emails that go bump in the night ...

Just keeps getting eerier ... So last week I told you that the hero of another writer's novel called my house. If you missed that post, you can read it here.

Then last Friday evening, I opened up my email and received this (in part):

I'm just curious where you got the inspiration for your Gage Mitchell character because it keeps coming up in my Google Alerts and he sounds a lot like me actually... from what I've read. Strange coincidence, I know.

My name is Gage Mitchell and I own a small sustainable design studio. I think your character is an architect, but I'm a graphic designer. Both creative design fields, both eco-professionals, both with a cool name. ;)

Omg!

After 'tweeting' about this latest email from 'a character' of a book ~ my book, this time ~ a Facebook friend also asked how I came up with Gage's name (Hero of A Shore Thing). So for the record, here's a glimpse into the strange mind of this writer:

...My hero's name must sound strong. I tend to favor one syllable (so far there's been Doug, Jake, Josh, Gage, and coming up, Seth). And Gage looks like (wink, wink) the actor, Simon Baker ~ so of course, ...the name had to fit. Also, I look at what the name means. Gage means measurer (which works for an architect, don't you think?) and Mitchell indicates faith ~ it is a name that stands for the question Who is like God? Finally, it has to sound good to the ear. Yes, I practiced saying it a few times in the privacy of my tiny office closet :)

So there you have it Real Gage Mitchell (with the real strong name :) and Readers ~ the rather involved steps I take in choosing character names. (Would be so much easier to open up the phone book and choose at random, now that I'm thinking about it ...;)

Have a beachy day, my friends ... wherever you are!

Merry Christmas!

I'll be signing books with my pal, Kathryn Cushman, at TWO Borders stores next Saturday, September 11, 2010. If you're in SoCal, stop on by for some early Christmas shopping! (Seriously, we'd be happy to inscribe Feliz Navidad, Happy Christmas, or whatever you'd like :)

(This photo's from 2007, when Katie, Jim Bell and I held our Promises, Chocolate and ... Murder event.)

I'll be signing A SHORE THING, an Otter Bay Novel. In this story, a fiery young woman's fight against a beachfront development gets personal when she begins to fall for the architect assigned to the job.

Katie will be signing ANGEL SONG, her fourth book and one she co-wrote with Sheila Walsh. In this story, angels eagerly watch over Annie Fletcher's every move. She just doesn't know it yet.

If you're in the 'hood, we'd love to see you:

11 am to 1 pm
BORDERS ~ Oxnard
241 West Esplanade Drive
Oxnard, CA
(805) 988-6886.

3 pm to 5 pm
BORDERS ~ Goleta
7000 Marketplace Drive
Goleta, CA
(805) 968-1370

Tweet of the Week

My DVR is set to record all episodes of House Hunters International because my nightcap of choice is to 'travel' to some beautiful seaside place before heading off to dreamland :). So the other night I was watching the episode when a gal travels to Malta to buy a vacation place. Although I didn't agree on the place she chose--LOL, when do I ever?--I enjoyed touring the area with her.

This particular night I tweeted : "House Hunters International, I heart you." The next day HGTV contacted me to ask if they could include my note in their 'Tweet of the Week.' Um, let me think...YES!

They then sent me some legal stuff, and I signed it, so my words may (finally!) make it to the (little) screen. LOL ... Let me know if and when you see it, alrighty? Have a beachy week, my friends!

calls that go bump in the night ...

So a character from a book called my home last night. Seriously. The phone rang at 8:20 pm, and Call Waiting read: Asher Price. No one was on the other end (even creepier), but I just stared at the name, trying to remember where I'd seen it before.

"What's wrong?" my daughter asked.

Omg! I ran down the hall. She followed. I grabbed the book from my shelf, turned it over, and pointed at the text on the back cover. "Asher Price just called!"

We both screamed, laughing.

"It's like that movie, Mom. Stranger than Fiction. A character is talking to you!"

"Yeah," I said. "but it's not one of my characters!"

Methinks it's time to take a break from all this writing. I'm going to the beach. And not answering the phone ...

Charlie and me

That's Charlie the Dog in the photo. I was on deadline awhile back, ignoring him, so he decided to slip into something more comfortable ... and wait until I noticed.

Instead of a writing deadline, I'm on an editing one at the moment. But it all looks the same to Charlie, i.e., I AM IGNORING HIM. He gallops into the office and slaps his paws on the floor next to me, looking for a playmate. I want to say, Hey, I just sent one off to college! I want to be free! He doesn't care.

I get asked all the time what kind of doggy he is. We adopted Charlie from a shelter, so the best guess we have is some kind of beagle mix. I modeled Moondoggy from A Shore Thing after him. The pooch on the cover has a longer snout, but don't they kind of look alike? One thing is certain, they both have minds of their own and will do whatever it takes to get some attention. Lol...

Fade to ... School

School's officially back in session for most kids around my 'hood. Yours? This includes all three of mine which means that the edits I received on Friday for my next book, FADE TO BLUE, will probably actually get done. Woo-hoo! I'm so excited about this book! If you read A SHORE THING you'll love this new story because it picks up where Suz--Gage's sister--left off. Learn what happens in the life of the single mother with a tumultuous past.

