Peggy Lampman's latest gem....plus a book giveaway

We're so glad to have Peggy Lampman back at CLC today. Her latest novel, The Ruby of the Sea, recently published and it sounds so interesting. Peggy has one signed copy to give away!

Peggy Lampman’s passion is writing women's fiction, which uses contemporary themes as a means to break down familial and cultural barriers. Her novels, THE PROMISE KITCHEN, THE WELCOME HOME DINER and THE RUBY OF THE SEA, reflect this fascination. She grew up in Alabama and planted roots in her college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan where she owned a specialty food store and wrote a food column for THE ANN ARBOR NEWS and MLIVE. She is currently writing her fourth book. (Bio courtesy of Peggy's website.)

From Peggy: Thanks for inviting me to share my thoughts on Chick Lit Central. I love connecting with my readers. You can find me &/or my books here:
Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
Lush with devastating secrets, lies, romance and psychological drama..."You tell me about a family without a certain amount of dysfunction, and I'll tell you that family is lying."

After aimlessly traveling the country for fifteen years, Linnea Chandler returns to her hometown of Key West, Florida keeping the genesis of a life-altering phobia to herself--not a good idea, as she comes to find out. The 19th Century lighthouse that she, her parents and two sisters call home also has a troubled past, carrying the frightening myth that eerily mirrors the mystery of her younger sister today. Should Linnea run while she can?

The women must decide to what extremes they are willing to go to protect their secrets. Ignore the brutality behind the retrieval of spoils from a fatal shipwreck in 1857? Defy a 2017 hurricane threatening to pummel their town? And when their world is upended, do the women have the strength to move forward? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
At this writing, I’m reading Goodreads reviews generated from the advances sent out on THE RUBY OF THE SEA. I note the phrase “deeply emotional read” keeps popping up. I, myself, love “deeply emotional reads”, so at this moment in time, that’s a favorite compliment.

In general, I enjoy readers telling me they can identify with (and love) my very imperfect characters––flaws and all!

What was the inspiration behind The Ruby of the Sea?
Since childhood, Key West, Florida has always been a favorite vacation spot of mine. If it weren’t for my husband, Richard, who insisted we explore the town’s kitschy, tourist side, my imagination would never have been sparked to envision The Maiden Tower, Rossalea, and her history. Although this book is set in contemporary times, a historical sub-plot does weave through the narrative.

Like so many people, I’ve experienced the fallout of undiagnosed mental illness with friends whose story needed to be told. Why not create a character with a sobering story such as this, set in a town filled with color and light? The seeds of a plot began to germinate, culminating in THE RUBY OF THE SEA.

If The Ruby of the Sea were made into a movie, what are some songs that would be on the soundtrack?
Songs from Madonna’s Ray of Light would be on the soundtrack, as they illuminate the souls of the three sisters in THE RUBY OF THE SEA. (Esp. “Drowned World”, “Swim”, “Ray of Light”, “Little Star” and “Mer Girl”.) I’d also toss in some Cuban retro disco From Gloria Estafan, like “Turn the Beat Around”, as the story is spiced with a couple of Cuban characters.

What do you like most about Valentine's Day?
What’s not to like about a holiday based on the concept of love and whimsy? It enlivens my stark, white Michigan landscape with charming little pink and read hearts sprinkled everywhere.

As well, I enjoy staging a romantic dinner with my husband. I owned a specialty food store for 20 years before writing a food column for our local paper. We made a big deal out of Valentine’s Day, selling whimsical take-away dinners for two. If you’re looking for inspiration, here’s a link to well-tested romantic recipes that you’ll find on my dinnerFeed blog.

Note: Mark your calendars for an AMAZING Valentine’s Day giveaway. If you’re not a member of the Blue Sky Book Chat, you might want to reconsider. I’m one of the host authors, and from Feb. 11 to Feb. 14th, we’ll be giving away a $100 gift certificate to your favorite restaurant, a box of chocolates and the book, LOVE LETTERS FROM GREAT MEN.

What is a favorite experience of yours from the past decade?
Hands down, the most fascinating experience I’ve had this decade was three years back when travelling in China and Tibet with my husband. The People’s Republic of China claim Tibet to be a part of China. Tibet asserts itself to be an independent state unlawfully occupied.

Although they share the same East Asia location and official government, the communist ideology and nonreligious attitude embraced by the people we met in China was in startling contrast to those we encountered in Tibet. Tibetans very public reverence to Buddha was displayed ubiquitously in the streets and temples in a pervasive hum of chanting and prayers.

That trip was certainly fascinating. But my FAVORITE experience was two years ago, Feb. 20, 2018, when my daughter placed my first grandchild into my arms :)

What TV series are you currently binge watching?
What was life before Netflix and Amazon? Having torn through Big Little Lies, This is Us, and Shameless, I’m on my B list now, currently watching Peeky Blinders.

Thanks to Peggy for chatting with us and for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway ends February 11th at midnight EST.