Welcome Julie Carobini and Fade to Blue

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide. IF there is a book giveaway, your response will also enter you in the drawing for a free book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JULIE CAROBINI grew up as Julie Navarro, in a family of truly right-brained individuals. Among them you’ll find writers, artists, and musicians, all willing to talk about the arts at a moment’s notice.

After growing up in Los Angeles, she landed in Ventura County where she made great friends, met Jesus, and fell in love with the dashing Dan Carobini. Despite serious illness and three children delivered by C-section, she managed to hone her lifelong love for writing and sell a few articles. She also edited books for several distinguished authors. Over the years, she's published several hundred articles and stories in magazines and books. As she wrote, she found a common theme cropping up: family, the sea, and God’s timely work in the lives of those around her. She thought it was time to incorporate those into novels. But God shut both doors and windows. So she continued to write and dream and raise her kids with Dan. Eventually she decided to write romantic seaside novels, and that’s where she found her voice.

When she's not writing, marketing, or editing for others, she's driving her kids around town, imagining that her mid-sized SUV is actually a sleek sailing yacht.

FADE TO BLUE
by Julie Carobini
Published by B&H Books

ABOUT THE BOOK

How do you restore a soul? One brush stroke at a time ...

Suz Mitchell is a determined dreamer, and won't allow her ex-husband's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, Suz moves with her child across the country to California's central coast, and lands a job restoring priceless art for the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the sea.

But even dreams have shocking twists. To her surprise, a serious old flame, Seth, works at the castle and jumbles the new aspirations in Suz's heart. While sorting through their past and a palette of spiritual differences, an even bigger brush with yesterday awaits.

Suz must learn to let God be the true restorer of all that once seemed lost.

Readers, buy your copy of Fade to Blue: An Otter Bay Novel today!

MY REVIEW


I don't often have the opportunity to read contemporary fiction. With the time spent researching for my own historical novels and reading other historical novels to stay up to date on what's selling on the market, contemporary novels usually fall by the wayside. But with Julie's Fade to Blue, I took the time. And I'm glad I did.

Julie has a gift for making characters and settings come alive. Having spent most of my life on the East Coast and within an hour of sandy beaches, this book brought back a lot of memories and made me feel as if I were sitting in a lounge chair in that very same sand I once enjoyed.

This book is yet another perfect summer romance as the story of Seth and Suz unfolds. The five years they spent apart carries a lot of burden for both of them. With a divorce hanging on her belt and a young son to raise, Suz faces her hurdles and the hurts of her past with sometimes aching reality. Seth is there in an attempt to help pick up the pieces, but his presence only reminds her of the pain. And the memories of their mistakes makes them both real to the reader. As the flames of attraction are fanned yet again, the realization of second chances becomes a glimmering possibility.

Julie offers a delightful summer read, full of more than romance to satisfy your yearning for a good story. Perfect to escape into the fun and the sun. Be sure to take this book with  you!


AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Hi Everyone,

Julie Carobini (www.juliecarobini.com) here. My recent release, Fade to Blue, is set in and around the famed Hearst Castle, designed by architect Julia Morgan. Morgan was the first female to graduate from UC Berkeley with a degree in Civil Engineering, and later, the first woman to receive a certificate in architecture from Ecole Nationale et Speciale des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

On a recent tour of the sprawling castle located on California’s central coast, my husband, Dan, and I were shown this lean-to off one outer wall. This was Julia Morgan's office. Can you imagine? Ms. Morgan spent nearly thirty years working on that hill with some of the most expensive pieces of art from all over Europe, creating a lavish castle that hosted A-list celebrity guests ~ and she worked in a tiny, nearly windowless office. Phew, that woman got a lot done!

With the hot breath of another deadline scorching my neck, I myself am looking for a non-distracting place to write. So, I'm wondering ... do you think they rent that thing out?

Seriously, here’s my question for you, dear readers: What do you do to ramp up your productivity? I’m all ears!

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Thank you, Julie, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: What do you do to ramp up your productivity?

