Her Summer Crush, By Linda Hope Lee

What is your story about?
     Her Summer Crush is the sequel to Eva's Deadline in the Return to Willow Beach series. In Eva's Deadline, Luci Monroe was a high school intern at The Willow Beach Herald, and Cody Jarvis was the photographer. Luci had a crush on Cody, who was also a friend of her older brother.
     Fast forward four years and Luci is now a college graduate returning to Willow Beach to begin her dream job working for the chamber of commerce. Cody, who's been following his dream of traveling the world as a photographer, accepts a temporary job at the chamber, working with--you guessed it--Luci. Which throws her for a loop. She thought she was over him, but is she?
     Cody always regarded her as his friend's kid sister. But here she is, all grown up and gorgeous. Working together is a problem, because she's by-the-book and he's spur-of-the-moment. And, she's set on staying in Willow Beach, and he's an avowed traveling man. Is there any hope for these two?

Tell us something about the setting.
     Willow Beach is a fictitious town on Washington State's coast. The man who founded the town named it after his wife. It was originally called Willow's Beach. Like other coastal towns, Willow Beach has beautiful sunsets. Then there's the lighthouse, which has an interesting history; a cove where smugglers used to hide out; and a cranberry farm. A mile-long boardwalk along the beach and all sorts of interesting shops from the Book Nook to Blue Gull Gallery to the Blossom Shop.

Do you have a favorite scene?
     I like the scene in which Cody is walking along the beach looking to capture the moment with his camera:
     "He saw some tracks. . . . The bird wasn't in sight, but his tracks left a record. The blowing sand was fast filling up the indentations, though, and would soon erase all record of the creature having been there.
      Cody focused his camera and snapped several pictures until the tracks were all but gone.
     Then he looked back at his own footprints and saw that they too were fast fading. He took some shots of them. Now, there was a record of his having been there. He recalled an old poem a high school English teacher had made the class read, something about footprints in the sands of time. Corny, he'd thought then, but now the words took on new meaning.
     He couldn't remember the rest of the poem, though. He'd have to ask Luci. She'd remember. She was big on poetry."

What are you working on next?
     Like the series title, I want to return to Willow Beach. I heard that a woman with a mysterious past is the new tour guide at the lighthouse. And rumor has it there's still hidden treasure at Smuggler's Cove. Last week's Willow Beach Herald interviewed a best-selling writer from New York who's signing at The Book Nook. And what about the movie company that's coming to town to film a movie? There ought to be a story there somewhere, don't you think?




Please check out my giveaways:
     Goodreads, ending March 21.
     Writerspace Spring Fling, March 20, 8-10 p.m. Eastern.
     Prism Book Tour, March 20 - April 1.

Also, please take a look at the other March Heartwarming books: Fear of Falling, by Catherine Lanigan; His Kind of Cowgirl, by Karen Rock; and The Sweetheart Deal, by Syndi Powell.

Thanks for stopping by!


 

Comments

  1. I loved your reference to the footsteps fading on the sand. There's a poem I love where a man was struggling and asking for Jesus to be on his side, and for awhile there were two sets of footprints in the sand, and the man knew Jesus had been by his side. Then, the prints disappeared - like in your favorite portion of the book. Later, the man found out that the prints that disappeared were his. Jesus's were still there and Jesus had been carrying the man.
    I wonder how many other poems readers will remember.

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    1. I remember that poem, something about the man asking why Jesus deserted him during the rough times, and he says no, the single footprints were when he carried him. I hadn't thought of that poem in years.

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  2. Thank you for your comment, Pamela. I would love to read that poem. I'll see if I can find it.

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  3. Linda, I have the book in my TBR stack. I'm reading as fast as I can. I love beach scenes. Used to love walking along the Oregon coast at sunrise when the tide was going out. Footprints faded and filled in with the water making a person almost invisible where they'd walked.

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  4. Hi, Roz. Yes, I too have many memories of beach walks. After being in the city, I'm always awed at how wide and open the beaches are in Wash. and Ore. I know what you mean about the TBR stack. So many good books, so little time!

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  5. I've just downloaded the box set, so I'm looking forward to my visit to Willow Beach. It sounds like a lovely and lively place.

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    1. Thank you, Beth. I hope you enjoy all the stories in the set.

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  6. Sounds wonderful, Linda! On the Oregon coast myself, I love the setting, and old crushes reunited is always a good plot. I like the idea of hidden treasure for the next one! Congratulations! Wish you big fat sales!

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    1. Hi, Muriel, Yes, I think you probably know just about where Willow Beach is, and that the boardwalk came from Long Beach. Smugglers Cove is purely made up, though, at least, in that area.

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  7. Congratulations on your release, Linda. Your story sounds wonderful!

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    1. Thank you, Kate. Creating new worlds and characters to fill them is always fun, as I'm sure you know!

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  8. Yippee!! Freaking finally my copy is here from Amazon!! I get to start tonight. I love, love, your title and the cover is outstanding. Keep writing I love Willow Beach!!

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  9. Hi, Catherine. I hope you enjoy the story. I have your to read, too, and am looking forward to it.

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  10. Congratulations on the book, Linda! It sounds great as does Willow Beach. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

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