Mary Alice Monroe's Blog, page 22

REFLECTIONS ON A TRILOGY TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING.It was a...

REFLECTIONS ON A TRILOGY TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING.
It was a tender moment on book tour when a reader came up and nervously asked if I would sign her old book--a copy of the original THE BEACH HOUSE. Remember the paperback with the team picture on the back?  I smiled to see it again.  I don’t have a copy!  She told me she’d never part with it.  That’s high praise from a reader and it gave me pause.
It’s been ten years since THE BEACH HOUSE was released.  Ten years!   It still staggers me how fast the years have flown by.  This book marked a pivotal change not only in the way I research and write novels and in my career, but in my life as well. I didn’t know that my interest in sea turtles would become a life long passion.
I moved full time to the Isle of Palms in 1999 after years of visits. The first thing I did was join the Island Turtle Team because I wanted to write a novel that included turtles.  My sister, Marguerite (who I dedicated BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES to) lived in Florida and told me how a loggerhead had come ashore outside her house to lay her nest. Marguerite is a painter and she described in vivid words how tears flowed down the loggerhead’s face as she laid her eggs.  I shivered when I heard this, resonating to the metaphor of one female creature connecting with another during birth. Now I know that the tears are, in fact, a salt water cleansing of the eye. But that’s not the inspiration for a book! I intuitively felt so much more.
This book began a process of novel preparation that I continue to this day.  I first do an academic approach, studying and reading and interviewing experts.  Next I volunteer.  This is critical to the process.  Only be rolling up my sleeves do I connect intimately with the story world—the animals, the setting, and the people who inhabit the world.  As a licensed “turtle lady” on Isle of Palms, I developed a passion for this ancient mariner and created characters who shared this passion with my readers. Holding my breath, I handed this "book of the heart" in to my publisher.

THE BEACH HOUSE was my first NY Times hit and green-lit my ability to continue writing stories set against an endangered species or landscape issue.  It was an important hallmark for me. I wrote books set against birds of prey and sweetgrass, and more. Rolling up my sleeves and doing volunteer work myself provides my inspiration. After five years, I returned to sea turtles when the SC Aquarium began its sea turtle hospital.  Exciting! Again I dove in and began rehabilitating sick and injured sea turtles under the guidance of director Kelly Thorvalson. This book, SWIMMING LESSONS, was the sequel to THE BEACH HOUSE and continued the stories of Toy Sooner, Cara Rutledge and Brett Beauchamps in a new arena of turtle care.
Fast forward five more years and my daughter read The Beach House and said she didn’t know why the character Lovie didn’t just leave her abusive husband.  I stared at her and realized, stunned, that she had no clue how different the lives of women in 1974 were from today.  A married woman living south of Broad Streetin Charleston SC in that era could not divorce her husband without a huge scandal that affected not only her, but her children and extended family. She would be ostracized and could possibly lose her children. And where would this abused woman go? There were no shelters.  I knew it was time for me to revisit this story and bring to light the issue of spousal abuse—one that continues to be a hot button today and crosses all economic and class lines. And what better way to do so than with the story of one of my most beloved characters, Olivia “Lovie” Rutledge.  With her, I could also bring to life the relaxed, quiet life on the island back in the day when the northern tip of the island was still a wild maritime forest, back when the kids were all Huck Finns and Tom Sawyers, back before DNR organized turtle teams.  Back when a woman’s path was laid out before her.
So I wrote the third book in this series. On reflection, I realized that when I wrote THE BEACH HOUSE, I had identified with Cara Rutledge, the daughter returning home after a long absence to reconcile with her mother and to minister to her health. Cara, like me, was learning how to become a “turtle lady.”  While writing the sequel SWIMMING LESSONS I identified with Toy Sooner, the young woman who was forging a new life and beginning to rehabilitate sea turtles. 

While writing BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES, I identified with Lovie Rutledge, a woman of a certain age looking back on her life. Her children were grown and she could look contemplate the decisions she’d made with the equanimity of maturity and the grace of acceptance.  I could not have written this book ten years ago.  In the thirteen years I’ve been a “turtle lady,” the sea turtles have taught me many lessons, and in this novel I had the opportunity, through Lovie, to share them with my readers. It's a story of a woman's hard won validation and self respect.
While on book tour I was surprised how many fans didn't realize that BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES is the prequel to THE BEACH HOUSE.  I’ve been asked many times which book of the trilogy to read first.  My answer is that each book stands alone.  However, THE BEACH HOUSE and BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES are intimately connected because in the former, Lovie tells Cara briefly of the summer that changed her life.  BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES is the story of that fateful summer.  So I would recommend that the reader read THE BEACH HOUSE first, followed by BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES, then move to SWIMMING LESSONS.  However, if that’s not the way you are reading it, that’s good, too.
Will there be another book in this series?  I’m not sure. I am still a "turtle lady."  And in SWIMMING LESSONS, the beach house was available for rent.  Hmmm….