Also my publisher has moved up the release date ~ FADE TO BLUE will be out before most kids finish this year of school! Again with the woot :) We've looked at several covers and I think you'll love the one we chose. SO. PRETTY. I'd buy it just to keep on the coffee table. LOL

Okay, enough of this frivolity! Back to work for me (and back to school for the kiddos :) Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Whaddaweek!

I'm officially Mom to a middle schooler, a high schooler and a COLLEGE student!!! Funny since I'm JUST SO YOUNG! Ha :)

So the big move was this weekend. Bittersweet times. After two days of mini-seminars and orientations and mixers and meals, thousands of new students and families gathered on the great lawn on Saturday night for a big send off. Tissue boxes were scattered about as we worshiped God under a shiny round moon. Then there was communion and private family prayer time. Thought for sure I was going to lose it!!! After all, parents and students were sobbing ALL AROUND US.

But then my son said something that made me giggle, and all hope for the 'mama-style' breakdown was gone. We ended up leaving our kiddo at the entrance to the dorm, fully confident that with God watching over him, he was ready for this new chapter. Truthfully, I'd had a quiet cry earlier that morning ... so enough already!

After church on Sunday, we took our daughters to lunch and when the hostess asked, "How many?" our older daughter automatically answered, "Five." Whoops! With Matt away at college, that number has been shaved to four.

Oh boy. THIS is going to take some getting used to!

To all my college-mama friends out there, past, present, and future ~ have a beachy day, wherever you are :-)

Gone fishing ...

Not really. I don't fish ~ I just eat them :)

Looks like a lovely weekend ahead. Stay away from mindless TV and get outside, if you can. We're moving our son into his dorm, but it's so amazing on our stretch of California that we might just fling open the sunroof and take the coast route home afterward (the wind will dry the tears, for sure!).

Have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

College bound ...

It's an emotional week! Our oldest is moving off to college this weekend and I'm not sure how I'm going to handle that. The girls are excited--they've already been planning ways to makeover his room. How they're going to afford a leather couch and flat screen is beyond me, but hey, we all have our dreams.

But all I know is the kid who's been here for almost 19 years will be living more than two hours away. We'll go weeks without seeing him (although I'm suddenly interested in skype), and he'll have to fend for himself more than ever. (Since I'm not the best cook in the world, and he's a hungry boy, he might say that he's already been fending for himself, LOL) Still, it's a huge shift in our little family.

Author friend Sherry tells me that she went to Biola too--and met her husband the very first month of freshman year!!! Cannot. Imagine. (Incidentally, she says students were affectionately known as Biola Betty and Biola Bob, and I'm wondering if this is still true ...?)

Ah, well, he's ready for the change I think. He's worked hard to get into college--and already has a job in place on campus. I'm proud of him! Nervous about the changes ahead ... but proud! So that chick you see buying up all the Biola Mom merchandise in the bookstore, well, that would be ME!

Day of rest

One child started school this week, another starts her junior year of high school next, and our son is currently packing to move to college in about 6 days. Yet I'm the one in a tizzy. Can you relate? Busy, busy, busy. And no matter how 'green' our country professes to be, there seems to be more paperwork than ever!

No wonder Amish books remain so popular ...

Anyhoo, tomorrow's Sunday, so I'm hoping to rest and I'm giving you permission to do the same. (Unless you're a minister. If so--sorry, but you must work to 'feed' all of us sheep :)

My daughter took this secret picture of me walking along the beach in Carpinteria (I'm about to walk right in front of Kevin Costner's house). I loved the two days we spent up there. Sooo serene. This picture reminds me of a beach scene above my bed. When our youngest was about 3, she pointed at it and said, "I want to go there."

I so get that.

Let's go surfin' now ...

If you've read this blog before, you know my mini obsession with beach rides. See this post for some I've spotted here on the coast.

So anyway, while we were in Pennsylvania last month, we rented a Ford Flex. So. Much. Fun. I do not have stock in Ford ~ I promise! But that thing was comfy (leather seats like 'buttah!') and tricked out with a GPS, DVD, and synced up phones. Reminded me of a souped up woody. Can't you just see this thing cruising the coast with a surfboard on top?

It is big though. A little too big for me. Think: lowered Suburban. Still when we arrived at LAX and slid into my foreign made mini-suv with its stiff-leather and cramped spaces, we all kind of groaned. Lol ...

Bookstore visits & sunny daze

So apparently the Farmer's Almanac warned us about an especially cool summer ~ our friend Alex told us this last eve. But today...oh, TODAY...the sun is (finally) out on the California coast. It's not been AWOL all summer, but pretty much. I was starting to sense a lack of vitamin D in my system, Lol

To celebrate, I'm going to enjoy these last few days of freedom from early morning rides to school and making bag lunches. Yes, school starts soon. Too soon, if you ask me (nobody did). I suppose if my kids were younger and driving me crazy, I'd be glad. But they're not and (for the most part) they aren't, so I'd rather we extend the lovely carefree days for, say, another month.

Not that my days are all that carefree with book promos, but still! Speaking of promoting a book, A SHORE THING, is popping up in stores all over the place. Happiness! In between dodging the clouds, I visited several of these stores. THANKS to all the bookstore staffers who welcomed me!

