GIVEAWAY/INTERVIEW: Lily Everett Sanctuary Island

I welcome Lily Everett to The Reading Frenzy who talks about her newest novel–
"Sanctuary Island is a romance, definitely. I like to explore women’s fiction elements like mother-daughter relationships, the bonds between sisters and friends, and other issues women face, but my first love is romance."

• ISBN-13: 9781250018373
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 7/30/2013
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Pages: 343

***GIVEAWAY***
ONE COPY US ONLY
SANCTUARY ISLAND
SPONSORED BY LILY'S PUBLISHER
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS
GOOD LUCK!!!
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Overview:
SANCTUARY ISLAND by Lily Everett
When Ella’s sister decides to reunite with their estranged mother, Ella goes along for the ride—it’s always been the two Preston girls against the world. But Sanctuary Island, a tiny refuge for wild horses tucked off the Atlantic coast, is more inviting than she ever imagined.

Reviews:
“I didn’t read this book, I inhaled it.  An incredible story of love, forgiveness, healing and joy. “ –Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“I loved it!  A rare find.” –Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author of The First Love Cookie Club

“With richly nuanced characters and able plotting…Everett’s sweet contemporary debut illustrates the power of forgiveness and the strength of relationships that may falter but never fail.” –Publishers Weekly

"Sanctuary Island is a novel to curl up with and enjoy by a crackling fire or on a sunny beach. It’s a beautifully told story of hope and forgiveness, celebrating the healing power of love. Lily Everett writes with warmth, wisdom and deep insight. –Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Willow Lake series

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Hi Lily Welcome to my blog!

Tell us about your new novel Sanctuary Island.

Thanks so much for having me! I’m thrilled to be here to talk about Sanctuary Island, which is the story of Ella Preston, who accompanies her younger sister to a tiny island off the coast of Virginia to reconnect with their estranged mother—and in the process, Ella meets Grady Preston, a man with scars of his own. Both need healing and both have worked hard to overcome their pasts, but they learn that only together can they truly step into the sunshine and be happy. 

There are three novellas, a digital trilogy of the Billionaire Brothers, The Firefly Café, The Summer Cottage and Island Road to introduce your fans to Sanctuary Island.
Do they set up the story? Should fans read these as a prequel? 

I wrote the novellas to welcome readers to Sanctuary Island! Each one is a complete short romance that stands on its own, but they are linked to each other. And there are a couple of cameos from the full-length Sanctuary Island novels, but it’s not necessary to read the novellas as a prequel at all.

Is Sanctuary Island the beginning of a series?

There are three full-length books in the series planned so far, and I hope there will be more! I also hope to do a few more novellas, because they were so much fun to write.

#1 NYT bestselling author Debbie Macomber gave this novel a rave review.
How much is peer praise worth to you?

There are truly no words to describe how I felt when I saw her wonderful quote for the front cover of the book. It means so much to me that she took the time out of her crazy busy schedule to read a book by a writer she’d never met or heard of before. That alone is priceless! But the fact that she enjoyed the book enough to provide a quote blew me away. I feel incredibly lucky; I have beautiful quotes from several fabulous authors I’ve admired for years, including Bella Andre, Lori Wilde, and the incredible, incomparable Susan Wiggs!

Lily, in your bio it says that you grew up loving reading equestrian novels like Black Beauty and Misty of Chincoteague.
Did your love of reading lead you to write or did your journey originate from another direction?

I have always loved to read, and I think it was inevitable that one day I’d try to tell my own stories. Writing is a wonderful job with amazing challenges and a lot of interesting problems to solve day to day, but I have to admit…there are still days when all I really want to do is curl up with a great book and read!

So what genre shelf would you put Sanctuary Island on?

Sanctuary Island is a romance, definitely. I like to explore women’s fiction elements like mother-daughter relationships, the bonds between sisters and friends, and other issues women face, but my first love is romance. The intimacy between two characters as they learn to trust and be vulnerable to each other, the sexual tension while they’re falling in love, and the transcendent joy of the happily ever after! I can’t imagine writing a book that doesn’t have a happy ending, with that glorious I-love-you moment!

Fans can find you on Facebook and Twitter. Do you use these social media venues just to socialize or do you think they’re a good selling tool for you also?

That’s an interesting question—I don’t actually think social media sells a ton of books, in general. But it’s all connected, and the person that I chat with on Twitter or who laughs at a funny picture I post on Facebook might be more likely to give my book a try the next time she’s shopping for something satisfying and emotional to read. I hope so! But I can’t control that. All I can control is how much fun I have on Twitter and Facebook! I do it because I enjoy interacting with readers, bloggers, and other writers that way. If any sales happen as a result, that’s just a bonus.

Do you belong to a writers/critique group?

I have several groups of writing friends who provide incalculable support and encouragement through the roller coaster ride of writing a novel. Writing can be a very solitary job, so for me, it’s essential to have lots of relationships with people who understand what I’m going through because they’re going through it too. We all help each other!

We know what you loved reading as a girl. What do you enjoy reading now?

Romance. I take an occasional break for nonfiction (currently working my way through Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz) but mostly, it’s romance for me. I especially love historical romance, because it’s such an escape for me. I can’t wait for Sarah Maclean’s next installment in her Rules of Scoundrels series! In contemporary romance, I’m a huge fan of Julie James, and oh my gosh, Roxanne St. Claire’s Barefoot series! Can’t get enough.

Will there be any signing or events for this release?

I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be signing Advance Reading Copies of Sanctuary Island at the Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta this July, before the actual release date of July 30th! This will be at the St. Martins signing, which will only be open to conference attendees, but it’s the first time Sanctuary Island will be available to readers. Can’t wait!

Lily, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Good luck with the new novel!

Thanks again for having me, and for asking such interesting questions!

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