ONLY IN SEPTEMBER
ONLY IN SEPTEMBER
Cynthia Flowers
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GENRE: Women’s Fiction
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BLURB:
When Jacqueline follows her trusty Labrador Bailey down a hidden path to the beach, she’s unaware that her vacation plans on a small island off the New England coast has already taken her life in a new direction. Running into an unassuming local beach comber stirs new thoughts, desires, and a self-determination she never knew she possessed. Jacqueline will need to trust her instincts and make the most of what fate has in store if she wants the future that, until now, she has only dared to dream of.
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EXCERPT
The ferry was taking its sweet time making its way to Block Island.
Time is the ultimate dictator. Where did I hear that? I couldn’t have just come up with that one on my own.
Jacqueline French grabbed one of the last outside seats on the Block Island Ferry. It had only left Point Judith, RI, ten minutes ago, but for her, it seemed like ten hours ago. This would be her fourth September visiting this tiny tear drop-shaped island nestled between the south coast of Rhode Island and Montauk Point, located at the eastern tip of the south fork of Long Island, New York.
Over the last several years, both Montauk Point and Block Island had become popular and expensive vacation destinations for well-to-do Manhattanites. They came seeking a reprieve from the overly manicured crowds who flocked every summer to the more fashionable vacation locale known collectively as the Hamptons.
She always preferred visiting Block Island this time of year, after many of the Labor Day vacation stragglers dispersed and the kids were back at school. Although there were still a fair number of visitors, the din of racing mopeds was confined mostly to the weekends. Thanks to Michael, who she met on her first trip to Block Island, she came to know virtually every back road and trail on this seven-mile-long by three-mile-wide island. Beyond its beauty, Jacqueline’s deeper connection with the island was its shape. She shed many tears lately over the fate of her marriage and the direction her life had taken.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Cynthia Flowers, a recently retired advertising professional, now grant writer, resides with her husband and four-year old Labrador named Eddie, at their “sanctuary” in Upstate New York, Although previously published, this is Cynthia’s first book of fiction. Early on in grade school, Cynthia looked forward to creative writing class and enjoyed reading her stories aloud to her eager classmates.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Only-September-Cynthia-Flowers-ebook/dp/B0DWT79L6N/ref=sr_1_1
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Cynthia Flowers will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
Enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Q & A With …
Tell us about you as a person.
I am a born-and-bred New Yorker who has transitioned from city life to full-time living and hiking in rural upstate New York with my trusty labrador Eddie. After retiring from a career in advertising, I am now pursuing my passion for grant writing—and, hopefully, my dream of becoming a novelist.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
The naturalist David Attenborough. Experiencing his passion and unending curiosity about nature would be a delightful and unforgettable way to spend a day in my life.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
My love affair with Block Island. From the moment I first set foot on Block Island 27 years ago, it captured a part of me I’ve never been able to reclaim. My alter ego has been relentlessly searching for a way to call it home ever since – – chasing the dream through every possibility, every longing. While reality may have kept me at a distance, my imagination refused to surrender. In its boundless landscapes, it found a way to live there, weaving stories that let me stay, even if only in spirit. My imagination was sparked by a very casual encounter I had with a young man I briefly met who was also walking their dog at the beach. Mine and his hit it off immediately and went missing. Then we ran into each other again on the island under different circumstances and I think we both felt the chemistry, but it never went any further. So, I asked myself what if?
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their latest book?
Not sure, I am new at this. Do your research and then make the investment in experienced people who know how to promote and get the word out.
List 5 things on your bucket list.
Hiking trips in the Pacific NW and Canadian RockiesRiver cruise to the interior of AlaskaTour of New Zealand (both islands) with a stop over in HawaiiAND to write a novel.