If you're in the SoCal area, here are the stores I visited with beachy bookmarks (I also signed copies of Shore when asked):

GOLETA Borders
SANTA BARBARA Barnes & Noble (signed copies)
VENTURA Barnes & Noble
THOUSAND OAKS Barnes & Noble (signed copies)
CALABASAS Barnes & Noble
WOODLAND HILLS Barnes & Noble (signed copies)

Happy Beach Reading, my friends ~ wherever you are ;-)

Make it a good one!

Beach daze

Came back from visiting family last week and the work was piled THIS high. Sheesh! But it's all good. Today I visited a couple of Barnes & Noble stores that carry A Shore Thing (Calabasas & Thousand Oaks). Tomorrow I'll stop by a couple of stores in Santa Barbara, and then a few more down south on Friday. If you're near any of these, stop by and pick up a bookmark at the customer service desk. My publisher B&H designed them and they're very 'beachy' :)

Speaking of the beach, I refuse to let the proliferation of back-to-school clothes drown out the need for summer to last. We have through late September people! Can I hear an Amen?

One of my daughters starts school next week already. I know, crazy. The Ventura County Fair will be still going on then. Might even take her to see that cutey patooty Dierks Bentley. Which will she remember more? 7th grade homework or staying out late to see a Country Music star on a school night?

My point exactly.

Here's to good memories ~ and another six weeks of summer :-)

Pennsylvania Shore

It's our last full day in Pennsylvania visiting family. Word is were heading out for some elk viewing soon. Oh, man, we're a long way from the coast of Cali! Haha. So anyhoo, I'm glad we've been here in the summertime. Able to experience kayaking and biking...pretty much what I do at home (in spare time, of course), except this time I'm surrounded by woods and mountains and bodies of fresh water (as opposed to the salty stuff...) Hubby and kids even hiked into the woods and picked two containers full of blueberries and blackberries. SUCH a pretty time of year in the east!

On another note, I wanted to let you know that Michelle Vasquez over at Life in Review is giving away a copy of A Shore Thing. I've been sooo honored by the interest in my latest Otter Bay Novel. I love Callie and Gage and romance and conflict and sea life...and I've been getting lots of reader mail too. You BLESS me when you write, so THANK YOU so much!

Please let your friends know about Michelle's giveaway, or if you haven't had a chance to pick up your copy, please enter! Or you can pick up a copy in bookstores or online (Amazon has it on sale for less than 10 bucks!).

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are (and in my case, that would be NW Pennsylvania....:)

It's our fifth day in rural Pennsylvania and time to go to the city. Okay, so it's more like a town. Those of you from this area know that much of PA is made up of quaint country towns strung together like one long cord of Christmas lights. Thankfully we're here in summer, because usually we're here in gray winter when most of the lights have burned out, haha. I digress.

My dear father in law became ill during our stay and is recuperating in the hospital. We're sad because we don't get to see him, but glad to hang out with grandma while he's gone (although we're probably driving her crazy, LOL). So today we gave her a break and drove ... quite a ways ... to watch a movie. My brother Mikey is an artist animator (I SO want to build a character around his experiences!) and he worked on the latest Nicolas Cage release, Sorcerer's Apprentice. So hubby and I went to see that while the kids caught a showing of Despicable Me.

Hubby and I were the only ones in the theater (small town? remember?), so besides necking (haha--hey, we're married), I texted my brother. Wanted to make sure I knew which scenes he animated. Fortunately he got back to me before one of his big scenes--the car chase--came up. Just something about watching a film that has a family member's fingerprints on it, you know? Great scene, by the way. He usually blows up stuff in his scenes, so morphing a fancy Bentley (I think) into a Ferrari was pretty cool, I must say.

We're back at the homestead now, and getting ready to grill burgers on the patio. I cooked last night (enchiladas, naturally), so I'm off duty tonight (yes!). Here's to good health, family, and beachy days, my friends ~ wherever you are...

Winners!

Hello from Pennsylvania! We made it across country and have been visiting with family since Friday. Good times. Lots of humidity through yesterday, plus sudden, thunderous rain and occasional lightning. Sooo different than the California coast where I live! Fortunately no lightning during the family reunion at Parker Dam last Saturday, so I was able to rent a kayak and splash around in the water. Loved it!

Back to last week's contest... My sweet niece Samantha picked a couple of numbers, and we have our winners. CONGRATS to:

Librarian ~ Lonnie from the Midlothian Branch of the Chesterfield County Public Library in VA.
Reader ~ Jackie L

Both will receive copies of A Shore Thing! Thanks SO much to everyone who entered by comment or email. Received many, many fun postings and beach recommendations. Who knows? Maybe I'll set a book in one of them some day? :)

Vacation!

So Wednesday night, the girls and I drove up to Paso Robles to see JUSTIN BIEBER (Hear the crowd roaring??) at the mid-state fair. SUCH. FUN. (I won't mention the absolutely detestable motel we stayed in, though...) On our walk over the fair to see JB, we saw this truck and the girls had to pose. What can I say? When opportunity presents itself....

So anyway, while preteen girl and friend enjoyed their THIRD ROW seats next to the stage, TEEN GIRL and I giggled and danced like crazy people in the LAST ROW! We didn't care, though, cuz JB gave a great show, as did Sean Kingston at opening. Something about a crowded Fair Grandstand until a moonlit sky makes a ??year old mother not care who sees her dance.

