This week I’m hosting Davalynn Spencer with Old West Summer Brides (exclusive print version US and Canada only), Kay Lyons Stockham with Not by Sight (US only), and Lisa Belcastro with A Dream for Love (print US only, Kindle worldwide). If you want to enter the drawings for the books, please leave a comment on your post with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (July 19th) evening.
Interview with the heroine from A Dream for Love by Lisa Belcastro
1. Laurel, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I can’t tell you much about my past. My daughter’s life depends on it. But, I can share with you that my sister Tammy just purchased a week’s stay at actor Ryan Crandall’s summer home on Martha’s Vineyard. If that isn’t crazy in and of itself, Tammy gave the vacation to me! I can’t wait. I’m bringing my daughter, Gracie. Don’t get me wrong; Ryan doesn’t interest me, and thank God he will not be there. He’s on the cover of every tabloid magazine there is, always partying too hard with a different woman every night. His house on Squibnocket Beach is all I care about.
2. What do you do for fun?
I love spending time at the beach, especially when I’m with my daughter. If I ever win the lottery, I’m going to buy a small cottage on the shore. I could spend every day listening to the waves, walking on the sand, and smelling the salt air. Once summer arrives, I’m in the water every minute I can find the time. As much as I love the ocean, I think Gracie loves it even more. Tammy couldn’t have given me a better birthday present than a week at the beach with Gracie.
3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Cleaning out my car. Honestly, what is the point? We live on Martha’s Vineyard. There is always sand on the mats, even in winter. My sister vacuums hers at least once a week. She has two boys and a dog, and you’d never know it to sit in her car. Me? I clean out the car in the spring, taking out the snow shovel, the bag of kitty litter, and the snow scraper, and then I clean it out again in the fall. Twice a year is good, right? Plus, with all the sand on the floor mats, it’s almost as if I’m at the beach whenever I’m driving my car.
4. What are you afraid of most in life?
My ex. Let’s not talk about him. Gracie has never met her father, and I pray she never does. I’ve got to stay under the radar. I can’t risk him finding Gracie. Protecting her is first and foremost in all I do.
5. What do you want out of life?
I want Gracie to be safe, healthy, and happy. I want to give her the best life I can. I know most parents think their child is wonderful, and I’m no exception. Gracie is an awesome little girl. She fills my heart with joy and laughter, and I hope and pray that I’ll be able to teach her about God’s love, provide her with a good home life, and show her the goodness of the world while protecting her from the aspects of life that aren’t good. Phew, that was a mouthful. If I’m going to be totally honest, I’ll have to admit that in the deepest recesses of my heart I would love to meet a nice guy, get married, and raise Gracie with a wonderful father.
6. What is the most important thing to you?
My faith and my family are everything to me. Without both of them, I wouldn’t have survived the last five years. My sister Tammy has been my best friend since childhood. Our mom died when I was in my twenties, and dad died a few years ago. It’s the two of us, Tammy’s husband and two boys, and Gracie. What we lack in numbers, we make up for in love. I moved to the Island after the garden center I was working for closed. Tammy helped me get the job I have now at Brookside Nursery. It’s great living near Tammy and her crew, except when she’s trying to fix me up on a date. If you have a loving, albeit pushy sister, you know exactly what I’m talking about!
7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?
I love to read, as does Gracie. We read her books together every day. After Gracie goes to bed, I normally read for an hour or two at night – depending on how soon I nod off. I enjoy a good cozy mystery. Hold the violence and sex, and give me a suspenseful book with a bit of snark or humor. Every now and then I’ll pick up a romance novel, usually because Tammy has shoved it in my hands. I also visit flea markets and yard sales in search of inexpensive gardening books.
8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I need to worry less. I’m constantly working on this. I know I can’t control my life or Gracie’s, but there are far too many days when I wish I could or that I spend too much trying to. Trusting God is a life-long lesson for me.
9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
We don’t have any pets. We’ve been on the run too long. I’d love to have a dog, or maybe a couple of cats. One day . . .
10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
As a gardener by profession and passion, I would travel back in time to visit with the creators of some the world’s finest gardens – Winterthur, the Gardens at Versailles, Sissinghurst Castle, Levens Hall, and many more. I’d love to talk with those architects and landscape designers as they sketched and planned and planted. And, I can’t think of better way to spend an afternoon, or a week, than visiting with Claude Monet at Giverny. Monet’s love affair with his gardens is captured so beautifully on his canvases, but can you imagine sitting there with him? Listening to him tell you why he selected certain plants, what he appreciates about each flower, and being able to ask him if the beauty of his land overwhelms him so much that he can’t not paint – doesn’t that sound like Heaven on earth?
Check out A Dream for Love on Amazon
A very interesting and secretive reply to the first question.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Thanks for stopping by, Mary! Laurel can’t risk sharing too much. It’s a shame, but she’s got to be careful.
Such an intriguing interview! Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of A Dream for Love!
texaggs2000 at gmail dot com
Thanks for stopping by, Britney! I hope you enjoy Laurel’s story. I had great fun with this one!!
sounds like a nice place
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
The Vineyard is awesome! When I moved here ten years ago, I fell in love with the everything about the Island and that love has only grown.
With so much tragedy in this world now, I love to read books that are lighthearted and humorous! A Dream for love sounds like a great read that I would enjoy reading!
rbooth 43 at yahoo dot com
I ‘m with you, Rebecca! I want to immerse myself in sweet, lighthearted comedies and romances to counteract the news we can’t (and shouldn’t on some levels) avoid. I hope you enjoy A Dream for Love!
I loved reading about this book and can’t actually wait to get the book!
Hi Angie,
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy Laurel and Ryan’s story, and little Gracie. That sweet princess stole my heart.
I am intrigued by this one! Thank you for the giveaway !
melback at cebridge dot net
Hi Melanie,
I hope you enjoy the story. Laurel’s had a tough go of it, and Ryan Crandall is NOT what she was looking or hoping for. They were a lot of fun to watch (and write).
So many interesting threads here. I can hardly wait!
SandraAllenLovelace(@)gmail.com
Hi Sandra,
I can hardly wait, too! I’m so excited for this book. It’s been a blast to write, and I hope you enjoy it!! Thanks, as always, for your support!!!!!