Title:Sunshine Beach
Author:Wendy Wax
Series:Ten Beach Road, #4
Published:June 2016, Berkley
Format:Paperback, 432 pages
In this brand-new summer read by the USA Today bestselling author of The House on Mermaid Point, three women join forces to bring a historic seaside hotel back to life…
There’s nothing that a fresh coat of paint and a few glasses of wine can’t fix…
After
losing their life savings in a Ponzi scheme, Maddie, Avery, and Nikki
have banded together to make the most of what they have left, using
their determination, ingenuity, guts, and a large dose of elbow grease.
It’s Maddie’s daughter Kyra who stumbles across a once glorious
beachfront hotel that has fallen into disrepair. The opportunity to
renovate this seaside jewel is too good to pass up—especially when they
come up with the idea of shooting their own independent television show
about the restoration. What could possibly go wrong?Everything. With the cameras rolling, Maddie’s second-chance romance
with her all-too-famous new boyfriend gets complicated, Avery struggles
with grief over the loss of her mother, and Nikki’s reluctance to commit
to the man who loves her could leave her to face the biggest challenge
of her life. Even the hotel seems to be against them, when their
renovation uncovers a decades-old unsolved murder which just might bring
their lives tumbling down all over again…
Praise for Wendy
Wax’s Ten Beach Road novels
“Wax’s Florida titles . . .
are terrific for lovers of women’s fiction and family drama.”—Library
Journal
“These books are great summer reads . . . I only
wish I was down in Florida with the ladies.”—5
Minutes for Books
TEN BEACH ROAD
“If you loved Jennifer Weiner’s Fly Away Home for its wise and
witty look at the lives of people grappling with personal setbacks . . . then
try Ten Beach Road . . . [a] warm, wry novel.”–Collette Bancroft, St.
Petersburg Times
“This dynamic, fast-paced story is a
loving tribute to friendship and the power of the female spirit.”–Las Vegas Review-Journal
OCEAN BEACH
“Where shall I begin? This is a wonderful “ensemble” grouping
of characters . . . a terrific book . .
. beautifully written . . . one fantastic read, and I hope you’ll take the time
to enjoy it as I did.” —The Book Binge
“A well-rounded supporting
cast and just the right amount of suspense and drama.”–Publishers Weekly
THE HOUSE ON
MERMAID POINT
“The women from Ten Beach Road and Ocean Beach are back! . . .
I already can’t wait for the next book . . . an excellent addition to your
beach bag this summer.” —The Book Chick
“Clever and entertaining .
. . a spectacular backdrop . . . strong, creative women . . . with just the
right amount of savoir faire . . . A perfect beach side read.” —Florida Book Page, NPR station WGCU
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About the author: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says bestselling author Wendy Wax “writes with breezy wit and keen insight into family relations.” Her contemporary women’s fiction has been compared to that of Jennifer Weiner and Karen Joy Fowler and her books, including, including her Ten Beach Road novels, Ten Beach Road, Ocean Beach, and The House on Mermaid Point, A Week at the Lake, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey and others, have been featured in national media such as USA Today, Ladies’ Home Journal, CNN Online and Woman’s World.
When Ten Beach Road was published in 2011, Wendy had no intention of moving her protagonists beyond the beachfront mansion they renovated in St. Pete Beach, Florida, where the author was born and raised. However, Wax found her own enthusiasm for her disparate characters matched by that of readers and reviewers, so when a new Ten Beach Road story began to take shape, she couldn’t resist putting aside her work-in-progress to spend more time with her intrepid DIYers.
The author of thirteen novels, Wendy currently splits her time between Atlanta, where she has lived for almost twenty years, and New York City. When not writing, she visits with readers at bookstores and book events, reads, enjoys her and her husband’s newly empty nest and catches up with her sons on the serendipitous occasions when everyone ends up in the same place at the same time.
Authors Links:
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A Q&A WITH SUNSHINE BEACH AUTHOR
WENDY WAX
Welcome, Wendy!
It’s been two years since we last
heard from Ten Beach Road’s Maddie,
Avery and Nikki and I know readers have been looking forward to their return. I
think it’s great that they’re back at Bella Flora in Sunshine Beach.
Yes, they’re
back in Pass-a-Grille along with Kyra, Dustin, and most of the friends, family
and crew of Do Over. They’re
determined to figure out how to regain control of the show. Even Nigel,
everybody’s favorite Paparazzi is there.
