Giveaway: Moonrise by Cassandra King

Summary: Helen Honeycutt is just getting her life back on track after a bitter divorce when she meets Emmet Justice, an attractive widower still grieving for his late wife, Rosalyn. Their sudden marriage sets off a maelstrom of resentment and ill-will among Rosalyn’s family and friends. Hoping to mend fences, the newlyweds plan a summer at Moonrise, Rosalyn’s historic estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Moonrise is known far and wide for its unique nocturnal gardens, which have fallen into ruin since the death of its mistress.

Like the heroine of Daphne DuMaurier’s classic romance, Rebecca, Helen becomes obsessed by her predecessor, who lives on in her house and gardens and the hearts of those who loved her. Not only does Helen fail to measure up to the beautiful and accomplished Rosalyn, she doesn’t fit into her world, either, an elite enclave of well-to-do summer people. Even the gardens exclude her, since their secrets, passed down by generations of gardeners, died out with Rosalyn. When it becomes clear that someone in Rosalyn’s close-knit circle of friends is determined to drive her away, Helen wonders if she can trust anyone, even her husband. As the sweltering summer draws to an end, Helen must uncover the secrets of the past in order to establish her own identity apart from the woman she replaced. -- Maiden Lane Press

I was hoping to have finished MOONRISE by Cassandra King and have a review for you today, but this week has been crazy with the start of school. The good news is that I have started this novel and I'm enjoying it so far! My review should follow shortly.

MOONRISE is already getting rave reviews from some pretty well-respected authors including Anne River Siddons and Meg Waite Clayton. While I admit I'm not very far in the book, I can already tell that the story has a wonderful setting that Ms. King has vividly brought to life.

I am so honored to welcome Ms. King to Booking Mama. She has graciously answered a few questions about families and settings -- two crucial ingredients of her new book.

Q: Family homes that pass from generation to generation carry the history of the all the lives that have been lived within their walls. Do you believe there are such things as haunted places and ghosts?

A: I should hope so, since my grandfather’s house, where I spent much of my childhood, was haunted (and still is, as far as I know. Although it’s no longer in the family, the present owners have reported strange happenings). I’m a strong believer in the past as a vital part of the present, however one interprets that. For me, our passage from one realm of existence to the other is fluid, transient, outside of time, rather than something that occurs at one particular moment in our life. I believe we exist in a spiritual world. 

Q: The beautiful and lush Blue Ridge Mountains and the Highlands area of summer homes in particular play a large role in shaping the story. How important is place in your writing? When did you first discover Highlands, and what drew you to describe that place when you sat down to tell this story?

A: Place is always important in my writing--almost a central character in some stories. In this particular book, I needed the mountain setting in order to create a particular mood. The story called for not only the majesty and beauty of the mountains, but also their remote loneliness: the way that mountains can feel so unattainable, forever out of one’s reach. In the case of this novel, the setting came first, and the characters evolved from there. Highlands is a place of such incredible beauty that I’ve always been attracted to the area, drawn to the peacefulness of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Only in the past decade have we started spending a lot of time in the Highlands area, and I’ve been itching to incorporate the setting into a book.

MOONRISE is available on September 3rd from Maiden Lane Press.

*****

Photo Credit: Tamara Reynolds

Cassandra King is the bestselling author of four previous novels, Making Waves, The Sunday Wife, The Same Sweet Girls and Queen of Broken Hearts, as well as numerous short stories, essays and articles. Moonrise, her fifth novel, is set in Highlands, North Carolina. A native of Lower Alabama, Cassandra resides in Beaufort, South Carolina, with her husband, Pat Conroy.

Giveaway: I have a copy of MOONRISE to share with one lucky reader. To enter, just fill out the form below before September 11th at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!