It's Thursday Eve and we're on our way to (drumroll, please) ... PENNSYLVANIA! Where there is NO beach! What will I do??! Ah, well, we're going to visit family, which makes a landlocked vacation worth it. And this is the first time in many years that we've actually traveled back east in the summer. So who knows? Maybe we'll find a river to float down or something...;-)

If you entered the giveaway for a copy of A Shore Thing, I'll be popping in on Monday to post winner names (if I can find Internet access in the mountain town where we'll be staying ... :-)

Until then, have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Good ol' summertime

Despite all the back-to-school specials (blech) running around town, my calendar still says summer! Up ahead we still have a trip to the mid-state fair, Pennsylvania to visit family, the Ventura Fair plus plenty of other balmy dog days to devour. Don't you?? As long as they're still giving us re-runs of Glee, I say it's still summah-time (LOL).

So pick up a few good books (hint-hint), and hit the beach or lake or park for some R&R&R (rest, relaxation, and reading :) I plan to do the same! (Thanks to all who dropped me some recommendations on my FB page!)

With that in mind, have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are! (and p.s. ~ would somebody hand me a comb already? Lol...)

Have you hugged a librarian today?

Librarians, we writers appreciate you! If you're a librarian, drop me a comment, noting the name/location of your library, and you might win a copy A Shore Thing! Be sure to leave me an email address or way to contact you! (Readers, be sure to tell your favorite Librarian about this, okay?)

And new readers, just for fun, I'll be giving away a second copy just for you! Enter by leaving a comment about your favorite beach.

Ends Saturday, July 24. Have a beachy week, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Happy writer-ly news

Sweet Waters has been named a finalist for the 2010 Carol Award in the Women's Fiction category!

I'm excited, honored, and so, so ... well, surprised. When I received the call from contest coordinator, Mindy Obenhaus, I think I squealed a very mature, "No way!"

Formerly known as the ACFW Book of the Year, the award was recently renamed in order to honor editorial pioneer of Christian Fiction, Carol Johnson.

In a press release, ACFW CEO Colleen Coble noted, "Although Carol Johnson is most content behind the scenes, her contribution to modern Christian fiction (both historical and contemporary) is impossible to measure. Where would we be today if she had turned down those earlier projects and the firestorm of fiction they helped unleash?"

Follow this link for a comprehensive list of finalists in each category. So many friends on that list too ~ congrats to all!

Ya gotta have friends!

Here's a photo of my pal Sally who, although she had to skedaddle out of town, showed up at Saturday's Barnes & Noble signing early just to get her hot-off-the-press copy of A Shore Thing :)) Such a whirlwind, with friends and family coming and going. Since this was a hometown signing, lots of familiar faces to greet.

Met many new readers as well.

One lady walked to my table at precisely 11 am, plunked a stack of books on my table and declared, "I read $50 worth of books a month!" Oh, that is music to an author's ears!!! After chatting a bit, turns out we both live in the same general area of the city, have sons about the same age, and love the beach. She bought my latest book AND last year's release, Sweet Waters. Such a great way to start off the day ~ whee!

Then one of the characters from Sweet Waters (yes, you heard that right!) hand-sold A Shore Thing to a man who was minding his own business, just trying to walk on by. Cheryl Draughon is a longtime friend (taught all my kids at one time or another) who lobbied for a role in my last book. If you read it, there was a realtor in that story who shares Cheryl's name ~ and bears a striking resemblance to my friend...;-)

Anyhoo, Cheryl (practically) snagged the poor guy by the collar, then proceeded to tell him all about my books. He kept nodding and staring at the back cover (probably working on his escape), when all of a sudden he looked up and said, "Are you a Christian?"

"Yes, indeedy," I told him (sans the 'indeedy' part...)

"Me too!" He said ~ and then promptly asked me to sign a book for his mom. Loved that!

I ask you, what would I do without my friends??! More stories from the writing world coming soon ... In the meantime, have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Sea-ing stars ...

Happy Summer Monday! Signed copies of A Shore Thing and gabbed with readers new and old on Saturday at Barnes & Noble. Fun! About an hour before the signing I found this super pretty glass seastar necklace in my jewelry box. I forgot I owned it...isn't that weird? I actually picked it up a few years ago in a little shop in Cambria ~ the same town that serves as my inspiration for "Otter Bay". Loved wearing it, especially since it matches the seastar logo on each of my Otter Bay Novels.

Guess it was meant to be :) Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are...

On hotel terror and signing books ...

Sorry for the long wait between posts ~ you were waiting, weren't you??? Ha ~ right! Anyway, like I wrote before, the trip to SF was amazing. I didn't mention, though, that teen daughter and I checked into a remodeled but tiny boutique hotel in downtown that, uh, scared the daylights out of us. Think: The Shining. We sent pictures to my husband and son with the title Tower of Terror (a creepy ride at Disney's California Adventure). We slept with my suitcase pressed against the narrow bedroom door and took the stairs because teen daughter thought a death-warmed-over bellhop might be waiting for us on the elevator. Ah, good times. Lol

The next day we moved to the Hilton :)

We were in SF so my daughter could attend an event called "3 Days of Fashion" at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She had a ball ... made new friends and met designer Nick Verreos (of Project Runway). Poor girl has a mother who prefers jeans and flip flops. She'll teach me yet! (or grow old trying ... :)

Booksigning Saturday!

