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Author Interview and #Review of The Nantucket Beachfront Inn (Sconset Beach #1) by Ainsley Keaton w/a rafflecopter giveaway! #Womensfiction @AnnieJocoby

The Nantucket Beachfront Inn 

(Sconset Beach Book One)

by Ainsley Keaton

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GENRE: Women’s Fiction

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BLURB:

She’s 54, broken-hearted, and starting over…

High-powered New York attorney Ava Flynn finds herself without a job or a future. Unemployable at her age, and broken-hearted by a husband who left her in the lurch, she desperately needs a Plan B. Her prayers are answered when a wealthy benefactor wills her a large house in the ‘Sconset Beach area of Nantucket. She heads out to the picturesque New England island with her two best friends, Quinn and Hallie, going along for the ride.

One catch…her estranged daughter also lives there. Charlotte Killeen, Ava’s daughter, is battling a crisis of her own. Her new husband, Matthew, wants a divorce, even though the couple has a newborn baby. Charlotte needs her mother more than ever, but the two have never seen eye to eye. Her marriage on the rocks and with few prospects for income, Charlotte is near the end of her rope. Then a life-threatening illness brings into focus what’s important after all.

Hallie, Ava’s best friend, is battling a devastating illness, information that she hasn’t shared with Ava and Quinn. She never wants to be a burden, so she just doesn’t ask for help. But she’s going to need all the support she can get. She finds this support in an amazing place, and, in doing so, gets closer to her own destiny.

Ava busies herself with fixing up her beautiful new beach home so that she can open up a bed-and-breakfast. Contractor Deacon Cromwell, whom Ava hires to do the renovation, is the man who might thaw Ava’s icy heart. If only she’ll let him. However, he’s almost 20 years her junior and, Ava believes, out of her league. Can Ava overcome her insecurities and allow herself to love again?

In this feel-good beach read with a touch of magick, Ava and her friends and family will become your best friends. Come and share their joys and heartbreaks, their tragedies and triumphs. For fans of Susan Mallery, Jude Deveraux Nantucket Bride series, and Elin Hilderbrand!

If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?

My boss at the Public Defender’s Office. He gave me a chance, and I was a miserable public defender. I’ve always been scattered and disorganized and I just was such a shitty attorney. I feel bad that he gave me a chance and I blew it. 

If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?

A dragon, because they’re cool. 

How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?

I don’t know if I do, but I do know that I have my own voice. My writing and books are somewhat edgier than others in the genre, because my characters deal with real problems like addiction, depression, and date rape. I also have a white witch who is the middle of it all, which is a bit different from other books in the beachy genre. 

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?

Worst piece of writing advice – avoid info dumps. Sometimes they’re necessary, and every hit book I’ve ever read, and I mean all of them, have info dumps in the books. You can’t always show. Sometimes you have to tell. Also, the advice to always use the word “said.” That gets boring and the word said doesn’t always convey the tone I want. Sometimes I want people to demand, exclaim, cry out, sneer, etc. 

Best piece of writing advice – Never listen to the people who love you and the people who hate you, because there will always be plenty of people falling into those categories. Listen to your own voice and your own gut. 

Are the experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Not really. The two sisters are at odds and haven’t spoken in a decade, but I have a good relationship with my sister and always have. The mother is cold and sarcastic, and my mother was very warm and loving. And there’s a witch. The only thing I have in common with the book is that I live by a beach and so do my characters. 

 

Best book of the year. I know it’s only March, but it is. I don’t think I’ve ever read a more concise, plausible, more relatable book ever. I understood where Ava and her friends were coming from.  My younger brother has always been the “Golden Child” and even at my age, I still live in his shadow. That said, I have a good relationship with him, but over the years, not so much with the parents and they’re able to make me feel like I never measured out. But that’s a story for another time.

Ava, Quinn, and Hallie are noble characters. Ava and Hallie are quite fleshed out for me, and I felt like I could be friends with them with no problem. Quinn, however, isn’t, but her book is next to read. I know what you are thinking. This book has too many “stories” within the overall book, but I promise, they are all interconnected. Even Sarah’s story fits in nicely with the overall arc of the book. In fact, Sarah is probably my favorite character in the book. Once Ava and Sarah finally get everything out in the air, I really felt for her. Nothing like sibling rivalry to spice it up somewhat or an insecure “friend”.

If you are expecting a romance, it’s not there. I don’t miss it because this is a story about friendship, starting over, and having to deal with adult children. Yes, both Ava and Hallie have some issues with their kids, but I didn’t find it intrusive. It was real to me, but I still think Matthew deserved a slap upside his head once or twice. Ava’s relationship with Deacon will be throughout the book, I’m sure. Can’t wait to see where that leads. Not to mention…what is up with Ava and Sarah’s mom? There’s a story there and I can’t wait to find out what it is.

Willow is a hoot, and she is very important to Hallie. I would love my cards read to me, but then I’d probably freak out. I can’t wait to see where Willow fits in with the other women in the book.

I’m sure I’m leaving out a bunch of stuff, but all I can say is that this book spoke to me. I related to the concerns that the women had and were dealing with in their lives. Ms. Keaton’s storytelling is brilliant and I can’t wait to see what happens next with Ava, Quinn, Sarah, and Hallie.

A 10 for me!

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Ainsley Keaton lives in Southern California with her husband and two fur-babies, Bella and Annie. When she’s not binge-watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Downton Abbey, and Succession, she’s reading historical and women’s fiction or scouring the beach for sea glass and sand dollars. 

 

https://attorneykc.wixsite.com/my-site-2

https://www.facebook.com/AinsleyKeaton1967

 

Amazon Pre-buy link:  https://www.amazon.com/Nantucket-Beachfront-Inn-Sconset-Beach-ebook/dp/B09NMVKJ17/ref=sr_1_1

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

7 thoughts on “Author Interview and #Review of The Nantucket Beachfront Inn (Sconset Beach #1) by Ainsley Keaton w/a rafflecopter giveaway! #Womensfiction @AnnieJocoby

  1. Happy Friday! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review of this book, it is a must read for me.
    Ainsley, I hope that you have enjoyed your book tour and I wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors, I have enjoyed learning about you and your book throughout the tour and I am looking forward to reading your stories. Have a great weekend!

  2. Congratulations on your release of The Nantucket Beachfront Inn, Ainsley, great excerpt and interview, I enjoyed following the tour and learning about your book, which sounds like a captivating read for me and the cover is very inviting! Good luck with your book and I hope the tour was a success! Thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks, Harlie, for sharing your review! Have a terrific TGIF!

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