Mary Alice Monroe's Blog, page 12

LADIES' NIGHT

Join us 7/19 on Facebook!

My dear friends Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Kay Andrews are with me this week for a writers’ retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It’s an important time for each of us as we work on our next novels. But as Mary Kay said on a social post “all work and no cocktails = no fun!”

I couldn’t agree more! That’s why we’re hosting a ladies’ night together for all of you, our readers, on #FacebookLive Thursday, 07/19 at 6:00 p.m. EST.

We’ll talk about writing, life, friendships, cocktails, and collaborations. We’ll touch upon the new novels we’re each writing. And, we’ll have giveaways, too!

Joining us is easy peasy. Simply fix yourself your favorite drink and tune in to Mary Kay Andrews’ Author Page at 6 p.m. for cocktail hour. It’ll be great conversation together and I’m sure a lot of good laughs!

What question do you have for us?  

The post LADIES' NIGHT appeared first on Mary Alice Monroe.

LADIES’ NIGHT

Join us 7/19 on Facebook!

My dear friends Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Kay Andrews are with me this week for a writers’ retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It’s an important time for each of us as we work on our next novels. But as Mary Kay said on a social post “all work and no cocktails = no fun!”

I couldn’t agree more! That’s why we’re hosting a ladies’ night together for all of you, our readers, on #FacebookLive Thursday, 07/19 at 6:00 p.m. EST.

We’ll talk about writing, life, friendships, cocktails, and collaborations. We’ll touch upon the new novels we’re each writing. And, we’ll have giveaways, too!

Joining us is easy peasy. Simply fix yourself your favorite drink and tune in to Mary Kay Andrews’ Author Page at 6 p.m. for cocktail hour. It’ll be great conversation together and I’m sure a lot of good laughs!

What question do you have for us?  

The post LADIES’ NIGHT appeared first on Mary Alice Monroe.

YOU'RE INVITED! Official Book Launch Party at South Carolina Aquarium

Join New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe at the South Carolina Aquarium on Thursday, May 24 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. to celebrate the launch of her new novel, “Beach House Reunion.”

Monroe, a South Carolina Aquarium board of directors emerita member and local resident, is well known for compelling portrayals of life in the Lowcountry. “Beach House Reunion” features the South Carolina Aquarium and its sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation efforts, making it the perfect location to celebrate the book release.

All proceeds from the launch event will benefit the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center. Tickets for the book launch are $50 each and include:

A signed, hardcover copy of “Beach House Reunion”
A meet and greet opportunity with author Mary Alice Monroe
Hors d’oeurves
Beer and wine
Live music
A tour of the South Carolina Aquarium including Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery

To purchase tickets and view more information about the event, visit: scaquarium.org/beach-house-reunion.

The post YOU'RE INVITED! Official Book Launch Party at South Carolina Aquarium appeared first on Mary Alice Monroe.

YOU’RE INVITED! Official Book Launch Party at South Carolina Aquarium

Join New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe at the South Carolina Aquarium on Thursday, May 24 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. to celebrate the launch of her new novel, “Beach House Reunion.”

Monroe, a South Carolina Aquarium board of directors emerita member and local resident, is well known for compelling portrayals of life in the Lowcountry. “Beach House Reunion” features the South Carolina Aquarium and its sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation efforts, making it the perfect location to celebrate the book release.

All proceeds from the launch event will benefit the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center. Tickets for the book launch are $50 each and include:

A signed, hardcover copy of “Beach House Reunion”
A meet and greet opportunity with author Mary Alice Monroe
Hors d’oeurves
Beer and wine
Live music
A tour of the South Carolina Aquarium including Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery

To purchase tickets and view more information about the event, visit: scaquarium.org/beach-house-reunion.

The post YOU’RE INVITED! Official Book Launch Party at South Carolina Aquarium appeared first on Mary Alice Monroe.

7 GIFT IDEAS FOR YOUR OWN LOWCOUNTRY CHRISTMAS

Starfish Santa says: Books make great gifts!

Recently my publisher Simon & Schuster asked me to write something special for the holidays for their book content site dedicated to women’s fiction and romance. The topic is a fun spin on my novels: If my book characters came to life, what would be the perfect presents they would give this Christmas season?

The items I selected have a connection to South Carolina’s Lowcountry landscape, where most of my novels are centered. And some on the list are my personal favorites, too! I receive no compensation for any of the items mentioned. Click the link to read my guest post:

7 PERFECT PRESENTS FOR YOUR OWN LOWCOUNTRY CHRISTMAS

What are some of your favorite holiday gifts to give? Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you.

