Synopsis:
Beachfront love blossoms in this refreshing summer romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer.
Mandy Sullivan isn’t exactly looking forward to the summer months as tourists invade her seaside hometown on the coast of Maine. Her best friend, Cynthia, has abandoned her for camp and her older brother just announced he’ll be staying at college taking classes for the summer, leaving Mandy with nothing to do and no one to hang out with. Hoping to keep herself busy, Mandy takes a volunteer job at the Rocky Pointe Lighthouse. On her very first day, Oliver Farmingham asks for a private tour. A new—and incredibly cute—face in Rocky Pointe, Oliver seems more interested in Mandy than the lighthouse and its history.
Without her best friend at her side, Mandy is scrambling to act the right way and say the right things when Oliver is around. Cynthia—not Mandy—has always been the confident, flirtatious girl that everyone wanted to be around. As Mandy and Oliver spend more time together exploring the coast, biking through the woods, and attending the local summer festivals, their budding friendship becomes much more. But with Mandy’s insecurities creeping to the surface, can she open her heart to someone who will only be in town for three months?
When did you start writing?
I used to think I was a late-bloomer when it came to writing. I wasn’t one of those writers who always had a notebook with them, kept journals, or wrote throughout college. Then I found my weekly vocabulary homework from 2nd grade (I don’t think my parents ever threw anything away!) and saw that instead of using each vocabulary word in a sentence (the actual assignment), I’d write a story incorporating all the words! So I guess I’ve been writing for a really long time.
What makes you want to write?
To be honest, I don’t know! I just have stories and characters and ideas and issues and themes in my head that want to get out, all hoping to connect with other people through my writing.
Who is your favourite character in Swept Away?
Oliver is SO my type, but I had a lot of fun writing Freaky Framingham. Not just writing the scenes he’s in, but also the way the other characters viewed and talked about him.
How did you get the idea for Swept Away?
A few things percolated in my mind that seemed to go together. I’d been thinking about my time in Stonington, Maine (hoping to make a return trip!) and how the tiny fishing community expanded because of summer visitors. It occurred to me that some residents would find their little town too small, and others love it. Then, I had houseguests who had never been to New York City. Their visit made me see my own city differently, the way Oliver changes Mandy’s perception of Rocky Point.
What are your hobbies?
I’m learning to play guitar; I crochet (mostly in the winter because I constantly lose my hats!); work out (I have a LOT of energy that needs to get burned off or I can’t sit still long enough to write.); and of course, READING!
What is your favourite film?
I have to pick just one?!?!?!? I’m woefully behind in my movies. I just watched District 9 (I told you I’m behind!) and thought it was really great. I enjoyed Big Hero Six, and if I want to cry, all I have to do is channel surf and find Kathy’s death scene in Wuthuring Heights starring Laurence Olivier.
What is your favourite TV show?
Currently The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family. But sometimes I binge-watch Dr. Who, and I was pretty obsessed with Broadchurch…
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Michelle Dalton is one of the many names Carla Jablonski uses when writing. Her two YAs written as Carla Jablonski (published by Razorbill/Penguin), Thicker than Water and Silent Echoes, were included on the NYPL Books for the Teen Age list, and her graphic novel trilogy Resistance (illustrated by Leland Purvis, published by :01 Books) has won several awards, including the Sydney Taylor Silver Medal. In addition to writing novels she is an actor, playwright, and former trapeze artist. A native New Yorker, she is eternally grateful to her friends who invite her to their beach houses.
Prize: Win (1) finished copy of SWEPT AWAY by Michelle Dalton (US Only)