ENTRY RULES Readers, IF there is a book giveaway, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

CFBA Blog Tour - Julie Carobini and Truffles by the Sea

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Truffles by the Sea
Bethany House (February 1, 2008)
by Julie Carobini

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie Carobini is an award-winning writer whose stories often spotlight her family, the sea, and God's timely work in the lives of those around her. She lives with her husband, Dan, and their three children in Ventura Beach, California. She also likes to blog! Go leave her a comment at Waves of Grace.

Julie left you all a special message: To celebrate my upcoming CFBA tour March 5-7, I'll be giving away a copy of Truffles by the Sea AND and a 1/2 lb. box of yummy truffles to three of you reading this interview right now. All you need to do is drop by my blog http://juliecarobini.blogspot.com/ during the tour and leave a comment and a way to contact you if you win!

ABOUT THE BOOK

If you read, Julie's first book, Chocolate Beach, then you might remember Gaby as Bri's dramatic, lovesick best friend. Unfortunately, things get worse—much worse—for her before they get…well, best not to give it away.

Sometimes all a girl has left is chocolate...

Gaby Flores has a penchant for drama and an unfortunate knack for dating Mr. So Wrong. After breaking off yet another relationship, watching her apartment building burn to the ground, and discovering that her dippy delivery guy has run off with most of her business, Gaby decides it's time to turn things around.

So she moves to a tiny waterfront loft and takes on a new motto: "Be gullible no more!" With help from her friends, she works to rebuild her flower shop—and her life. But when legal troubles and quirky neighbors and two surprising romances enter her beachy world, Gaby's motto and fledgling faith are put to the test

Can a young woman prone to disaster in both work and love finally find happily ever after?

"Truffles by the Sea is delightful! Julie Carobini has a new fan in this reader, and she's earned a spot on my keeper shelf." --Kay James, RomanceReaderatHeart.com

"This book is a delight to read, and the author has us rooting for Gaby from page one. This girl's never-say-die attitude is incredible, and her life is filled with all kinds of foibles. This is chick lit with heart – about so much more than finding a man.... While keeping the light chick lit tone, this book satisfied while avoiding the tired old formulas. Just when I’m ready to give up on the genre, I stumble across an author who can write without relying on stereotypes." --Cara Putman, writerinterrupted.com

"I liked Julie Carobini's first novel, Chocolate Beach, but her sophomore release, Truffles By The Sea, greatly surpasses it. I thoroughly enjoyed Carobini's second book and felt her writing was much stronger throughout. The characters are deeper and yet funnier – a great combination.... It's a great read for a cold winter day – you can curl up with the book, a nice fire and pretend you're the one by the sea." --Jill Hart, RadiantLit.com

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is your second novel and a chance for the secondary character from your first novel to have the spotlight. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

Although Gaby was a lively best friend in Chocolate Beach, she'd had way too many bad dates. I wanted to find out what was going on with that--and I did :)

2. How much of your own experiences influenced the character of ? What aspects became traits that were hers and hers alone?

Gaby's much more girly girl than I am! I do speak some Spanglish, like she does. My father's Mexican and I live in California, so that's sort of second nature :) As for experiences, most of those are Gaby's alone Except the kayaking. And the truffle-eating, ha. Seriously, Gaby's creative with her hands, very artistic, and I need to stick to words. Trust me on this.

3. What themes exist in Truffles by the Sea that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

It's hard to point those out without telling the reader too much, I think, but here are some basic thoughts: pride and surrender!

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

I struggled a bit at the beginning because I didn't want to dump too much of Gaby's backstory there. Instead, I wanted readers to learn her background as they went along. A couple have commented that they wish they knew more at the start, but for the most part, I've been told that the backstory was done well. It's a challenge!

There's more than one favorite, but I loved writing about Gaby's adventure on the kayak. My heart beat extra fast during that one!

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

My next book is about a woman's quest to honor her father's memory by moving her family back to their hometown, only to uncover secrets that destroy the fairy tale life she believed they all had once lived. It's tentatively titled Sweet Waters.

Thanks so much for having me here today, Tiff. Feel free to stop by my website or blog any time! www.juliecarobini.com or juliecarobini.blogspot.com

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Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE copy of this book. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net) or that it's available for viewing in your blogger profile. Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book.

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This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

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