The post 7 GIFT IDEAS FOR YOUR OWN LOWCOUNTRY CHRISTMAS appeared first on Mary Alice Monroe.

A MOVIE, A BOOK, AND HOLIDAY GREETING OF GRATITUDE

This is the holiday season of love and gratitude. I have much to be thankful for this year!

Thanks to YOU, dear readers, my novel Beach House for Rent climbed to #9 on the New York Times Best Seller List. I’m currently writing a new novel, Beach House Reunion, the continuation of the Beach House Series, available May 22nd. And the Hallmark Channel will air the TV movie adaptation of The Beach House as a Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie in the spring!

I saw a commercial for the movie the other night on the Hallmark Channel. It was quite the fun surprise! Click here to see it, too.

I’m grateful to actress Andie MacDowell for making this experience happen. Serendipity brought us together one fateful day at the airport, and she’s been a supporter of my books ever since. And I’m happy to say she’s also become a dear friend. The Hallmark crew wrapped up filming last month on Tybee Island, GA. Tears streaked my face as I watched one of the beach scenes with the ‘turtle ladies’ and a loggerhead. It was exactly as I had pictured it in my mind! It was surreal to see my words come alive.

The Beach House cast includes Andie MacDowell (Lovie), (Cara), (Palmer), and (Brett). Here are some fun photos from the set.

 

My first ever holiday novel A Lowcountry Christmas is available in paperback with a new cover. Don’t you love it! I think of the character Miller, a boy who wants nothing but a Labrador puppy for Christmas.

News alert! This book has also been optioned for film. For those who haven’t read the story yet, A Lowcountry Christmas raises awareness about the effects of PTSD on service members and their families. Thanks to generous readers, together we fully financed the training of a shelter dog to serve a local veteran with PTSD. Click here to read the full story.

If you’d like to give A Lowcountry Christmas as a gift this holiday season, you can order it where ever books are sold. *Signed copies* are available at my local indie bookstore Buxton Books in Charleston, SC. They will mail it to you, and they even offer free gift wrapping! Call 843-834-6575.

ONE MORE THING:  YOU’RE INVITED!

I’m delighted to welcome New York Times bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews and Nancy Thayer to my island town for the Wild Dunes Author Series, January 21st. I’ll be the moderator of this lively conversation about beach books and personal lives. We’ll sip signature cocktails and sample delicious recipes from Mary Kay’s cookbook! It’ll be good fun just between friends in this North Coast meets South Coast literary event. Tickets are $40 each and includes signature cocktail, appetizers and a coupon toward purchase of a book. Silent auction includes a designer purse from Belk, a resort getaway package from Wild Dunes, and a Mickey Williams painting! CLICK HERE to RSVP online or call 855-421-3356.

Proceeds will benefit The Pat Conroy Literary Center. The Wild Dunes Author Series is sponsored by Firefly Distillery, Wildflowers Inc., and On a Whim Home Accents.  Come, sit a spell with us at Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms.

I’m in book deadline mode, so I will spend this holiday season writing and enjoying quiet nights at home with my family. One of our family traditions is the Christmas Eve dinner, orchestrated by my dear husband. The women are not allowed in the kitchen as the men in the family prepare the feast. The menu and table setting is centered around one country’s cuisine and culture. My husband keeps the menu a secret from the ladies until mealtime. This has become the highlight of our family’s celebration.

Enjoy this holiday season. Eat your favorite things, take a break, and enjoy quality time with loved ones. I wish you the greatest joy as you carry out your own special traditions with family and friends.

 

With love,

Mary Alice

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A LOWCOUNTRY CHRISTMAS: PAPERBACK EDITION!

It’s Christmas come early!

Now available in paperback

The paperback edition of A Lowcountry Christmas recently landed on my doorstep and is available now where books are sold. This year it’s on bookshelves anointed with a special award: the Southern Book Prize. It’s a tremendous honor from the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.  Thank you, SIBA!

This family novel has a powerful message for the holidays.  It brings awareness about PTSD among our military families and the powerful healing therapy service dogs can provide. I dedicated this novel to my son, a Marine, and wrote it in honor of our U.S. veterans and their families.   I wanted to show how any trauma—PTSD, depression, addiction—doesn’t happen to just one person.  It happens to the family. And the worst time for families to deal with problems is the Christmas season.  Like the classic holiday film “It’s A Wonderful Life,” A Lowcountry Christmas delivers an emotional message of hope, inspiration, and love … hallmarks of the spirit of the holiday season.

Last year, The Post & Courier published a short Q&A about A Lowcountry Christmas.  I’d like to share it with you today.  It’s a great way to learn more about my first ever holiday novel.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE.

