I must admit that I have a particular fondness for this month’s book club selection. You see, it was written by my best friend and She Reads co-founder, Marybeth Whalen. THE GUEST BOOK is her third novel, and in it we return to idyllic Sunset Beach, North Carolina, the much-loved setting of her debut novel.

This summer marks our third anniversary and as a way of saying thanks for every reader and comment and forum participant we’ve had along the way, we’re giving away three gorgeous, southern-themed gifts: a trip for two to Sunset Beach, a beach-themed gift set, and an all natural soap collection from Southern Soap Factory. Entry details can be found beneath each photo:

Enter into the world of  Sunset Beach, North Carolina!

Marybeth will be on our discussion forum all month talking with readers about THE GUEST BOOK and she’d love you to join her! All participants of this month’s discussion will be eligible to win the gift set above, including: a copy of THE GUEST BOOK, a handmade, studio-quality sea glass bracelet and earring set (from ArtShak studio in Southport NC, colors may vary from photo), beach themed candles, and a beautiful beach towel (colors may vary from photo). Each comment left on the discussion is another entry.

We often get emails from readers wanting to make sure they don’t miss our book announcements and giveaways. Easiest answer: sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter. You can do this at the top of our sidebar, on the right. And because we value each and every reader we’re giving away a Southern Soap Factory gift set (see above) for one new subscriber to our email newsletter this month. (Full disclosure: my husband is part owner in this company. But I can also tell you that this really is the best soap you will ever use. It’s handcrafted, all natural, and smells like heaven.)

And now, without further ado, a little bit about Marybeth’s novel:

When Macy Dillon was five years old her father encouraged her to draw a picture in the guestbook of a Carolina beach house. The next year, Macy returned to discover a drawing by an unidentified little boy on the facing page. Over the next eleven years the children continue to exchange drawings … until tragedy ends visits to the beach house altogether. During her final trip to Sunset, Macy asks her anonymous friend to draw her one last picture and tells him where to hide the guest book in hopes that one day she will return to find it—and him. Twenty-five years after that first picture, Macy is back at Sunset Beach—this time toting a broken family and a hurting heart. One night, alone by the ocean, Macy asks God to help her find the boy she never forgot, the one whose beautiful pictures touched something deep inside of her. Will she ever find him? And if she does, will the guestbook unite them or merely be the relic of a lost childhood?

You can read the first 40 pages here.

Marybeth Whalen is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. The family lives outside Charlotte, NC. Marybeth is the author of the novels “The Mailbox,” “She Makes It Look Easy” and the upcoming “The Guest Book”. She also serves as director of She Reads, an online book club focused on spotlighting the best in women’s fiction. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She’s always at work on her next novel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the book, She Reads will receive a very small commission. These commissions help us pay for the site and the services we offer. 

About Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon is the co-founder of She Reads, novelist, blogger, storyteller, and life-long reader. She lives in Texas with her husband and four young sons (aka The Wild Rumpus). Ariel believes that Story is the shortest distance to the human heart.

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The Sunset Inn -- Sunset Beach, North Carolina

We normally wait until the first Monday of each month to announce our book club selections but we wanted to give you a heads-up about our July pick. She Reads co-founder, Marybeth Whalen, takes us back to Sunset Beach, the setting of her first novel, in her latest release THE GUEST BOOK. And she wants to give you the chance to visit this idyllic oceanside town.

Marybeth Whalen is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. The family lives outside Charlotte, NC. Marybeth is the author of the novels “The Mailbox,” “She Makes It Look Easy” and the upcoming “The Guest Book”. She also serves as director of She Reads, an online book club focused on spotlighting the best in women’s fiction. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She’s always at work on her next novel. You can find her online at www.marybethwhalen.com.

We would love for you to enter this amazing contest. But remember, you must do so at Marybeth’s website!

About Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon is the co-founder of She Reads, novelist, blogger, storyteller, and life-long reader. She lives in Texas with her husband and four young sons (aka The Wild Rumpus). Ariel believes that Story is the shortest distance to the human heart.

