significant role in their survival. It speaks to our connection to all living things on this fragile blue planet.
I’ve read these books many times over. They are dog-earred, faded, and one even has a torn cover. But I treasure these beach books. May you find time to read them one day. And, I hope you’ll add my new novel, THE SUMMER GUESTS, to your reading list this summer. Are we friends on Goodreads? Let’s connect!
THE SUMMER GUESTS is available June 11. Pre-order your copy today.
And, I hope to see you during summer book tour. Join me for the fun!
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May 17, 2019
New Book + Book Tour = Great Summer Reading
The month of May is the kick-off of the summer reading season. In just a few weeks–on June 11th–my new novel, THE SUMMER GUESTS, will hit store shelves. I’m so excited to share it with you!
Southern Living Magazine selected THE SUMMER GUESTS as a “favorite beach reads of 2019!”
My longtime readers know that summertime book releases mean a summertime book tour.
And this year it’s a big one– 30 cities! Am I coming to a place near you? If I am, please come by and get your book signed and say hello! You can see all of the book tour details right here on my website.
ABOUT THE BOOK
In THE SUMMER GUESTS, a major hurricane is threatening everything in its path on the Atlantic coast. An eclectic group of strangers from Wellington, FL and Isle of Palms, SC flee to a horse farm for safety in the foothill mountains of Tryon, NC. They bring with them horses and dogs, and whatever else can can fit in their vehicles. The question they ask as they flee is: What do you take with you? What do you value?
As the cast of characters rides out the hurricane at Freehold Farm, they face other storms brewing within themselves. When they leave for home, each of them knows what they treasure most in life.
I have a surprise for my readers in the novel! One of the main characters is Cara Rutledge, a heroine from my New York Times bestselling The Beach House Series. I needed a character to race back home to board up the beach cottage, and who better than Cara and her beloved Primrose Cottage. An important development continues her story that you won’t want to miss!
CONTEST NEWS
So great! I’ve just launched my Giveaway contest for anyone who pre-orders a copy of THE SUMMER GUESTS before the 06/11 release date. I’m giving away prizes every week … including tote bags, audiobooks, a signed stack of books, and a $25 Amazon gift card. Plus, the grand prize–A getaway to my coastal town, the Isle of Palms, to stay at the luxurious Wild Dunes Resort! Go here to enter the contest.
PERSONAL NOTES
With every book I write, I go to great lengths to create an authentic story world that accurately weaves together the landscape and wildlife into the lives of the characters. In THE SUMMER GUESTS, I hope to share with you the power of connection to horses through the beauty of the equestrian world. I learned so much at the World Equestrian Games and from devoted horse lovers and riders in Tryon.
My darling husband Markus will travel with me during much of the book tour. We’ll go by car and plane, living out of suitcases for weeks, as we bounce from hotel to hotel. No doubt, he loves me!
Please know that I so appreciate you coming by to a stop during book tour. I’ll sign your book, (new and old). It makes the tour more personal. I love to meet my readers, trade stories, and share hugs. I hope to see you soon at a book tour event near you.
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May 7, 2019
Kicking Off My Summer Book Tour in Tryon, NC
I’m kicking off my summer book tour in the town of Tryon, North Carolina. And here’s why…
For the last year or so, I’ve had the good fortune of calling Tryon my home away from home.
Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Tryon is prize horse country and has a vibrant arts community. It is the site of the Tryon International Equestrian Center that housed the World Equestrian Games this year. The landscape and the people—and the horses—of this unique area inspired my new novel, THE SUMMER GUESTS (available June 11).
RSVP TODAY!
On that note, I thought it fitting to launch my summer book tour in the town where it all began! So, mark your calendar for June 7th, 2019. The national book launch for THE SUMMER GUESTS will be hosted by The Lanier Library, at the Tryon Fine Arts Center Amphitheater. Order your tickets now. You’ll enjoy good food, wonderful drinks, a fun conversation about the novel, and a book signing, of course. You’ll even get to meet some of the people who inspired characters in the book!
