The winner of signed copies of Carolina Home and Carolina Girl by Virginia Kantra is:
Erin
Congratulations! Please send your full name and mailing address to us at:
theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com
Showing posts with label Carolina Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carolina Home. Show all posts
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Virginia Kantra Winner
The winner of a signed copy of Carolina Home from Virginia Kantra's visit is
TxDEE
Congratulations! Please send your full name and mailing address to us at
theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Carolina Home Winner
The winner of a copy of Carolina Home by Virginia Kantra is
TRISHA M
Congratulations! Please send your full name and mailing address to us at
theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your book.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Review - - Carolina Home
Carolina Home
Dare Island - Book 1
By Virginia Kantra
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 3, 2012
It doesn't matter if she's writing romantic suspense, paranormal or straight contemporary; Virginia Kantra is an anto-buy author who has never let me down. Her skillfully crafted, character-driven stories and knack for creating a vivid sense of time and place bring readers into the heart of her stories and the hearts of the characters who populate them. Carolina Home introduces us to the Fletchers, a blue collar family from Dare Island, a fishing village off the coast of North Carolina.
Like many young people from Dare Island, Matt Fletcher left for college seventeen years ago with dreams of a life beyond his small hometown but his dreams were derailed when his college sweetheart became pregnant. They married but his rich, pampered wife wasn't ready to set aside her dreams and bailed on Matt, their baby son and their marriage. For a man to whom family is everything, this was completely unthinkable. Matt left school and brought his baby son back to Dare Island and the love and emotional support of his family. Now the captain of a fishing boat, Matt helps his parents with their inn, is a single dad to his sixteen-year-old son and though he enjoys no-strings dates, isn't about to offer his heart up to be trampled upon again...especially not to a gorgeous young woman with the same spoiled background as his ex-wife who, odds are, won't last beyond one winter on the isolated island.
Allison Carter knows she's considered an outsider on Dare Island. After all, most families in the tight knit community have been there for generations while Allison can count her tenure in weeks. But that doesn't mean that the young English teacher won't stay. The daughter of wealthy parents more interested in their social calendar than the happiness of their children, Allison has been searching for a home her whole life and Dare Island is where she plans to put down roots. She knows about Matt Fletcher and his serial dating past and has no interest in becoming another in a long list of "women who once dated Matt Fletcher" but she isn't prepared for the instant attraction to the man when she contacts him about problems his son is having in her class.
Matt sure has no plans to become involved with his son's teacher but circumstances keep bringing them together and the more time they spend with one another, the more they begin to see that there's more to each of them than the preconceived opinions each had of the other and, more importantly, they begin to discover that, together, each of them becomes more. When Matt's troubled young niece, a child none of the Fletchers knew existed, appears on their doorstep, it's Matt who she seems to trust the most and Allison is the person Matt turns to for support and advice, bringing the two of them closer and drawing Allison even deeper into the heart of the Fletcher family. The journey, however, for Matt, Allison and the entire Fletcher family isn't without some some significant bumps along the way, including the unexpected appearance of Allison's controlling, elitist parents and a near-tragedy that shakes the Fletchers to their bones.
I loved this book! While we never lose sight of the fact that this is Matt and Allison's book (and their's is a wonderful, emotionally satisfying story), there's so much more to Carolina Home than only the two of them. There are the people who live in Dare Island, the new and recently returned characters of whom we are sure to see more in upcoming books; the emotionally fragile little girl newly discovered and her tenuous tie to a military father with no clue what to do with her and Matt's son Josh, an engaging young man teetering on the edge of manhood. Then there's the hard-charging, work-til-you-drop executive sister whose life is turned on it's head and finally, at the center, Tess and Tom, a loving couple whose bond is solid as a rock and who are the heart and soul of this strong, supportive, very special family. I fell in love with all of them and can't wait for my next visit. Don't worry about keeping track of all the characters. Each of their roles is necessary to the complete story and Kantra weaves them in and out expertly. They are not characters who only make an introductory appearance to get you ready for future stories. They are essential family members who have a place and purpose and the story would not be complete without them.
While making your reading travel plans this summer, be sure to include a trip to the Carolina coast and Dare Island with Carolina Home. I highly recommend it.
~PJ
Because I loved this book so much, I'm giving away a copy to one randomly chosen person who leaves a comment today. Tell me about your favorite fictional families. What are the books on your summer "must read" list? Have you read Virginia Kantra's books before? Which ones are your favorites? Ever been to the Carolina coast or the Outer Banks? Let's dish!
