THE HOUSE BY THE CYPRESS TREES by author ELENA MIKALSEN

In The House by the Cypress Trees, Julia Ramos, in Italy to find her birth mother, rescues a dog, is nearly run over by a handsome Brit, and gets evicted from her rental apartment. Not a perfect trip.

Daniel Stafford wants to visit his family in Tuscany—after his girlfriend dumps him for their Italian driver, he botches a work presentation in Rome, and an assertive American falls in front of his car.

When their two disastrous lives collide, they end up sleeping on the side of the road. Falling in love with Italy—and each other—is the least of their concerns.

From the Author ~ 

ALL THE ROYALTIES FROM THE SALES OF THE BOOK WILL BE DONATED TO ~ NO KILL ANIMAL SHELTERS ~ IN SAN ANTONIO AND TEXAS.

Some Q & A with Elena ~ 

Tell us a little about yourself and your writing.

My novels are all about love. WRAPPED IN THE STARS is about love that lasts forever. Two lovers, Mark and Rebecca, got separated in the early 20^th century, but their love remained behind, it didn’t die. Part of their love stayed in the ring that Mark gave to Rebecca. So, when this ring is found years later, another couple picks up the energy from Mark and Rebecca’s love and fall in love.

In THE HOUSE BY THE CYPRESS TREES, I explore romantic love. That wild feeling of new love when you first fall for someone and you want to spend every moment with them and you will do anything for them.

In ALL THE SILENT VOICES, I explore the depth of love between a husband and wife and what challenges a good marriage can withstand. How far will a wife go for her husband and how far will a husband go for his wife?

Finally, in the novel I am working on right now, CITY OF GLASS, the focus is on sibling love. A sister sacrifices everything to save her brother.

Where do you get your ideas?

From travel, stories in the news, and my imagination

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

There have been multiple: Diana Gabaldon, Susanna Kearsley, Sara Gruen are some of the top ones.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

Yes, I am a full-time pediatric psychologist.

Is anything in your book based on real-life experiences?

My family’s trip to Italy was a huge inspiration for The House by the Cypress Trees. The episode in the first chapter, where Julia rescues a dog was inspired by the real-life experience we had in Rome. We didn’t rescue the dog, but wished we did. Many experiences Julia has in Italy really happened to us on our vacation.

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

In The House by the Cypress Trees, my favorite chapter and the one I think is the most romantic is when Julia is standing on the balcony and Daniel quotes Shakespeare to her as he approaches. I fell in love with my own fictional character as I wrote that. Also, I love the chapter when they are sleeping in the car on the side of the road and play a get-to-know you game.

Places you’d like to travel?

I’m dying to go to New Zealand.

Favorite band of music.

Coldplay. I listen to it all the time.

Favorite book or movie?

My most favorite book is One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. 

Elena Mikalsen is a women’s fiction author who is somewhat obsessive about travel and telling stories about love and amazing travel locations. When she is at home, in San Antonio, she can be found browsing through bookstores or antique shops with her family.

She is hopelessly devoted to her two rescue dogs, Cookie and Vanilla, who was present by her feet during the entire process of the writing of this novel. When not writing stories, she is a Pediatric Psychologist helping children with chronic medical illnesses. She blogs on issues of mental health for teens and adults. 

Her debut novel, Wrapped in the Stars, won the 1^st place Chatelaine award for the best Historical Romantic Fiction of 2018. 

Please explore Elena Mikalsen’s other novels, Wrapped in the Stars (2018), available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all other online retailers, and an upcoming All the Silent Voices (2020). 

To connect with Elena ~ 

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17629655.Elena_Mikalsen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElenaMikalsenAuthor/

Website: www.elenamikalsen.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WF_writerEM

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writer.mikalsen/

THIS IS HOME, by author LISA DUFFY

From the author of book club favorite The Salt House comes a deeply affecting novel about a teenage girl finding her voice and the military wife who moves in downstairs, united in their search for the true meaning of home.

Sixteen-year-old Libby Winters lives in Paradise, a seaside town north of Boston that rarely lives up to its name. After the death of her mother, she lives with her father, Bent, in the middle apartment of their triple-decker home—Bent’s two sisters, Lucy and Desiree, live on the top floor. A former soldier turned policeman, Bent often works nights, leaving Libby under her aunts’ care. Shuffling back and forth between apartments—and the wildly different natures of her family—has Libby wishing for nothing more than a home of her very own.