This book launch party will be more than just a party though. It will also be an important fundraiser for the Lanier Library. Your attendance will help sustain this historic landmark; it’s one of only sixteen remaining membership-only libraries in the country. Anyone who knows me well knows I have a huge heart for supporting all libraries as much as I can. Let’s do this together!
For all my island loving readers wondering if my new place in Tryon means that I moved away from my beloved Isle of Palms—no! I still have my home on the island. And, I’m still a devoted “turtle lady.”
Can’t make it to Tryon? I’ve got 30 stops scheduled for the summer book tour. Take a look at the schedule to see if I’m coming to a place near you?
YOU CAN FIND ALL THE EVENT DETAILS ON MY WEBSITE
I look forward to meeting you, dear readers, and hearing your stories, and your thoughts about my book.
I treasure all of the interactions during book tour. While I can’t remember every face, and I periodically struggle to recall someone’s name because I’m so doggone tired, I never forget the feeling I receive when I shake a hand, give a hug, or write your name in my book.
Your presence is a gift to my soul. And thank you ALL for reading my novels…for sharing them with your friends…for posting your kind book reviews. Together we are celebrating the creation of another new book!
And together we keep the magic of reading alive and well.
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March 21, 2019
COVER REVEAL AND SHORT EXCERPT OF NEW NOVEL, “THE SUMMER GUESTS”
Spring is officially here, and my office is buzzing with book news! I’ve finished writing “The Summer Guests” and book tour plans are coming together quickly! I love this way this novel turned out and I’m so excited to share it with you. It will be officially available June 11th. If you want to see if I’m coming to a place near you, check out my events list.
I’m excited to see the novel already receiving some book love! One of my favorite magazines, Southern Living, just included “The Summer Guests” on its list of 25 Beach Reads Perfect for Summer. And, Southern Living recently hosted an exclusive cover reveal, which included a brief excerpt here.
“The Summer Guests” is a book about hurricane evacuation. An important question posed in this story is: what should I take with me? What do I treasure?
I live on a barrier island in South Carolina, so I’ve experienced the stress of evacuating many times. Southern Living allowed me to share some of my personal thoughts on the issue of evacuation and how it relates to my novel. Read it here. And please feel free to share your thoughts about your own experiences. Are you prepared to evacuate if you had to? What treasures would you take?
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December 19, 2018
A NOTE OF REFLECTIONS AND HOLIDAY WISHES
This is a season of traditions and transitions, preparations and celebrations. Parties and quiet gatherings, parades and church services. It’s a busy time of year. But despite the hustle and bustle, I hope you’re finding moments to sit back and enjoy the lights of the tree while sipping hot cocoa (or wine) and savor the season.
REFLECTIONS
Before I transition to a New Year, I want to take a moment to reflect on some of the year’s best moments and share them with you.
BEACH HOUSE REUNION became a #4 New York Times Best Seller
THE BEACH HOUSE premiered as a Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie
Traveled to 9 states this year and met hundreds of readers on book tour
New home in NC. Now I am writing from the mountains and the sea
Formally inducted into the South Carolina Academy of Authors Hall of Fame
Welcomed a new litter of pups with Gigi
Adopted one giant pup named Vega
And later this month, the highlight—we’ll welcome a new granddaughter to our family!
What a wonderful year!
And thank you for your support, for reading my books and recommending them to others. And too, for enthusiastically supporting the species I champion in my books. I feel blessed to have the best readers!
LOOKING AHEAD
So much is happening in 2019 … I’m busy working on my new novel, THE SUMMER GUESTS. It’s set for release June 11th! Book tour planning is underway, and the book cover will be revealed next month on my website and social pages. I’m excited to share it with you!
In The Summer Guests, five people evacuate the southeastern coast as a rapidly intensifying hurricane threatens. They flee to a friend’s farm in the North Carolina mountains, taking with them their most cherished possessions–including prize horses and rescue dogs. Their evacuation becomes one of the most challenging weeks of their lives. But, even during the worst of circumstances—or perhaps because of them—the evacuees will discover what is most important in life.