Ah well, I'm back on the central coast where the weather is ... downright dreary! Give me sun, people! Even SF was warmer and brighter ~ can you believe it? Although this weather might just bring folks to my booksigning on Saturday, so bring on the clouds ;-)

If you're in the Ventura area on Saturday morning, stop by Barnes & Noble in the Gateway Plaza, Telephone Road, and say hello! I'll be signing copies of A Shore Thing and taking names ... for a drawing. What did you think?? B&H Publishing will be giving away a "Beach Book Chair" and I'll have plenty of chocolates around (of course!). Would love to see you.

Until then, have a beachy day ~ wherever you are!

New things ... and a shore thing

I'm in San Francisco with my daughter who's taking classes in the area. While she's learning new things, I am too. This is the 1st ever post to my blog from my phone, so that's lesson learned numero uno. #2... I can read a map. Seriously, I have problems with directions, so I'm proud to announce that i've taken trolleys on multi occasions already and have managed to see some great sites, like the embarcadero, fisherman's wharf and more coffee places than you can count. Lol Anyone else 'directionally challenged'?

Visited Barnes & Noble and although they did not have my new book in stock (sadly!), they said they would order it in. If you live in the area, feel free to pop in and pick up one of the bookmarks I left at customer service.

#3 i love cheese. Ok, i already knew this but oh! I found this cool bakery-Acme, in the Ferry Bldg-and they make these awesome triple creme cheese sandwiches on rustic baguette. I've had one TWO days in a row! Sooo yum.

#4 Must remember to bring bandages in purse. All this walking is blister city!

And #5 This beach girl can navigate the city just fine (although it helps that the bay is just a trolley ride away ;).

Before I sign off, A Shore Thing "officially" released today!!! If you happen to spot it, I'd love to know where. Drop me a note, and I'll send you a bookmark. I'll send some to the store too!

Monday mishmash

Happy Monday, fellow beach lovers! May still be a bit June gloomy here on the central coast, but it's summah-time, so who cares? At least it's warm, you know? Soon teen daughter and I are going on a ROAD TRIP up the coast ~ woohoo!

Couple of fun things happening with A Shore Thing that I wanted you to know about. First, Cindy of Cindy's Book Reviews is giving away a copy on July 4. Easy to enter.

Also, Rel of Relz Reviews just posted a character spotlight on Gage, Callie, and Moondoggy. She asked me about the inspiration behind these characters and that was easy. In my head, they were based on ... go on over and you'll see who :)

I hope that where ever you are, you're enjoying your summer. Work or not, take time out to experience the long days and comfortable nights. Walk the beach. Smell the blooms. Hike the hills. Thank God for making them all...

We have a flip flop winner!

This sign from my beach shop makes me smile every time I see it...flip flops, sunglasses, sunscreen and a pretty shell...ahh! Okay, as for the contest~drumroll please!...Congrats go to Shirley! Your name was pulled out of the 'hat' :)

Thanks for all the photos sent my way ~ had some GOOD LAUGHS! Shirley, I'll get your $25 Payless Shoes card out to you, stat!

Flip flop entries coming in ...

Summer's in full swing in the Carobini household! Yours? Had my first radio interview yesterday for A Shore Thing, then took a peek at the sea. Today I ran Charlie the Dog to the beach, and now I'm getting ready to take pre-teen girl and friend to the pool.

Wanted you to know that entries are coming in for the Flip Flop contest (scroll for details). You have until Friday to get those photos to me for a chance to win a Payless Shoes gift card. Above are a couple of entries. I love the first one, taken at the Dead Sea in Israel. So cool! The 2nd one makes me laugh. The reader says her Tevas were "de-soled" during a 6th grade class trip to Catalina Island (as long as no de-souling was going on ... ;)

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ and get those photos to me, stat!

Happy Nat'l Flip Flop Day!

My stretch of the west coast is a bit hazy today, but that won't stop me from wearing flip flops all the live long day :) The contest for a $25 gift card to Payless Shoes opens today! (I wrote about this on June 14. I've updated the rules somewhat because it's a writer's prerogative to change her mind, you know ...).

Anyhoo, send a photo of your flip flops to julie at juliecarobini dot com. Show me your worn out sandals, your flip flops with missing bling, your huaraches with stretched out straps ... that kind of thing. Or if you want, feel free to show me your fave pair, even if they haven't yet bit the dust. I'll pick the top three saddest/cutest/funniest sandal-flipflop-huarache-etc. photos and toss them into a hat. Then, I'll draw one name at random to win a $25 gift certificate to Payless Shoes!

This giveaway is limited to USA peeps, void where prohibited (you know who you are). Hugs to all my friends outside of the USA ~ hope to do something for you soon. Contest begins June 18 and ends June 25.

I'll be posting some of the photos, so watch this space for the fun. Have a beachy weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Class of 2010

My eldest kiddo is graduating from high school today and I have to say, I'm so emotional. I joke about it but it's so true. As I type this, I'm fighting tears (and not winning).

Is this crazy?

He's a good kid, and he's grown into a bright, funny, loving, young man. I'm excited to see what God has planned for him, and where He'll lead him.