What’s going on with the show?
The episodes
filmed in The House on Mermaid Point haven’t aired yet, but it’s already
clear to the Do Over cast that the
footage is far too personal and will and show them at their worst whenever
possible. Plus the treatment—miniscule budgets and no approval of editing along
with contrived hardships and unnecessary intrusions by the network—all make it impossible for them to
produce the sort of program they first imagined and, in Ocean Beach, thought
they’d be creating. So this a major turning point. They’re looking for a way to
reclaim Do Over and that’s what leads
to the discovery of the seemingly abandoned mid-century modern Sunshine Hotel,
next door to the Don CeSar and just two miles from Bella Flora.
Is this as complete a renovation as
they’ve tackled in earlier books?
Absolutely. However, they’re getting resistance to even
starting the project. The owners, two sisters, who inherited the hotel from
their grandparents, have left it moldering for decades, unable to agree what to
do with it. One sister wants to see it
renovated and sold. The other believes that the key to a long ago family
tragedy lies in the hotel and doesn’t want it touched.
So they really have their hands full.
With that
and more, actually. Even when the
cameras begin rolling, complications arise.
Maddie’s romance with rock legend William the Wild gets
complicated. The paparazzi remain on
call 24/7 hoping to catch sight of mega movie star Danielle Deranian or Kyra
and his son, Dustin. Nikki’s reluctance
to commit to Joe could leave her to face the biggest challenge of her life
alone. Even the Sunshine Hotel seems to
be against them when the renovation uncovers a decades-old unsolved death and
disappearance. Among the many emotional and physical ramifications of hosting a
crime scene is that, quite simply, production grinds to a halt. Not a matter of life or death, of course, but
it could be the death knell for the women of Ten Beach Road financially.
What else can you tell us about Sunshine
Beach?
One of my
favorite aspects of the book is the Sunshine Hotel itself and that’s because
the inspiration for it came from my own childhood. You may know I’m a native of St. Pete
Beach. When I was growing up, my family
belonged to The Rellim Hotel and Beach Club on Pass-a-Grille Beach. I spent summer days at The Rellim pursuing
my childhood job—fun—back and forth between the pool, in particular the diving
board, and the Gulf, stopping occasionally for ice cream and “sun tan lotion.”
I loved The Rellim. It opened in 1949
and closed in 1981. Needless to say, it was part of the inspiration for my
Sunshine Hotel, giving me a chance to reminisce and to share a bit of what made
it so special to me.
Are any other locations inspired by
real places in St. Pete Beach?
No and
that’s because actually I just highjack most of them whole and put them in the
book. Many of the places I send my Ten Beach Road characters are real,
though not all were around when I was still living there. Most of those I
include are places I enjoy going to and it’s fun to share them with
readers. The Paradise Grille, which used
to be a concession stand, the historic Don CeSar and The Wharf Restaurant are
among those mentioned in Sunset Beach. In fact, I’ll be doing a Sunset Book Signing
at the Paradise Grille in June. It and
my other southeast book tour dates and stops are on the Events &
Appearances page at authorwendywax.com.
Anything else you’d like to share
with readers?
Yes! There’s a
fabulous downloadable Sunshine Beach Book Club Kit available and I just love
it. Everyone’s invited to check it
out. It includes the “Wax Family Never
Fail (cross my heart!) Egg Souffle” recipe that Maddie makes. It’s as close to a Cheez Doodle as anyone’s
willing to give Avery first thing in the morning. It also includes my memories
of “The Beach I Grew Up On” and pics of the real mid-century hotel that
inspired Sunshine Beach, along with discussion questions.
Oh, and just
to remind everyone that book news, updates and giveaways can also be found on
Facebook and Twitter and there’s a newsletter sign up on my site, as well. And that my USA Today bestseller, A
Week at the Lake, will be published in mass market for the first time on
Tuesday, June 28th.
Thanks for
giving me a chance to share Sunshine Beach with you and your readers!
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GIVEAWAY DETAILS – (US only)
Thanks to the publicist I have one copy of Sunshine Beach to give away to my readers. To enter the giveaway, please fill out the form by June 17th.
Form closed
This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends June 17th.
Good Luck!!!
Wow two years since the last one, didn't realise that! I have this one on pre-order at Audible. Yippee, can't wait!
Sounds great, I can't wait to read it.
I can't wait for this one, too! I think I'm going to re-read Ten Beach Road!