Notes From the Road

It's the second week of the BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES book tour, and so far it has been a memorable and exhilarating adventure. 

One of the most amazing moments happened yesterday afternoon during the "Moveable Feast" literary luncheon in Pawleys Island, hosted by Litchfield Books.  It filled my eyes with tears. 

Before I explain why, let me share a little background first.  Most of my readers know I'm passionate about sea turtle conservation.  My personal work with these majestic creatures inspired not only BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES, but also my New York Times bestsellers THE BEACH HOUSE and SWIMMING LESSONS.  When planning this book tour, I knew it would be a perfect opportunity to not only celebrate the progress that's been made in sea turtle conservation but also share the exciting expansion plans of the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital.  As I've been saying during this book tour, let's move that hospital out of the basement.

We revealed the plan during the book launch party at the aquarium, and the huge crowd responded enthusiastically.  Proceeds from the party's book sales went toward the turtle hospital initiative.  Approximately 225 people attended the celebration, many of them were sea turtle volunteers themselves.  Fans traveled from all over the Carolinas to be there.  I even met a couple from New Hampshire!

Now, back to yesterday's Pawleys Island event.  I had just shared some of those hospital expansion details with the packed house, when one woman in the crowd spontaneously decided to pass around a glass jar to collect contributions for the cause.  The gesture alone made my heart swell and I figured they might collect a hundred dollars or so.  That would have been a wonderful donation.  My eyes bulged when told the final tally---$640! I was moved to tears by this group's generosity.  I have THE BEST fans! 

Just days before, Coastal Discovery Museum in Hilton Head Island, SC also raised money for the sea turtle hospital during a private book tour event.  Thank you all for your generous spirit. 

One more note about the South Carolina Aquarium.  The sea turtle rescue program manager, Kelly Thorvalson, and her team will be releasing two loggerheads back into the ocean at the Isle of Palms County Park on Friday, May 18th at 3pm.  I've been a part of these releases many times, and each one is an emotional sight to see.  If you live near Charleston, SC, I hope you'll be able to witness this incredible event.  You can learn more about the sea turtles being released on the Sea Turtle Hospital Blog.

I'm in North Carolina for the next few days and then I'll drive over to Kingsport, Tennessee.  Take a look at my complete book tour schedule and I hope to have the opportunity to say hello to you at one of these events. 

Book News, Book Events, and Book Releases

What a spring season! A lot is happening and I'm excited to share all the great news with you- book releases, signing events, book recognitions and so much more. Here we go---

THE BUTTERFLY'S DAUGHTER, just released last month in trade paperback, and has been selected as a 2012 SIBA Book Award Finalist for the year's Best Book. (Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance). I'm proud and delighted this book has wings!



NEW RELEASE: BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES
My new novel, BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES, is selected as a SIBA Okra Pick! I'm flattered to be one of only a dozen books chosen by Southern indie booksellers as a summer must-read.





BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES's big release is May 8th! It's a milestone ten years in the making. As the prequel to the bestsellers THE BEACH HOUSE and SWIMMING LESSONS, this release completes the saga of the beloved "turtle lady" Olivia "Lovie" Rutledge. BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES returns to Charleston and the Isle of Palms in 1974, a tumultuous period in the South for issues of class, infidelity and domestic abuse. Lovie reflects on the difficult choices she faced during that fateful summer that changed her life. I've always felt a bond to the character of Lovie 's story and her story as a wife, mother and "turtle lady" is one that I felt it was time to tell. You can see the book video trailer and read an excerpt on my website here.


BOOK TOUR
To celebrate the May 8th release of BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES, I'm going on a 20-city book tour that stretches from the Carolina mountains to Florida's sandy shores with several stops in between. Take a look at the tour schedule here . I hope you'll come by to say hello and support your local bookseller.