Matt'll be moving away to college in Auguest--not too far away, thankfully--but even though it's exciting, it's also bittersweet. It means that the next phase in his life has begun, that the cord that binds us has gotten a little bit longer, and that soon he won't be needing our input quite so often. It means I'll be staring at the ceiling some nights, wondering what he's up to, knowing I should think twice before picking up the phone. Admittedly, it means the space I sometimes longed for as a sleep-deprived young mom--and the letting go I don't feel quite ready to do.

So here's to the class of 2010. May they live long and prosper ~ and call their mothers often!

Beach ready

Here's a pic of authors Jamie Carie, Patti Hill, and moi after our publisher, B&H, bestowed personalized beach bags on us last year. I LOVE my bag! It's got the title of my last book, Sweet Waters, on it, so I used it all year to hold goodies for book signings. Now that summer's almost here for me (couple days of school and one high school graduation to go!), I'm planning on keeping that baby stocked with sunscreen, water, a towel, and the latest issue of Coastal Living, so I can head to beach at the first crack of sunlight.

How about you? Are you ready to head to the beach, lake, swimming hole, etc. this summer? And what will you have in your bag? (Would it be shameless promotion to suggest my newest book, A Shore Thing? ~ bu dum bump)

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

Get ready for Nat'l Flip Flop Day Giveaway

THIS Friday, June 18 (the day after my oldest kiddo graduates high school) is National Flip Flop Day. Hey, I'm not making this up! This is what I love about America ... the FREEDOM to celebrate all that's right with the world. Like flip flops. Lol...

So here's the deal: you have this week to take a photo that proves why YOU deserve a new pair of flip flops. Show me your worn out sandals, your flip flops with missing bling, your huaraches with stretched out straps ... that kind of thing. I'll pick the top three saddest sandal-flipflop-huarache-etc. photos and toss them into a hat. Then, I'll draw one name at random to win a $25 gift certificate to Payless Shoes!

This giveaway is limited to USA peeps, void where prohibited (you know who you are). Hugs to all my friends outside of the USA ~ hope to do something for you soon. Contest begins June 18 and ends June 25 ~ so hang onto your photos until then.

In the meantime, watch for A SHORE THING to arrive at your favorite bookstore any day now. I received a single, hot off the presses copy on Friday, and I'm told that "the books have left the building" (i.e., warehouse) :) Woo-hoo! If you see it on a shelf, would you let me know?

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Sea worthy

By now the good news has circumnavigated the globe that 16 year old Abby Sunderland from nearby Thousand Oaks, CA has been located ~ and she's fine. Woot! Her boat, Wild Eyes, not so much. Reports say the mast broke, disabling the boat.

What's been disheartening, though, are the unkind comments at the end of many of the reports. Everything from suggesting her parents be thrown in jail to charging the family for the rescue bill.

Oh, brother.

I wonder how many of the most outspoken (and profane!) critics have kids glued to Facebook rather than outside creating their own adventures. Or how many have kept their thoughts to themselves as our taxes pay for things like a school district's money-draining $725,000 pizza vending machine or $2.2 million for skylights in a state-run liquor warehouse?

I'd rather my kids stay purposeful, and taxes be used to protect life.

Does the idea of a teen girl sailing solo around the world make me think twice? Yes. It does. One of my daughter's turns 16 this summer and I. can't. imagine! When I learned about Abby I worried over all the unthinkables: capsizing, pirates, sharks...

But I've also been inspired by her. With the support of family, she trained and pursued a dream. I've do doubt that her quest has or will inspire teen girls around the world to not let age or gender ~ or couch potato-itis ~ stop them from putting their dreams into action, too. And although the mothers among us secretly hope Abby will stay on dry land for awhile, chances are she'll be back in the water in no time~ a little more experienced now ~ and sailing toward another goal.

Beach Ridez

So I'm driving along the other day and I see this cool old car and the first thing I think is "Beach." (The second thing I think is "take a picture!") I'm all for luxury (hubby will attest to it), but something about a ranch wagon with sea colored paint, white walls, and sweet longevity makes me long for ride like this to use strictly for pretty beach days. This ride was made for sandy feet and piles of boogie boards (in my mind, anyway :)

Then there's the Thing. I grew up in an area of LA that teemed with VWs. My brother Danny is the ONLY person I know who gets my mini-obsession with them, but he's only 16 months younger than me so he grew up with them too. Over the years, I've owned four VWs, in different styles, but never a Thing. This is a cherried-out one I found last year. Isn't she pretty? Hubby thinks I'm nuts, but wouldn't this be a groovy ride to throw a board into (you know, if I surfed and all ...) and take a spin out to the Rincon (ala Beach Boys)?

If I had a choice, I'd take the Thing, no doubt. But if someone bequeathed me the Country Sedan in sea blue, I wouldn't squawk ... ;-) How about you?

Pool party!

I'm on my way out the door to a pool party for the middle school group I lead with my pal, Missy. Since September, we've met twice a month with a group of 7th grade girlies, usually at my home, but the past couple of weeks we've switched things up a bit. Tonight for their summer send-off, we'll be swimming at my folks' house on the warmer side of town :)

The photo was sent to me by reader, Emma Casey Griffiths (center). She and a couple of friends started a book club recently, and their inaugural read was -- get this -- my 2007 novel, Chocolate Beach. What a kick! Emily's note and the photo is such an honor!

Don't they look like they're having fun?