Quinn Ellis is at a crossroads. When her husband John, who has served two tours in Iraq, goes missing back at home, suffering from PTSD he refuses to address, Quinn finds herself living in the first-floor apartment of the Winters house. Bent had served as her husband’s former platoon leader, a man John refers to as his brother, and despite Bent’s efforts to make her feel welcome, Quinn has yet to unpack a single box.

For Libby, the new tenant downstairs is an unwelcome guest, another body filling up her already crowded house. But soon enough, an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, when Libby and Quinn stretch and redefine their definition of family and home.

With gorgeous prose and a cast of characters that feel wholly real and lovably flawed, This Is Home is a nuanced and moving novel of finding where we belong.

"Authentic characters resonate throughout this engrossing novel. . . . Intensely real and deeply emotional, Duffy’s rich novel is worth savoring from the very first page."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review“A beautifully drawn portrait of a motherless girl and a rudderless woman both trying to find their place in the world— but who find each other instead. Lisa Duffy nails the complexities of modern relationships, and proves that she’s a storyteller that’s here to stay.”
—Colleen Oakley, author of Close Enough to Touch and Before I Go“Duffy's latest is a novel of family, friendship, and the meaning of home… Also touching on such topics as post-traumatic stress disorder, military service, and addiction, This Is Home makes a great addition to any family life or women's fiction collection.”
—Booklist

Some Q & A with Lisa Duffy ~ 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started writing.

I started writing as a young girl—poetry, journaling, and an attempt at a novel when I was nineteen and sequestered in the house with chickenpox. It was a terrible novel, and then life rambled on: college, a job in the software industry, marriage, and three kids. When my youngest went to preschool, I went back to school for writing, hoping to give it a real shot. I still had some credits to finish on a degree in Women’s Studies. Once I had that, I was accepted into an MFA program in creative writing. My debut novel, The Salt House, came to fruition in those writing classes. After I graduated, I worked on it exclusively and found an agent. We sold it to Touchstone/S&S not long after. That’s the short synopsis of a long journey on my path to publication.

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

We live on a tidal river with our boat on the dock in our backyard, so we do a lot of boating in the summer. I love to cook. My husband does, as well. We have six kids in our blended family, ranging from 16 to 36. Never a lack of mouths or people willing to sit at our table and talk over a glass of wine. I tend to be a homebody, and this is my favorite time of year. Still warm enough to enjoy the outside, but cool in the evenings. I love to get a fire going in our woodstove, cook something delicious with Chopped on TV in the background, and good company at the table. Nothing better than that.

Where do you get your ideas?

I always begin with voice. An opening sentence that won’t leave me alone. When I have a cast of characters, I take my time getting to know them. Some of it through writing, but a lot of imagining takes place away from my desk. Thinking about the characters or story when I’m driving or in the shower or going to sleep.

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

Little Women is the first book I read as a young girl that introduced me to an entirely different world. I think I fell in love with reading at an early age because of that book. And my love of reading led to my desire to write. To see if I could somehow create a world simply from my imagination and express it through words.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on my third novel, My Kind of People, releasing from Atria next summer, about class, identity, and betrayal colliding when a young girl is orphaned in a close-knit island community off the coast of New England.

Is anything in your book based on real-life experiences?

I took some liberty with Libby and stole some of my own childhood for her character. I grew up in the middle apartment of a triple-decker in a suburb outside of Boston. My father was a policeman in my hometown. We had family members living on the first floor for various stretches of my childhood. It was noisy and crowded, and I didn’t always love it. Of course, it took growing up and moving away to see how much of it made me who I am today. We sold the house years and years ago, and sometimes I’ll drive by it when I’m in town, and there’s a tug inside. Still a part of me that feels as though I’m home.

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

Scenes with Rooster Cogburn were interesting to write. And fun too. We’ve always had labs as pets, and Rooster just appeared on the page as this big, gentle dog. I enjoyed spending time with him on the page.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Surround yourself with people who support your passion. It’s a lonely endeavor, less so when you don’t feel alone in it.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

It can be all-consuming. Sometimes if you’re on a roll with a book, it can be hard to set aside the work. The best part is the writing itself. Getting to play with words all day.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you. For reading and sharing your love for these characters. I’m forever grateful.

To connect with Lisa:

lisaduffywriter.com

@lisaduffyauthor

Twitter ~ @lisaduffywriter

The Salt House

This is Home 

My Kind of People (coming 2020)