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Sunday, January 16, 2011

Lisa Dale: Contest! Plus What to do in the Winter

Hi all,

Winter is in full force here in NJ--and my fiance and I have managed a few days off together for the first time since last summer. But what does one do when it's freezing cold and there's snow everywhere?

We went on a fun little day trip yesterday, and I think the pictures are worth sharing! First, we went to a New Jersey diner that we hadn't ever been to before (we're slowly but surely visiting new diners one by one).

It was adorable! Here's a little picture:

Then, with our bellies full and warm, we headed further south, all the way down to New Hope, Pennsylvania. We drove past beautiful scenes of snow-covered farm houses, frozen tractors, and fields turned perfect white under a gray sky.

Then, we hopped an antique train (how cute is this?). It was like stepping into a different time!



Inside the car felt like something out of a movie! The train ride wasn't to anywhere. In fact, it went forward for about half an hour, then it went back.



We were treated to many beautiful scenes like this one (incidentally, this trestle's claim to fame is that this is where a famous train scene was shot in the 1918 movie The Perils of Pauline.



All this atmosphere...it's enough to make a writer's imagination go wild! Nothing inspires me to write more than a quiet, contemplative day spent with a loved one!

But these days, I have to admit, I'm not doing too too much actual writing. You see, my new book, Slow Dancing on Price Pier, comes out in three short months! Eek!

Two wonderful authors, Karen White and Jane Porter, were kind enough to give me absolutely glowing blurbs for this book! And I'm so pleased with the cover art. Here it is!



So here's the deal: Leave me a comment about what you think of my cover art or my trip, and I'll stop back tomorrow and pick one person to win a "surprise" gift from me! The winner will be announced in the comments section.

Thanks for reading!

Wishing you many happy and safe travels here in the deepest days of winter!

Lisa Dale

20 comments:

Caroline said...

Great photos Lisa! The train looks so nostalgic, just like the Orient Express. I love the cover art on your book too- it makes you long for the Summer. Caroline x

Dina said...

Hi Lisa, your pic looks nice and warm, lol. In winter we go to hockey games, so we can't wait for winter. And so far, we've been missing all the really bad snow falls.

Unknown said...

Great pics Lisa, I love the cover of Slow Dancing on Price's Pier, sounds like a wonderful read. I love all of your covers on your books.

Margay Leah Justice said...

I really like that cover. It's so evocative. It makes you long to be there on that pier in the lazy days of summer - especially when you're under almost two feet of snow, like I am in New England.
Margay

traveler said...

Your book cover is warm, soothing and summery as well as a beautiful depiction of a beach, my favorite place to be all summer long. Love your trip to the diner. I think that diners are a great place to spend hours, nostalgic for the fifties and homecooked food.

petite said...

I think that this cover and title is beautiful for capturing the senses. Summer and everything that it represents. Your photos are great. I am a diner fan. love to hear about the diner experience.

runner10 said...

Congrats on your new book. I love the cover. It makes me remember that summer is not too many days away. I love the beach.

Mary Kirkland said...

I love the pictures you took, they came out so well.

Love the cover for the book, it makes me think of walks on the beach when we would take our flip flops off right before getting to the same so we could squish our toes in it.

miztik_rose@yahoo.com

Estella said...

Your cover makes me think of summer---lazy days at the beach or river.

Quetzi said...

Hi Lisa,

The cover art, to me, is very important since it's what usually draws my attention to a book. If the cover art is bad, I'll usually skip that book unless it has a very catchy title! Your cover art makes me feel nostalgic. I remember my younger years growing up at the Lake. I lived a block away from a small lake & my brother & Italian neighbors (who only spent summers there) would practically live at the beach! The flip flops on your book remind me of the ones my Italian friend used to wear. I love your cover art since it reminds me of that last summer I spent at the beach when I was falling head over heels for my Italian neighbor. Unfortunately, for us both, I ended up going to Mexico & I didn't come back for 20 years. Your cover art is beautiful & brings back so many romantic memories.
Keep up the good work.

chey said...

What a great cover! It works well with the title too!

Laney4 said...

Ya can't go wrong
When your cover's got thongs!

Okay, okay. Some people call them sandals or flip flops; others call them thongs (no, not THOSE thongs, LOL!).

Nice cover, Lisa!

Lil said...

Oh, taking time off with my beloved was always fun and like you we were not averse to taking the mini-trip. It is amazing the quaint, fun things that you can find to do nearby when you take on the role of tourist.

The cover is very evocative. It is as if the thongs having just been slipped off and the owners are strolling/or wading nearby.

Linda Henderson said...

I really like your cover art, the view of the beach makes me want to be there right now because it's pretty cold here.

seriousreader at live dot com

mariska said...

It's pretty !! i love the cover. it's 'calming' when i see it.

i would really very happy to signed copy :) Lol

desere_steenberg said...

The cover looks calming it reminds me of relaxing just letting go ! Very inspiring thank you for sharing with us !
All the best
Desere

Lisa Dale said...

@Caroline, Thanks! It was a fun trip!

@Dina, Lucky for you! I hope it stay that way.

@Virginia, Thanks so much!

@Margay, LOL! Great point (and wishful thinking!)

@traveler, I agree. Diners are high on my list too here in NJ!

@Petite, Thank you! I’m glad you liked all the pix!

@runner10, thanks! I’m excited for the book (and summer) to come!

@Mary, Glad the post brought back happy memories!

@Estella, oh yes—same here.

@Quetzi, That sounds like a book waiting to be written!

@Chey, Thanks, hon!

@Laney4, LOL!—you are so funny!

@Lil, That’s exactly what they were going for. Glad it worked!

@Linda, I’m thinking spring too!

@Mariska, Calming is good!

And now, the randomly selected winner is ESTELLA. Please email me lisa at lisa dale books dot com so I can hook you up with your prize!

Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting!

Lisa

desere_steenberg said...

Your Welcome

Estella said...

Thank you, Lisa!
Am emailing now.

Anna L. Walls said...

Woohoo - congratulations on your book. By coincidence I wrote a story about winter too - haha - my how our lives are different. Nice pics - all of them.