Dare Island - Book 1
By Virginia Kantra
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Like many young people from Dare Island, Matt Fletcher left for college seventeen years ago with dreams of a life beyond his small hometown but his dreams were derailed when his college sweetheart became pregnant. They married but his rich, pampered wife wasn't ready to set aside her dreams and bailed on Matt, their baby son and their marriage. For a man to whom family is everything, this was completely unthinkable. Matt left school and brought his baby son back to Dare Island and the love and emotional support of his family. Now the captain of a fishing boat, Matt helps his parents with their inn, is a single dad to his sixteen-year-old son and though he enjoys no-strings dates, isn't about to offer his heart up to be trampled upon again...especially not to a gorgeous young woman with the same spoiled background as his ex-wife who, odds are, won't last beyond one winter on the isolated island.
Allison Carter knows she's considered an outsider on Dare Island. After all, most families in the tight knit community have been there for generations while Allison can count her tenure in weeks. But that doesn't mean that the young English teacher won't stay. The daughter of wealthy parents more interested in their social calendar than the happiness of their children, Allison has been searching for a home her whole life and Dare Island is where she plans to put down roots. She knows about Matt Fletcher and his serial dating past and has no interest in becoming another in a long list of "women who once dated Matt Fletcher" but she isn't prepared for the instant attraction to the man when she contacts him about problems his son is having in her class.
Matt sure has no plans to become involved with his son's teacher but circumstances keep bringing them together and the more time they spend with one another, the more they begin to see that there's more to each of them than the preconceived opinions each had of the other and, more importantly, they begin to discover that, together, each of them becomes more. When Matt's troubled young niece, a child none of the Fletchers knew existed, appears on their doorstep, it's Matt who she seems to trust the most and Allison is the person Matt turns to for support and advice, bringing the two of them closer and drawing Allison even deeper into the heart of the Fletcher family. The journey, however, for Matt, Allison and the entire Fletcher family isn't without some some significant bumps along the way, including the unexpected appearance of Allison's controlling, elitist parents and a near-tragedy that shakes the Fletchers to their bones.
I loved this book! While we never lose sight of the fact that this is Matt and Allison's book (and their's is a wonderful, emotionally satisfying story), there's so much more to Carolina Home than only the two of them. There are the people who live in Dare Island, the new and recently returned characters of whom we are sure to see more in upcoming books; the emotionally fragile little girl newly discovered and her tenuous tie to a military father with no clue what to do with her and Matt's son Josh, an engaging young man teetering on the edge of manhood. Then there's the hard-charging, work-til-you-drop executive sister whose life is turned on it's head and finally, at the center, Tess and Tom, a loving couple whose bond is solid as a rock and who are the heart and soul of this strong, supportive, very special family. I fell in love with all of them and can't wait for my next visit. Don't worry about keeping track of all the characters. Each of their roles is necessary to the complete story and Kantra weaves them in and out expertly. They are not characters who only make an introductory appearance to get you ready for future stories. They are essential family members who have a place and purpose and the story would not be complete without them.
While making your reading travel plans this summer, be sure to include a trip to the Carolina coast and Dare Island with Carolina Home. I highly recommend it.
~PJ
Because I loved this book so much, I'm giving away a copy to one randomly chosen person who leaves a comment today. Tell me about your favorite fictional families. What are the books on your summer "must read" list? Have you read Virginia Kantra's books before? Which ones are your favorites? Ever been to the Carolina coast or the Outer Banks? Let's dish!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Today's Special - - Virginia Kantra
It's my pleasure to welcome New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra back to The Romance Dish. I fell in love with Virginia's writing about seven years ago when she released two romantic suspense novels (CLOSE UP and HOME BEFORE MIDNIGHT). I immediately searched out her earlier Silhouette books then happily followed her into her contemporary paranormal Children of the Sea series and now into her straight contemporary Dare Island series. No matter what sub-genre she's writing, she never fails to capture my reader's heart.
Virginia loves reading romance novels, taking long walks on the beach, and cookies. (Which is why she needs to take those long walks!) She loves hearing from her readers.
Virginia loves reading romance novels, taking long walks on the beach, and cookies. (Which is why she needs to take those long walks!) She loves hearing from her readers.