The book tour fun begins in Charleston, SC with an unprecedented, not-to-be-missed book launch event at the South Carolina Aquarium benefiting its Sea Turtle Hospital. Click here to view the invitation and RSVP.

I'm looking forward to every signing event because each is uniquely fun and I always seem to be welcomed by the most wonderful and exuberant crowds who never cease to amaze me with memorable conversations during Q&A sessions and at the signing table.

As a real-life "turtle lady," I wanted to do something extra special with my readers for our beloved loggerhead sea turtles. So, a small number of tour events, such as the launch party, are also special fundraisers, in which a portion of every book sold will benefit a local sea turtle hospital in that area. Thank you to the event hosts who eagerly signed up to help me find a way we can collectively help volunteers and sea turtle hospitals in their efforts to support the loggerhead species for generations to come. Click here to learn more about the fundraising events and to RSVP at one near you.


BOOK GIVEAWAYS
Don't miss out on the chance to win a free book! A new contest will be posted on my website and Facebook fan page each week so check in often.

Other worthy book notes: THE BEACH HOUSE is on sale now as a special anniversary edition. The new paperback cover is beautiful! And THE BUTTERFLY'S DAUGHTER is now available in paperback as well.

Book tour is next week and I've still got lots of packing to do. I look forward to meeting you, reading your letters, and celebrating sea turtles!

Turtle Summer

Doing inventory of a loggerhead nestWhen I'm not in the office working on a novel during the early morning or late evening hours of spring and summer, you'll find me walking the beach.  I'm a devoted "turtle lady." I spend as much time as I can fulfilling my responsibilities as a proud member of our island's local turtle team. 

My turtle summer is about to begin and it's extra special this season.  Read more on the Southern Authors Blog "A Good Blog is Hard to Find."  I'm delighted to be today's guest blogger. 

WHY I READ MY AUDIOBOOKS

Reading at Brilliance Audio Studio
Many people ask me why I choose to read my audiobooks, and what is it like to do it?  It’s definitely hard work.  Very, very hard.  To give you some idea, if you think you’d like to become a narrator, do what director Laura suggests: Try going into a small room and read for eight hours.  If you can do that, then continue every day for five days.
I had read my books at signings for years and many people had told me, “You should read your books on tape.”  When I was young, I took acting classes, as well.  So when the time came that an audiobook offer was made, I talked to the head of Brilliance Audio, Eileen Hutton, and told her that I’d like to give it a try. If my voice was worthy, then I’d read the book.  If not, I wouldn’t.  My feelings would not be hurt. We both wanted the audiobook to be the best it could be. I went to the College of Charleston, made a brief CD using their equipment and sent it off.  Eileen later called and told me, “That’s exactly how I heard the voice of Toy in my head!”
I read my audiobooks at the Brilliance Audio studios located in Grand Haven, Michigan.  It’s a beautiful spot, especially in the summer, but I always end up recording in mid winter! Once I was there when they got hit by a blizzard. It was both exciting and beautiful, especially since we rarely see snow on Isle of Palms. I stay at the Harbor House, a charming Inn overlooking Lake Michigan. My first book was Swimming Lessons and it took me five days to complete reading the abridged and unabridged. Since then, I’ve read Time is a River , The Beach House (we read that one in a studio in Charleston), The Butterfly’s Daughter, and now Beach House Memories. I must be getting better since I finished this last one in 3 days! Professional narrator Sandra Burr has read my back list.  
The recording boothThe routine is: I get picked up at the Inn and arrive at the Studio before 9 am. I wear soft clothing, no jewelry or make up.  I don’t drink coffee during the day as it dehydrates or soda while reading as it makes the stomach bubble and burp. Instead, I drink warm or hot water with lemon. It’s important to keep the throat hydrated during the recording.  My director and engineer are in an outer room with the script and computers, and I go into a second interior room behind double doors that is padded for sound.  There is a small lectern, a bright light, and a microphone, earphones and my script.  First we set up my mike and volume.  After that, I wait for the engineer’s signal from the window.  When he waves his hand, I begin to read.
The Brilliance Audio TeamFirst, you can’t get nervous.  That’s when mistakes are made.  A good run is when I get through several pages without error.  It’s like being in the zone for writing.  I can get caught up in the story and have fun with it. But sooner or later, I make a mistake and we have to stop. An error includes any noise, like a page rustling, a click, or body noises.  Then I can simply slip in my reading, like substituting the wrong word (could for should), making a singular word plural, switching pronouns, or sloppy pronunciation caused by a tired tongue or jaw.  And sometimes, for a really long sentence, I didn’t use my diaphragm to get a good breath and simply run out of steam.  Try it, and before long you’ll see what I mean.  When I make a mistake and we stop, the engineer tries to find a “hole” where he can let me jump back in seamlessly.
I’m not an actress so getting the accents right can be tricky. I do my best, and when I get into trouble, my director steps in to help me out.  I have a new appreciation for narrators who can really get great voices.  On the other hand, my readers know that I’m not an actress.  They want to know how I perceived the character in my head and how I heard the line spoken in my mind as I wrote it. For me, the story truly comes from my heart.  For example, for Beach House Memories, when I read the scenes between husband and wife, Stratton and Lovie, as they argued, it grew heated and highly emotional.  I felt these scenes intensely.  My tears were real as I read.  It’s a tough day.  So when the day is done, I’m spent.  I go home, eat alone in my room, and fall asleep early so I can be fresh the next day.
So why do I do it?  While I read aloud and create the voices for my characters, the story comes alive for me in a whole new way than when I wrote it.  I imagine watching your story world come alive for a film is as—or even more—thrilling for an author.  In reply, I read my audiobooks for the same reason I write my books—I love telling a good story.  I love bringing to life the characters in my head.  I hope you enjoy them!
AUDIOBOOK CONTEST GIVEAWAY: "Like" my Facebook fan page and you will automatically be entered to win a free Mary Alice Monroe audiobook during the month of March, courtesy of Brilliance Audio.  You will be contacted through Facebook if you are a winner. 