The book’s small size and price make it the perfect book to slip in your purse while you travel, or to give as a stocking stuffer.  A Lowcountry Christmas is my gift to you!

Have a joyous, blessed holiday season.

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The Perfect Cocktail for Summer Reading

Since the June release of BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT, I’ve been on a coast-to-coast book tour that has kept me away from home most days. During a book launch celebration at Isle of Palms, attendees enjoyed a complimentary special cocktail provided by Firefly Distillery. First, I must say, my husband and I are big fans of Firefly–a Charleston distillery known for being the home of sweet tea vodka. It’s so good and so southern!

For the book launch party, Firefly served up this cocktail, and it was a hit at the party! The crowd was among some of the first to try Firefly’s Lowcountry Lemonade Vodka featured in this cocktail recipe. And I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

 

I’m off to the West Coast this week for my final week of book tour. California, here I come! I’m so excited to meet readers in Corona, Huntington Beach, and elsewhere. CLICK HERE to see book tour dates.

We can toast to the summer reading season together!

 

 

 

 

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SUPERFOOD DRINK RECIPE FEATURED IN ‘BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT’

Move over morning joe! I have a new drink to start my day.

MAM & PCH

My best friend and fellow writer Patti Callahan Henry introduced me to this drink after she learned about it at a health spa. When she shared the recipe with me, we were both trying to be a peak energy for writing our novels, which are both out this summer–Beach House for Rent and The Bookshop at Water’s End (if you love my books, you’ll love Patti’s too).

One sip of this drink and I was hooked! It’s warm, aromatic, and smooth with notes of chocolate from the raw cocoa beans blend and a touch of sweetness from the dates. This is my power drink every morning. I enjoy it so much, I even mentioned it in my new novel, BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT. Now readers are messaging me for the recipe. So here you go!

Watch this video to see how I make this easy, healthy, superfood drink at home.

I still enjoy a good cup of coffee. But I don’t rely on it as my fuel to get through long days of writing, and I definitely don’t drink nearly as much coffee as I used to. I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I do. Cheers to good health!

RECIPE FOR MARY ALICE MONROE’S DAILY SUPERFOOD DRINK

Ingredients:

1 Yerba Mate tea bag

1 TBSP Maca powder

1-2 TBSP Complete plant protein powder, vanilla flavor (I use PlantFusion brand)

1 TBSP Sun Potion raw cocoa blend “Anandamide”

1 TBSP coconut oil

1/2 – 1 tsp. hemp seed

1/2 – 1 tsp. ground flaxseed

2 pitted dates

Directions: 

Pour boiling water in a coffee mug, and add one tea bag. Steep for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a blender dump in all other ingredients. Remove tea bag from coffee mug and discard. Pour hot tea liquid in blender and puree for approximately ten seconds. Pour warm blended drink into your mug and enjoy.

 

 

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Celebrating the 4th in Delaware

Happy Fourth of July y’all!

The summer book tour has me far from my beach town in South Carolina this year. Today, I’m waking up in beautiful coastal Delaware with two holiday book signings on the schedule. I’ll be signing copies of Beach House for Rent at Browseabout Books on Rehoboth Beach and then later at Bethany Beach Books on Bethany Beach. Join me if you can.

Meantime, I’m enjoying this view of the Atlantic 600 miles north of home, but I do miss the annual tradition of the Isle of Palms Independence Day golf cart parade. My family and friends have a grand time decorating my little golf cart and joining the caravan of neighbors and visitors cruising down Ocean Blvd admiring everyone’s festive decorations. Here are a couple of fun photos from a past July 4th event at home with my Island Turtle Team friends.

Many of us have special traditions to celebrate Independence Day, and for a lot of families, a day at the beach is part of the holiday fun. Whatever beach you visit, please remember these 5 simple tips to help the beach:

Stay off sand dunes. Sea turtles and birds nest there.
Don’t let dogs and children chase shorebirds. Remember to let ’em rest, let ’em nest.
Leave plastics at home (straws, grocery bags, re-sealable bags). Use re-usable items instead.
Fill in holes dug so animals don’t get stuck.
Pick up your trash. Leave only footprints in the sand.

Together we can make a difference at the beach so that all the things we love about the beach–pelicans gliding overhead, shorebirds playing tag with the waves, dolphins arcing out at sea–will continue to be enjoyed by our children and grandchildren for generations to come.

And don’t forget to take along a good book to the beach!

Speaking of books, my friend and author Debbie Macomber and I are celebrating the summer reading season with a special book giveaway. Three people will each win an advanced copy of Debbie’s new book Any Dream Will Do (available Aug. 8th) and a copy of my new book Beach House for Rent.  Click here to enter the giveaway.

 

 

 

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