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Welcome, friends, to a new month and a new book club selection. If you are stopping by after today’s devotion at Proverbs 31 Ministries, we’re delighted you came. You have stumbled upon a group of women who share a love for all things Story. And this month’s story is one that we could not be more excited about: A Watershed Year by Susan Schoenberger!

As usual we have a myriad of prizes to give away. Our first place winner will receive a Kindle, pre-loaded with a copy of A Watershed Year. Two additional winners will each receive a copy of the novel. And one participant of our online discussion group will receive a $35 gift card to Amazon, all courtesy of Guideposts Books. (To enter, simply leave a comment on this post or sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter. Winners will be randomly chosen on April 15th.) If you do not have a local book club, or your schedule prevents you from attending one in person, we highly suggest you join our online group. It’s free and you will find Kindred-book-loving-Spirits from all over the world to engage in discussion with.

And now, a bit about the novel:

A Watershed Year by Susan Schoenberger

It was the year that everything changed.

“It made me feel better to think that we could talk, somehow, beyond the end of my life, that I could preserve my presence in some small way. And I haven’t told you everything I should have. I wasn’t finished yet, at least where you are concerned…”

Lucy never confessed her love to her best friend Harlan before he passed away. Two months after his funeral, she is haunted by the power of things left unsaid when she receives the first of his e-mails arranged to be sent after his death. So begins the year that everything changes – Lucy’s watershed year.

In an e-mail Harlan says something that consumes her: He’s certain Lucy is destined for motherhood. In her grief she suddenly rediscovers hope, journeying to Russia to adopt a four-year-old boy. When she meets her son Mat for the first time, she realizes he’s also mending a wounded heart and is just as lost as she is. Together they learn to trust, each helping the other to heal. But just as they’re welcoming their new normal, Mat’s father comes to America to reclaim his son and reveals the truth about Mat’s past, which might shatter Lucy’s fragile family forever.

Susan Schoenberger’s breathtaking and powerful story of love, loss, redemption, and what it means to be a mother will leave you in awe as Lucy, in the depths of her greatest despair, somehow finds her greatest joy and embraces the beauty of second chances.

You can read an excerpt here.

About the Author

Susan Schoenberger

Susan Schoenberger has been a journalist since 1984 at various newspapers, including The Baltimore Sun and The Hartford Courant. Her articles, essays, and short stories have appeared in numerous publications. A Watershed Year is her first novel. Susan lives in West Hartford, CT, with her husband and three children

What others are saying about A Watershed Year:

“A Watershed Year is a well-told tale of life and death and the way, when we least expect it, love can encompass us roundabout. In the intriguing relationship between Lucy and Harlan – a relationship that continues long after the death of one and well into the blossoming of life in another – this author has created a vivid and continuous dream of what it means to create a kind of family, for better and worse. This is a brave and moving novel.” – Bret Lott, author of JEWELL, an Oprah Book Club Selection

“Susan Schoenberger takes us to the softer places of the heart in her debut novel, A Watershed Year, where love – in all its forms and glory – transforms grief into grace.” – Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times Bestselling author

“A Watershed Year traces with subtle humor and grace the months after the death Lucy’s beloved friend Harlan. Schoenberger’s spot-on storytelling adeptly draws out the ways in which our closest relationships can be imperfect and yet continue to transform us. The story often tugged me to tears – as much for the truths it reveals about human interconnectedness as for the pain of Lucy’s grief. However, I never felt manipulated or yanked unwillingly to boo-hoo over standard sorrows. Her characters are lovingly quirky yet complex enough to be believable. You’ve never met them before yet you know they exist!” – Juliette Fay, author Shelter Me and Deep Down True

Win, lose, or draw, we encourage you to pick up a copy of A Watershed Year. This is one novel you don’t want to miss!

On behalf of the She Reads team,

Ariel

About Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon is the co-founder of She Reads, novelist, blogger, storyteller, and life-long reader. She lives in Texas with her husband and four young sons (aka The Wild Rumpus). Ariel believes that Story is the shortest distance to the human heart.

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