I guess that's why this photo fit so well with my post. I'm thinking about all the chats about God, life, and boys that Missy and I have had with our sweet middle school girls this year. I'm thinking about the sober discussions, the questions, and the laughter into the night. Most of all, I'm thinking about friendships, and how we help each other survive the sighs and groanings of this crazy world.

I'm dashing off to cook up hot dogs and pour lemonade. Here's to the start of summer fun, and most of all, to friendships!

thankful ...

Dan had business in wine country on Friday, so I did what any smart wife would do and went with him :) Wandered around downtown Napa waiting for him and his business partner, then the three of us slid into the only open spot at Bouchon, a very French ooh-la-la kind of restaurant in Yountville. I mentioned this to my sister-in-law, who's in the know about Napa, and after gasping she said, "How did you get in there without a reservation?!" All I can say is the guys were wearing their power suits...so maybe that had something do with it. Lol...as for me, I was just lucky. Had lobster bisque over crab cake for lunch and enjoyed every sip/bite!

After a whirlwind couple of days touring through Napa (lots of cheese and chocolate at Dean & Deluca!) and Sonoma (lunch on the plaza!), we flew home Saturday night, landing in Burbank. My new nephew "Luca" decided to show up a week early, so D and I drove straight from the airport to Cedars-Sinai hospital to meet the little bundle. Ahhh...so precious and cute-cute-cute!

Today is Memorial Day, and we're home, flying our flag proudly. As we landed the other night at the airport, the flight captain reminded us to remember those in the military who gave their all for us ~ and to offer up a prayer for them. That's exactly what I plan to do this day. Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are.

Pack your beach tote contest!

Celebrating summer's imminent arrival (woot!) with a fun new contest over at Fresh Fiction!

First prize: copy of Sweet Waters and a sling back book chair!

Second prize: Life is Good at the Beach sign from Julie's Beach Shop!

Click on the Fresh Fiction link to enter, and have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :)

Prom daze

So my baby attended his senior prom on Saturday. Back in the day, I went to the prom with my brother's friend (cue the violins). Actually, he was fun and he liked to dance, which is all I cared about. Just didn't want to sit and watch everyone else cuttin' a rug while my date and I made origami with our napkins. Know what I mean?

Matt met his date at her house along with TEN other friends. From what I hear they had a boss time. Wait ... they probably don't say that anymore. Hm. Anyway, he said they laughed, ate, danced, then went back to his date's home for a late night swim. Seriously good memories.

Speaking of memories...it's time for you to share yours. Be they happy or strange or downright pathetic, you can share it here. Just keep it clean. See more prom photos on my facebook :)

She sells seashells ...

I've always thought it romantic to run a beach shop with all kinds of sea-inspired things, like signs and shells and cool frames. One thing I'd never stock? Shark's teeth ~ ba! But all the frilly stuff, uh-huh, I'd like that.

So last fall I opened up a mini-version of my dream called Julie's Beach Shop. It's been a kick to get orders from all over the country (most recent from Arizona :). One thing I cannot seem to keep in my shop, though, are beach signs from Danielson Designs. Got a new shipment recently and had two sold before we marked them 'in-stock' online.

Can't say that I blame the buyers, though. So pretty. And made in the USA (Colorado, to be precise), by a charity-minded, hard-working family. Their sweet story gave me goosebumps when I read it, so I hope you'll read it too. Read about Danielson Designs here. You can also read about how they help build freshwater wells through charityis.

After that, get ready for summer ~ cuz itsa comin'!

If I could be a bird ...

Don't you love this picture? Author Kathleen Y'Barbo put it up on Facebook and I asked her if I could swipe, er, borrow it to post here. It's a photo from Galveston, Tx, a place I've only visited in the pages of Coastal Living :) The shine on that wave barreling onto shore reminds me of Jello! Ahhh ... another place I'd like to visit sometime.

Kathleen's got all kinds of books coming out soon. Stop by and say 'hey' to my southern friend: KathleenYBarbo.com

P.B....I love you

Love Pismo Beach. Hubby had a business meeting up there Friday night (I know, rough). First a cocktail party at an associate's swanky beach front home, then dinner in Shell Beach. Only had one night to spend in Pismo, but the hotel we stayed in was ocean front ... which meant waves crashing. All. Night. Love that sound.

Our daughters were at Disneyland all day, (thanks Mom for making sure they caught their rides!) and our son working, so Dan and I took our time driving down the coast, even stopping for burgers at the Padaro Beach Grill in Carpinteria before reaching home. The girls tumbled in about 1:30am (Sunday) all wound up about hangin' with Mickey for most of the day, and then we were up and out the door by 6:45am for a soccer tourney in the desert some 90 minutes inland (which explains the large amounts of coffee we both consumed :).

That's a pic of me on our Saturday morning walk. The fog hung low but we didn't care. Neither did the dozens of other beachcombers we encountered along the way. By the way, that's my raggedy pink beach jacket, the one I've worn so long that it's got fun little pinholes in various places. I'm quite sure my family's pretty embarrassed by it now, but it makes me all warm and cozy on those foggy central California beach days, so it's not going anywhere. Lol...

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are.

Chill out

So yesterday I found myself relaxing for a few minutes while sitting in my car next to the soccer field. Between my laptop, iPhone and stray signals that are easy to catch, working every minute of the day is a *snap* ... so no wonder we're all so tired! When's the last time you stared into nothingness? (and I'm not talking about prime time TV ... ;0).

