Juliet Lyman is a senior executive at Yesterday Records. Music is her passion and she’s very good at her job. That’s why her famously philanthropic boss Gideon sends her to Majorca, Spain to work with a very tortured, but talented client. Lionel Harding is one of the best songwriters of the 20th century, the multi-Grammy award-winning lyricist of the third most recorded song in history. But now he’s forty-two and six months overdue on the his latest paid assignment. Juliet is not leaving Majorca without either new lyrics or a very large check.
For Juliet, business comes first. Emotions are secondary, and love isn’t even on the menu. But to Lionel, love is everything, and he blames Gideon for his broken heart. He’s determined to show Juliet that nothing is more important than love, but Juliet is just as determined to get Lionel to create the music that made him famous. As her professional and personal lives start to mix for the first time, Juliet is forced to reevaluate her priorities, and open her heart—perhaps for the very first time. Writing a Woman’s Life columnist Yona Zeldis McDonough chats with author Anita Hughes about her delectable new offering.
YZM: You tend to set your books in exotic locales, like Majorca, Rome, and Lake Como, to name a few. Have you travelled to these places?
AH: My parents were European and I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia so I have always loved to travel. I have been to most of these places when I was young. I particularly love Spain and the Costa del Sol and Majorca. The scenery is breathtaking and the culture is fascinating. Now with children and living at the St. Regis, Monarch Beach, I’m quite happy to stay at home.
YZM: There are many—and delicious sounding!—references to food in the novel; do you do a lot of cooking?
AH: That’s a funny question because I am not a good cook. I grew up eating very healthy food that didn’t include a lot of sauces or preparation. But I love wonderful dishes like I love beautiful clothes. I think food can be a real visual and culinary experience. Presentation is important and so is the use of fresh ingredients. I generally leave the cooking to the gourmet section of my grocery store!
YZM: Music is another major theme in Island in the Sea. Does this reflect a personal passion?
AH: Yes, I have always loved music. I associate music with different times of my life and it conjures up memories so easily. I walk for forty minutes a day and I always play music. I don’t think I could walk without it!
YZM: Filled as they are with stunning locales, fashion and food, your books could be described as escapist in the best sense of the word. Care to comment?
AH: I am a huge fan of escapist fiction! We all need a break from our daily lives and it is not always easy to get on a plane. I like to be transported somewhere when I read and write. Often when I’m writing I think I’m actually at the location and it’s like taking a short holiday. (complete with a little drama and heartbreak).
YZM: What’s in the works currently and where is your next novel set?
AH: My next novel, SANTORINI SUNSETS, comes out on August 2 and is set on the spectacular Greek island of Santorini. CHRISTMAS IN PARIS comes out on October 4 and I’m currently writing a book set in St. Bart’s. So lots of great locations.
YZM: What’s the one question I did not ask that you wish I did?
AH: Maybe what do I love to do besides write? The answer is always the same: be with my children!
About Anita Hughes
Anita Hughes was born in Sydney, Australia and had a charmed childhood that included petting koala bears, riding the waves on Bondi Beach, and putting an occasional shrimp on the barbie. Her writing career began at the age of eight, when she won a national writing contest in THE AUSTRALIAN newspaper, and was named “One of Australia’s Next Best Writers.” (She still has the newspaper clipping.)
She received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from Bard College, and attended UC Berkeley’s Masters in Creative Writing program.
She lives in Dana Point, CA with her family, where she interrupts her writing to watch the glorious sunsets.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
About ISLAND IN THE SEA
A Majorca Love Story
Juliet Lyman is a senior executive at Yesterday Records. Music is her passion and she’s very good at her job. That’s why her famously philanthropic boss Gideon sends her to Majorca, Spain to work with a very tortured, but talented client. Lionel Harding is one of the best song writers of the 20th century, the multi-Grammy award-winning lyricist of the third most recorded song in history. But now he’s 42 and six months overdue on the his latest paid assignment. Juliet is not leaving Majorca without either new lyrics or a very large check.
To Juliet, business comes first. Emotions are secondary, and love isn’t even on the menu. But to Lionel, love is everything, and he blames Gideon for his broken heart. He’s determined to show Juliet that nothing is more important than love, but Juliet is just as determined to get Lionel to create the music that made him famous. If she can sign up local talent, even better. Her new friend Gabriella has a voice like an angel, but she’s not interested in fame. Her grandmother, Lydia, wants the world for Gabriella, and she wants Juliet’s help to give it to her.
As her professional and personal lives start to mix for the first time, Juliet is forced to reevaluate her priorities. Gideon hasn’t been totally honest, and love may be the only thing that gives them all what they need.
Island in the Sea is Anita Hughes’ captivating sixth novel, filled with exotic descriptions of food, fashion, and romance.
Buy ISLAND IN THE SEA: Amazon.com | Kindle| BN.com| iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Yona Zeldis McDonough
Yona Zeldis McDonough is the author of six novels; her seventh, THE HOUSE ON PRIMROSE POND, will be out from New American Library in February, 2016. In addition, she is the editor of the essay collections The Barbie Chronicles: A Living Doll Turns Forty and All the Available Light: A Marilyn Monroe Reader. Her short fiction, articles and essays have been published in anthologies as well as in numerous national magazines and newspapers. She is also the award-winning author of twenty-six books for children, including the highly acclaimed chapter books, The Doll Shop Downstairs and The Cats in the Doll Shop. Yona lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, two children and two noisy Pomeranians.
No Comments
Comments are closed.