Though THE SUMMER GUESTS isn’t an official continuation of The Beach House Series there’s a surprise in this novel for my Beach House fans! I’d love it if you’d add it to your Goodreads “Want to Read” list. If you’re feeling super eager, pre-order is also available.
EXCITING SPOTLIGHT
Did you see this news on Forbes.com this month? My heart skipped a beat to see WILD DUNES PRESENTS: A CONVERSATION WITH MARY ALICE MONROE included on the Top 10 Reasons to Visit Charleston, SC in the Winter feature.
This annual author series hosts some of the South’s greatest writers. I launched this literary project more than a decade ago to connect readers to writers on a more personal level, while also fundraising for literacy programs in my community. I’m honored to welcome New York Times bestselling authors Patti Callahan of “Becoming Mrs. Lewis” and Lisa Wingate of “Before We Were Yours” as our stellar panelists for the January 27th event at the world-class Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms.
Both of these women have penned powerful historical fiction novels you won’t soon forget. Guests get to be a part of the intimate conversation and ask questions too, followed by a meet and greet book signing. Delicious hors d’oeuvres and signature cocktails by Firefly Distillery are included with ticket purchase. We have so much fun, and together we raise money to support literacy programs. This year, Reading Partners South Carolina is our charitable beneficiary. This special event is a great way to kick off your New Year, and a good excuse to plan a getaway to Charleston.
MY HOLIDAY WISH FOR YOU
As our final month of December comes to a close with festive gatherings, holiday shopping, travel plans, and the seemingly long to-do list, I send you a special wish from my heart … May your holiday season and New Year be filled with unshakable hope, a wellspring of love, comforting peace, good health, new adventures, and a lot of great reading.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy 2019 to you!
With love,
Mary Alice
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December 6, 2018
CREATING MEANINGFUL HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
Traditions are important touchstones in families. They connect us to family values, morals, beliefs. They keep us attuned to our ancestors. One holiday tradition of the season that I treasure is St. Nicholas Day, which we celebrate every December 6th.
St. Nicholas Day is commonly celebrated in Germany and other European countries, as well as many American cities with German roots. My father was born and raised in his early years in Germany. When I was little, my ten brothers and sisters and I polished our shoes in anticipation. Picture a hoard of children kneeling on newspapers spread out on the kitchen floor, covered in polish as we shined our shoes. Delightful mayhem.
That night we set them outside our bedroom door and when we woke in the morning we discovered St. Nicholas had come and put candy in them! Sure, there were a few years waking up on December 6th with our family realizing, oops–we missed it. But, the good years….those are the ones we remember, we treasure.
Years later, when I had three children of my own, I tweaked the family tradition a bit to fit our family and the times. I told them the reason St. Nicholas came on the night of the 5th was to check on how well they took care of their toys. If he’d found them in bad shape, uh oh. Santa wouldn’t be happy.
With a single Santa warning about St. Nicholas, the children scurried off. The girls brushed the hair of their dolls while my son labored with chubby fingers to put all the pieces of his scattered toys back together. Then, when it was time to put something outside their bedroom door, I had to punt. They couldn’t put all their toys out. I told them to put their favorite outside their door. In the morning, when they rushed to see what St. Nicholas has left them, they found a bit of candy or a stuffed animal, and an ornament for the tree. A little something to get them in the Christmas spirit.
When it becomes our turn to pass the torch, it is heartwarming to witness the tradition continue in the next generation. Sometimes though, old traditions change. Some may no longer carry as much meaning in a modern world, or they’re just no longer practical for the family and loved ones. Imagine trying to light real candles on our trees today, as my father had done decades ago!
My children are now grown with their own families to raise. I wonder, will they continue the St.Nicholas tradition in their families?
I treasure the good memories of tradition that are connected to this holiday season, and I hope you do too.
What are the traditions you cherish, or what new ones are you trying to create?
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October 5, 2018
Save the Planet? Light One Candle
As a child I wanted to save the planet, but the problems seemed so large, so many. I am one of ten children and my father attempted to calm me by telling me not to try to save the entire world, but instead to light one candle. I was too young to understand the wisdom of that advice. But now I do. In modern parlance it is “Think globally. Act locally.”