One day my son noticed I hadn't updated all my apps on my phone, so he did that for me. (Sweet boy ... not :) The next think I knew, my phone buzzed (and buzzed and buzzed) every time I received a Facebook comment or like or wall post. Don't get me wrong...I love receiving those. Just not 24/7. Know what I mean? Last week I figured out how to switch off that feature, and now my phone has calmed a bit (and the battery's lasting longer too!)

My point is this: We all need time to chill. I love this passage from Psalm 127:2 (The Message): Don't you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? Yay, God! He created rest for a reason. I know that when I take that time, even if it's for a few minutes of watching the clouds float lazily across a nearby soccer field, that it's a GOOD thing!

Then, after that, I'm ready to tackle both life's work and the fun stuff like FB again. Can you relate?

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are ... or else! :-)

Ducks on Kayaks

So yesterday we celebrated Mother's Day dinner at Duke's in Malibu. Eleven of us had a table right at the window overlooking the water. Why did I not get a picture??! Probably too mesmerized ... haha. Earlier in the afternoon, the girls and I headed to Venice Beach and hung out with my brother who lives a few steps from the canals. You might recall my previous post about the Venice Canals being a little piece of Italy.

So anyway, a beautiful day to walk the canals and looky-loo at open houses on the water. For a measly 2.5 mil, you too can have your own piece of paradise! My teen daughter was all over it. "We can relocate ~ you can write from anywhere, Mom!!!" Somehow I think she'd get tired of eating all those beans and rice ... :)

Took this photo on one of the north facing canals. Even though it looks like he's hit the water, that duck on the right is actually airborne. Funny, huh?

Kickin' back ...

My parents gave me this Adirondack chair for my birthday (along with table and foot rest ~ yes!), and I love it. I love it because if it had a voice it would be saying, "Girl, get over here and sit a spell." (It's inspired by all the southern friends I've made lately ... :)

And I do. Not nearly enough, but I do. Last evening, after way too many hours in front of the computer and steering wheel, I grabbed my copy of Coastal Living and a cool drink and wandered outside to that chair beneath my palm trees. Very ahhh...!

What do you do to force yourself to take a rest without every leaving home? Feel free to send me a photo of your kick-back place and I'll try to post it here some time in the near future. Send to julie at juliecarobini dot come

Have a beachy day weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are!

summer dreaming

Unlike last week, the sun's been out and making me long for summer. Just think! No taxi driving in the wee hours, or late night homework sessions. Ahhhh...just sand in my toes and shallow waves lapping onto shore. Oh yeah, and writing. Lots of that :)

Took this pic when visiting a friend of a friend's beach house last month (did I mention I spotted Kevin Costner surfing that day??). Anyway, this is the view from their master bedroom. Can you imagine waking up to that endless blue ocean each day? So dreamy ...

Ad-libbing winners!

Congrats to Daniel & Denise Harmer, winners of the Ad-Libbing contest over on Tamara Leigh Kelly's Blog. Their post is up, so please head on over and add a line or two. I really want to know how the heroine skirts that tidal wave. Or does she ... ?

Out of my routine

So I like to think of myself as this laid back beach chickie who can move with the waves, but the truth is I'm more tied to routine that I'd like to admit.

I usually get up in the morning, throw on a robe and flip flops, then make my youngest child's lunch (the older ones fend for themselves). But today the kitchen was abuzz, so I switched things up. I decided to get myself ready first with plans to make her lunch when everyone else was done. Only I forgot. And because of some weird school scheduling, I had to take 2 kids to 2 different schools at about the same time. Rats.

Thankfully I'd already swigged a latte so I flew into action, smearing p'nut butter on bread, wrapping it up and tossing it into a bag while flinging instructions to pre-teen girl about other things to add. We then made the trek to the two schools, making it to the second one with several minutes to spare...ahhh!

My daughter Angie took this photo of a sea turtle floating around at the aquarium in Denver. I'm kinda envious of that little guy right now. Know what I mean? Lol ...

Have a beachy day, my friends ~ wherever you are :-)

Thoughts on Idol

UPDATED: Who do you think'll go home tonight? Hard call, but I'm going to guess ... Siobhan. (I like her ~ just a guess!)

Okay, so last year (and the year before, and so on...), readers could pop in here after American Idol and we'd discuss the group of contestants, i.e., who rocked, who didn't, who might go home, etc., etc. But I don't know...this year's kind of dull. Maybe I've still been missing Paula, as I mentioned in this post earlier this season. Or maybe I've been sore that Alex Lambert got kicked off too earlier, as mentioned in this post. Or maybe the competition has just grown tiresome.

What do you think?

That said, I think Casey James is a cutie (and yes, dh knows I think this), and that Lee's got some interesting chops. I think Casey, Lee and Crystal are the ones with distinct voices, and that because of that, one of them will win it.

Just yesterday, teen daughter and I were driving along (and did I mention that she got her driving permit last week ???), and we heard a new song on the radio. We stopped talking and listened. "I know that voice," I said. It sounded warm and familiar. "Yeah, that's Kris Allen," she replied. I sat back. "Of course!"

So I guess we're watching with a more critical ear these days :-) ... how about you?