The Bookstore on the Beach: A Novel
Brenda Novak
On Sale Date: April 6, 2021
9780778361053
Trade Paperback
$16.99 USD
448 pages
About the Book:
For fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Mary Kay Andrews, comes New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak's newest standalone work of women's fiction, a big, sweeping novel about family and the ties that bind and challenge us. In this novel, three generations of women from the same family share a house and work together at a bookstore in Colonial Beach over the course of a summer.
How do you start a new chapter when you haven’t closed the book on the last one?
Eighteen months ago, Autumn Divac’s husband went missing. Her desperate search has yielded no answers—she still has no idea where he went or why. After being happily married for twenty years, she can’t imagine moving forward without him, but for the sake of their two teenage children, she has to try.
Autumn takes her kids home for the summer to the charming
beachside town where she was raised. She seeks comfort by working alongside her
mother and aunt at their quaint bookshop, only to learn that her daughter is
facing a life change neither of them saw coming and her mother has been hiding
a terrible secret for years. And when she runs into Quinn Vanderbilt—the boy
who stole her heart in high school—old feelings start to bubble up again. Is
she free to love him, or should she hold out hope for her husband’s return? She
can only trust her heart…and hope it won’t lead her astray.
Purchase Links:
Q&A with Brenda Novak
Q: Did you go to the library when you were in elementary
school? If so, do you remember any of your favorite books or series from
childhood?
A: The library in elementary school was where I
developed my love of reading. I remember hating to read in the beginning, but
once my teacher took us to the library and let us choose any book we wanted, I
happened upon a shelf of classics. I picked up JANE EYRE and absolutely
devoured it. Then I went back and got THE SECRET GARDEN and moved through that
entire shelf within weeks. I remember thinking, “So this is reading!”
And I’ve loved it ever since.
Q: What hobbies do you enjoy?
A: I love to play pickleball. My oldest son introduced
me to the game and gave me a racquet for Mother’s Day, and I’ve been playing
ever since. It’s such a fun/addictive thing to do. I also spend a lot of time
with my two grandchildren. They’re not quite a hobby, of course, but if I’m not
working that’s where I spend most of my time.
Q: What is your favorite food/dessert/cuisine?
A: I love Mexican food, and I’m fortunate to live in
California, where it’s easy to find really great tacos. There are some smoked
tri-tip tacos at a little delicatessen my husband discovered that are to die
for. They only serve them three days a week, though, so we have to plan out our
trips.
Q: Where would you choose to go on holiday if time and
money were not of consideration?
A: Two years ago, I would’ve said Egypt, but I was
able to go there the year before the pandemic started, and I absolutely loved
it. I’ve always been fascinated by their antiquities. They have an absolute
embarrassment of riches when it comes to relics from two thousand or more years
ago. Now I would have to say India. I don’t yet know a lot about that, but it
seems so exotic and wonderful to me--and I love the food. India is definitely
on my bucket list!
Q: Is there a book you would like to write that would
require in-person research that would take you to a foreign country and if so,
where would you be heading to do research?
A: Because I write women’s fiction, I would have to say
France, Italy, Ireland or Scotland. I started my career writing English
historicals, so I actually have traveled to a foreign country for research. (OF
NOBLE BIRTH, HONOR BOUND, THROUGH THE SMOKE & A MATTER OF GRAVE CONCERN)
Q: Is there a genre that you have not written in that you
might like to try someday?
A: I would love to write a long historical saga. I
actually have one brewing in my mind, so...who knows? Maybe one day I’ll get
around to writing it.
Q: Do you write under other pen names?
A: No. It’s hard enough to promote one name! LOL
Q: Do you have pets or animals you would like to have as
pets?
A: I raised five kids, so I’m taking a break from being
responsible for other people--even animals. But I have a grand-dog--a Chow Chow
named Simba, and he’s so fluffy and mild-tempered. It’s the same as having grandbabies.
I get all the fun without the hard work! Ha!
About the Author:
Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels. She is a five-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Bookbuyer's Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.
SOCIAL:
TWITTER: @Brenda_Novak
Insta: @authorbrendanovak