Click here to learn more about Brilliance Audio. 
BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES will be released in hardcover May 8, 2012.  Visit http://www.maryalicemonroe.com/ for details.   

Thoughts on Writing: Is It Blood or Fire?

I am happy to be a contributor this week to the Southern Authors blog,   A Good Blog is Hard to Find .  The topic is What's the most valuable writing advice you've ever received. 

I have my friend and mentor Nora Roberts to thank for sharing this pearl of wisdom with me when I was a young mother new to the publishing industry: IS IT BLOOD OR FIRE? IF NOT, GO AWAY!

Click here to read more.

Happening in 2012

Aloha!  I'm home now enjoying my familiar Atlantic Ocean views after spending the beginning of my New Year at a cottage in the misty mountaintops of Maui, Hawaii! I enjoyed the Pacific views, ate lots of fish and pupu, and started writing my new book. It was an unforgettable way to celebrate the beginning of a very exciting book year.  Here's a snapshot of what's happening in 2012:


In April, THE BUTTERFLY’S DAUGHTER will be released in paperback, just in time for the return of the monarch. And I’m giving away more free milkseed seed packets for the early spring planting season. Milkweed is the sole food source for a monarch caterpillar. To learn more and request free seeds, click here.


Also coming out in April is the special tenth anniversary edition of THE BEACH HOUSE with a beautiful new book cover. I can’t believe it’s been an entire decade since the release of my first Southern novel.
That will be followed the May 8th release of my brand new prequel, BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES. It’s the return to Primrose Cottage on the Isle of Palms. The year is 1974, a tumultuous time for women’s rights in the South. At thirty-nine years old, Olivia “Lovie” Rutledge is married to an unappreciative husband and raising two young children. As she does every summer, Lovie and the kids head to her seaside cottage to carry on her ritual of being the island “turtle lady,” watching over nesting sea turtles. But this particular summer, Lovie finds herself falling in love and facing devastating consequences. BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES reveals the heart-aching reasons behind Lovie’s decisions---choices that forever shape the lives of her family during that one fateful summer. I've always loved the character Lovie and in this novel she expressed so much of my passion for sea turtles and nature. 
The BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES book tour is coming together nicely.  I’ll post the schedule soon on my website, blog and Facebook fan page.
The novel I’m currently working is based on dolphins, and I got to do some research on this fascinating species during my stay in Hawaii. Later this year I'm planning a trip to Florida to take part in dolphin rehabilitation work. 2012 is shaping up to be an exciting year. 



 

The Holiday Season

 Maggie and Buster waiting for Christmas  
I love this holiday season for so many reasons---but most especially because it’s a holiday built upon traditions and family togetherness. This festive time of year makes us strive to be our best through acts of kindness, charity, and love.



To quote one of my favorite books, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens,

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach."

Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or a combination of holidays that you celebrate, I hope your heart is filled with the joys of this season now and long into the New Year.

Happy holidays to you. 

A Perfect Booklover's Present

Jan. 14: 'Tea by the Sea'Having trouble finding the perfect gift for your favorite book lover, or book club member? I love the feeling I get when I find something that seems utterly perfect for the person in mind. Sometimes though, the search for that perfect present is frustrating.

I have a suggestion! It’s the gift that I’m giving to my fellow book club members. It’s personal, memorable and unique. You can’t buy it at just any store. And it’s been right under my nose, so to speak, for months!

“Tea by the Sea!”

For several years now I’ve had the pleasure of moderating the annual authors’ event at Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms featuring a panel of highly-acclaimed writers. This year, I’m delighted that my friends Dorothea Benton Frank, Nathalie Dupree and Taylor Polites will be joining me for this All Things Southern ticketed public event on January 14th. Expect lots of witty banter among the group about our writing and lives, plus interaction from the audience. It’s sure to be a delightfully memorable event. And it will make a wonderful Southern Lit gift for your book loving friend.

This year, we’re changing things up a bit to keep it fresh. Instead of a luncheon, we’re having a formal tea—and Wild Dunes does an incredible job with pastries! It allows us to have a lower price point, too—only $30, or $250 for a table of ten. After the tea, there will be a book signing, and best of all, proceeds from the event benefit local literacy efforts, so you can feel good about that too. (And tickets are tax deductible.)

So this year, give the gift that keeps on giving. Isn’t a book event ticket—and if you’re feeling generous, a ticket and a book--the perfect gift for friends who love all things southern, or relatives who always have a book in hand, or your book club members?

For more information about the event and ticket prices, call (843) 886-2020 or clubline@wilddunes.com.

My Annual List

I just took a small break from writing to finalize my Thanksgiving holiday plans.  With my children grown and gone, Markus and I won’t be planning a big family feast this year.  I have to admit, I love cooking the big turkey and the oohs and ahhs of that Norman Rockwell moment.  This year we are heading north to my oldest daughter’s home in Winnetka, Illinois. It’s a passing of the torch and it’s her turn to present the turkey to her growing family. 
Did you catch my subtle announcement there? I’m going to be a grandmother again!  Baby number three will arrive early 2012 and the opportunity to welcome another beautiful baby into our family fills me with a joy unlike any other.  That moment never gets jaded does it?  Knowing that I will be “Mambo” to yet another precious child certainly tops my list of “Things to be Grateful For” this year.
I write a “Grateful For” list at this time of the year because it helps me focus on the blessings in life, rather than the travails. As always, topping my list is my family.  Of course, most mothers would say that, but this year I’m especially grateful for seeing each of my three children following their individual passion.  I’ve always told my children that if they followed their passion they’d never work a day in their life. It wouldn’t matter how much money they earned, because money would not be the source of their satisfaction.  My son Zack is fulfilling his desire to serve in the military as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. I’m so proud of my marine!  My daughter Gretta is living in California doing her own form of storytelling as an entrepreneur through the medium of kiteboarding, art and television.  My eldest, Claire, has retired from a career in advertising to work full time as an amazing wife and mother of soon-to-be three children.  Her sons, Jack and Teddy, have stolen my heart.  And how lucky am I to have a son in law I truly admire and love as my own “son?”  What a joy it’s been to watch my children grow and find their place in this world.  Also at the top of my Thanksgiving List is my husband and best friend, Markus.  He is a child psychiatrist and my go-to person for characterizations for my novels – and just about everything else, too.  I’m truly blessed to have him in my life.
I’m also extremely grateful for my career as an author.  I’ve followed my passion all these years and don’t take for granted how fortunate I am.  I’ve written since I was a little girl and have been published for twenty five years, yet I never fail to find inspiration.  I am thankful I can write stories that bring an awareness of our connection to the natural world, now especially as our resources grow increasingly depleted and endangered.  As I look to the New Year, I am delighted to share my new novel, BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES, the prequel to The Beach House, with my readers.  The release date is May 2012 and coincides with the tenth anniversary of my release of The Beach House!  Can you believe it’s been so long?  There will be a special release of The Beach House in April to mark the event.  I hope I’ll meet many of my readers as I travel on book tour.  I cherish my career and sharing my passion with all of you. You round out my list of “Things to be Grateful For!” 
I wish you and your family a most memorable Thanksgiving celebration—full of gratitude, love and joy.