The problems of the environmental crisis seem sometimes overwhelming. It’s easy to tune out. To give up. Please don’t! Never before has it been so important for each person to ask: What can I do, right here, right now, to make a difference? How can I help?
Each book I write is my way of lighting one candle. I use my books to bring awareness to the beauty, fragility, and threats facing our planet. It started with THE BEACH HOUSE (Book 1 in the The Beach House Series). In this novel I shared my love of loggerhead sea turtles and my experiences as a member of the Island Turtle Team in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. I’m still a “turtle lady” today, and loggerheads will always be my first love in the Lowcountry wildlife.
Since then, I’ve lit candles for monarch butterflies (THE BUTTERFLY’S DAUGHTER), the native sweetgrass plant,(SWEETGRASS), wild American shrimp (LAST LIGHT OVER CAROLINA), Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Lowcountry Summer Series), mountain trout (TIME IS A RIVER) and migrating shorebirds (BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT) to name a few.
We all have the power to light one candle. It doesn’t have to be a big project to make a positive difference in our world. If you recycle today, you lit one candle. If you stop using plastic straws, you lit one candle. If you turned off the lights of your house, you lit one candle. Put all our lights together and we can create a powerful beam of enlightenment that will help preserve the diverse beauty of our planet for generations!
On that note, I’m kicking off a fun campaign with my readers. #LightOneCandle. Each week on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages, I’ll highlight people I know who are lighting a candle. But, I want to hear from you too. What can YOU do you do to light one candle?
Each week I will select one reader’s suggestion to highlight and will offer her/his choice of one of my books as a thank you.
Share your thoughts, photos or videos and please include the hashtag #lightonecandle. I hope this will be a fun and inspiring conversation. Together, we will be illuminating!
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August 7, 2018
SAVING A VITAL PELICAN ISLAND
Photo credit: Judy Fairchild, Dewees Island SC
Wild animals and the Lowcountry landscape I call home are woven into my stories. They are so vital they actually become characters in my novels. But they are much more than that. As I bring awareness to the fascinating species in my novels, I hope you come to care—and take care. That is the power of story. These animals, like the brown pelican in my novel BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT, do so much more than add beauty to our world. They are essential to the delicate balance of our ecosystem. And they need our care to thrive. Specifically, a vital pelican island.
THE PROBLEM: CRAB BANK
Recently, I received a call for help from Audubon South Carolina. Audubon has joined with other local organizations, including The Coastal Conservation League and the SC Department of Natural Resources, for a grassroots effort to save Crab Bank in the Charleston Harbor. This tiny island located at the mouth of Shem Creek has been home to thousands of nesting pelicans and other birds and is considered a vital nesting spot for the Brown Pelicans. 38% of nesting Brown Pelicans in the southeast nest in South Carolina! An here’s the problem: According to Audubon, “Due to erosion from increasing wakes and a series of intense hurricanes, this Seabird Sanctuary Island is now experiencing its first year ever with zero nests.”
THE SOLUTION: RENOURISH AND REBUILD THE PELICAN ISLAND
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) wants to use a scheduled Charleston Harbor dredging project to restore Crab Bank. According to the US Army Corp of Engineers, the restored bird sanctuary will be 28 acres with plenty of high-ground nesting habitat. The Corps of Engineers estimates that it will take 50 years for Crab Bank to erode back to a half-acre, which is enough time to hatch tens of thousands of young birds.
HOW TO HELP SAVE CRAB BANK!
You can help make this happen! We need $2 million by December 2018. That’s a lot of money in little time. If you read BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT, you’ll remember the sweet pelican that was rescued. That pelican was likely born on Crab Bank. To assure more pelicans will nest here safely, won’t you make even a small donation? 100% of your donation will go to the pelicans!
Please visit www.sccoastalbirds.org.
The pelican is an iconic symbol of the Lowcountry. We all love to look up see them gliding overhead in V-formation, dive-bombing the waves for fish, bobbing on the salty creeks and resting like statues on pilings at the boat docks. Together we can all be a part of preserving pelicans by being a part of the “Save Crab Bank” project.
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