Great excitement this month when I saw the cover of
my first book for Harlequin Romance, The Summer They Never Forgot , to be published on February 4, 2014.
That first view of a cover can be a tense moment
for an author. How did the cover designer interpret my characters? Did they get
my setting right? How does the title look on the page?
I’m pleased to report the Harlequin designers got
everything right! The water setting, the dock where some pivotal scenes are
played out, the carefree summer atmosphere. Most important, the heroine and
hero, Sandy and Ben, fit my mental image of them. “He’s hot!” was my daughter’s
reaction to Ben—you can’t get much better than that.
Oh, and I’m a big sucker for pink on covers and I
love the pink on the Harlequin Romance covers.
The Summer They Never Forgot is a reunion story set in my
made-up town of Dolphin Bay on the beautiful south coast of New South Wales in
Australia. It’s a place where I’ve spent many happy vacations and is dear to my
heart.
 |
| I love the unspoiled beaches on the New South Wales south coast where The Summer They Never Forgot is set |
The book is a deeply romantic, emotional story of second-chance love—I so enjoyed writing Sandy and Ben’s story. I hope you do, too, when you get a chance to read it.
Here’s the cover blurb:
It started with a summer kiss…
Sandy Adams is on her way to an interview, but when she sees a signpost
for Dolphin Bay she decides to take a detour down memory lane….
Ben Morgan has had his share of heartache. But when a ghost from his
youth catches his eye memories of their last summer together come flooding
back.
Everything has changed in the past twelve years, and still they're right
back where they started, facing a second chance they deserve…together.
Now I'm looking forward to the excitement of actually having the book in my hands!
Do you enjoy a reunion romance? Is there someone in
your past you’d love the chance to reconnect with? Has social media brought an
old flame back into your life?
Please leave a comment—I’d love to hear about it!
Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.
Watch out for her The Summer They
Never Forgot, her first
release from Harlequin Romance in on February 04, 2014 in both the US and the
UK.
Her new contemporary women's fiction e-book, Reinventing
Rose, is available now at Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and other
e-book retailers.
Kandy’s romances include the Amazon bestseller The Castaway
Bride, Something
About Joe, and the award-winners Love
is a Four-Legged Word and Home
Is Where the Bark Is.
Visit Kandy at her website
21 comments:
Thank you, Kandy. "The Summer They Never Forgot" sounds like a fun read. What attracts me about the premise of the novel is its coastal setting. I dig romances that take place in a carefree, fun-loving seaside resort, where everyone can take a break from reality. Where anything can happen---and does!
Just my opinion, but second-chance romances are hard to pull off. True, there's plenty of drama between the focal figures from the get-go. But I'm not into emotional baggage. The author faces the challenge of demonstrating how these two had to split at one stage in their lives, yet come together at another. Quite a feat, at least for readers like me.
Second chances are pretty rare in real-life romances. True, Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton twice; but we all know how that story ended. However, fictional reunions must meet a deep emotional need in many readers. Otherwise they wouldn't be so popular.
Keep up the good work!
Congratulations, Kandy! I love that cover! And I also love the sound of this book. You already know how much I enjoy your writing. Pair that with one of my favorite romance tropes - reunion romance - and I'm so there.
Looking forward to February and THE SUMMER THEY NEVER FORGOT!
Kandy, wow, what a gorgeous cover! Congratulations! I'd pick up that book in a nanosecond. And yeah, your daughter is right, LOL! I love reunion stories. There's something so affirming about people getting a second chance to get it right. Can't wait to read this!
Hi Kandy
Whoo hoo I love the cover and the sound of this book I am looking forward to reading it when it is released I love reunion stories :)
Have Fun
Helen
Thanks for your thoughtful post, Mary Anne. I, too, love coastal settings there's something so wonderfully escapist about them. In fact I realize all my books are set near water!
I know what you mean about emotional baggage and can something that has been broken be repaired without cracks that threaten to break again. In THE SUMMER THEY NEVER FORGOT the hero and heroine first met when they were teenagers and fell in love--when they meet again twelve years later they're both grown up and lots has happened. Yes, a challenge, but one I totally enjoyed making it work. Well, I hope you think I've made it work!
Thank you so much for those kind words, PJ! You might be pleased to know there is also a dog in THE SUMMER THEY NEVER FORGOT. He's a gorgeous golden retriever rescue and plays a small but significant role in the story. Animals seem to sneak into everything I write!
I'm so glad you like the cover, Anna, I was thrilled with it! I'm glad you also like reunion romances--they're certainly a favourite of mine!
Lovely to see you here, Helen.There is something so happy about that cover, isn't there? I'm glad you also like reunion stories, I certainly enjoyed writing this one!
This makes me very happy. :)
Such a fun cover & the pink is certainly eye-catching & very pretty.
I enjoy reunion stories as well.
Kandy, what a fabulous cover! Your Sandy and Ben look like they're having the most delicious fun chase along the jetty! Reunion romances are one of my favourites - I love the idea of the couple getting a second chance to build their relationship! This one sounds like a ripper!
Kandy, gorgeous, gorgeous cover. It just makes you smile. I too love a reunion romance. I can't wait to read Ben and Sandy's story.
I love the cover Kandy and can't wait to enter the whole world of Dolphin Bay, I love the Australian coast and stories set there.
Thank you Mary, I'm happy to see you like reunion stories, too! (And pretty covers!)
Hi Sharon, I'm so glad you like the cover. I think it has a gorgeous, carefree, falling-in-love feeling about it that really reflects the story.
Thanks for calling by!
Hi Hayson, how lovely to see you here! It is a gorgeous cover isn't it, so nice to see such a happy couple. I even like what they're wearing! I hope you enjoy the story when you get to read it. Roll on February!
Hi Mel, nice to see you here. I love the coast too, there's something about sun, surf and sand that is conducive to romance, isn't there? I do hope you enjoy a visit to Dolphin Bay when you read the book!
Congratulations, Kandy!
Thank you Liz! It's very exciting.
Kandy, how thrilling to see the cover of your first book for Harlequin Romance. I'm so looking forward to reading this one! Roll on February! The cover is enticing. Fabulous to hear that it reflects the story too. It looks like a real treat in store, Kandy.
Thank you Annie! I hope you enjoy reading THE SUMMER THEY NEVER FORGOT as much as I enjoy reading your wonderful stories for Harlequin Presents!
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