And on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VirginiaKantraBooks
This coming Saturday, July 7, Virginia is very excited to be signing her latest release, Carolina Home, at Nora Roberts’ Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro,MD. To order your signed copy or for more information, visit
“Home” Cooking – Virginia
Kantra
I’m so happy to be back at The Romance Dish! And since we’re
“dishing,” I thought I’d talk about food. Sooner or later in my books, the hero
always feeds the heroine. Why? Well, it
could be because food has a long history as an aphrodisiac. Alcohol lowers
inhibitions. Chocolate contains both a soothing sedative and a stimulant to
increase desire. Oysters, which change their sex between male and female, are
supposed to put you in touch with your feminine side. Or your masculine side.
Whatever.
Maybe the hero feeding the heroine has to do with that whole
hunter-gatherer thing. You know, we’re genetically programmed to want a man who
can drag a woolly mammoth chop back to the cave.
I think it’s likely that on some level food = dating. The
pacing of our lives – and our novels – rarely allows for leisurely meals where
we can savor the food and the company.
But women, and women readers, want more.
We want courtship. We crave
conversation. We believe
in…dating. When the hero and heroine
share a meal and the events of their day or their lives, the connection feels
authentic to us. We can believe in their happy ending.
Of course, my preoccupation with food in romance could spring
from the fact that I’m married to a man who can cook. It’s sexy. The setting
doesn’t have to be a five-star restaurant. Not every woman craves champagne and
caviar. But when the hero feeds the heroine, he is being attentive to her
needs. And a man who satisfies his partner’s appetites in one way, well...
Matt Fletcher, the hero of Carolina Home, is no gourmet chef. But he’s definitely capable of
giving the heroine, Allison Carter, what she needs.
He grabbed a quilt from the back
and spread it over the truck bed. “Up you go.”
He boosted her onto the
tailgate, his hands hard and strong. She caught her breath as he swung up
beside her, the truck bouncing beneath his weight. His thigh brushed hers, his
body warm and close. He stretched an arm behind her, making her heart beat
faster.
Making his move, she thought.
He dragged a cooler forward from
the back and began to unload it.
A picnic.
Her lips curved as he laid out
grapes and cheese and wrapped sandwiches. She found the simple spread more
appealing than her mother’s themed and catered menus, more romantic than an
overpriced meal in some fancy restaurant. Matt lifted a bottle of wine from the
cooler.
And far more seductive.
She watched as he lit a Coleman
lantern, as he pulled a corkscrew from his pocket.
“Very nice,” she said. “Do you
come here often?”
“I used to. With my grandda,
fifteen, twenty years ago.” Expertly, he uncorked the wine. “It hasn’t changed
much.”
“You don’t like change?”
“I didn’t say that. You can’t
live on an island without accepting change. Storms come, beaches erode,
families die out or move away. Old houses are bulldozed to make way for a
parking lot or a septic tank.”
He poured wine into two plastic
tumblers, handed her one. “You live with loss, you learn to appreciate the
things that endure. The sea. The moon. The lighthouse.”
“The things that endure,”
she repeated softly. “I like that.”
Wasn’t that what she’d come to Dare Island
She wanted to build a life here,
to make a permanent place for herself, something solid, something lasting.
She didn’t want to be another in
the long line of Women Who Had Dated Matt Fletcher, the summer girls who lasted
a few days or weeks.
It was both tempting and
dangerous to believe she could be more.
She sipped her wine. “Thank you.
You’re very good at this.”
He paused, unwrapping a sandwich.
“This?”
She flapped her hand,
encompassing the scene. “The secluded beach, the private picnic, the bottle of
wine. It’s really nice,” she said again. “You’re awfully . . .” Practiced. “Prepared.”
“Not me. My mom.”
Allison blinked. “Your mother?”
“The inn keeps supplies on hand
for the guests, wine and cheese, box lunches, that kind of thing. Those are my
mother’s cookies.” – from Carolina Home
* * *
When Matt feeds
Allison, he’s offering her a piece of himself, a part of his history, along
with the cookies. And that, to me, is better than chocolate.
Here’s Matt’s
mom’s recipe for chocolate chip cookies from Carolina Home.
Cream together
until light and fluffy:
½ C butter,
softened
½ C Crisco
½ C sugar
½ C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Add: 2 eggs and
beat well.
In a separate
bowl, combine:
2 ¼ C all
purpose flour
1 tsp baking
soda
½ tsp salt
Add flour
mixture gradually to butter and sugar, beating well.
Stir in:
Drop by
teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 mins.
***
Tell me, what is your “perfect date” food?
Does the man in your life cook for you?
One randomly chosen person leaving a comment today will receive a signed copy of Carolina Home!
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