A perfect summer day with Judith Natelli McLaughlin...plus a book giveaway

Today we welcome Judith Natelli McLaughlin to CLC to talk about her latest novel, Summer on Butterfly Bay, which was released earlier this summer. It sounds like a great story to enjoy not only in the summer, but any time of year! Judith has one copy, along with some swag, for a lucky reader!

Judith Natelli McLaughlin has been writing for as long as she can remember. The first book she ever wrote she bound with masking tape and for six-year-old Judy that was exactly how a "real" book was supposed to look. 

She still loves to write and illustrate books but she no longer uses masking tape to bind them. She publishes across genres, including children's chapter books, poetry books, middle grade, women's fiction and romance.

A native of New Jersey, Judy and her husband, Brian, call the sandy beaches of the Jersey Shore home. She has three grown, city-dwelling daughters, Katie, Lindsay, and Maggie, as well as her faithful writing companion, a West Highland White Terrier named Duke.

Visit Judith at her website and on Instagram.

Synopsis:
People can change…like the colors in a sunset.

When young widow Ali Mitchell Ford heads to Butterfly Bay for the summer, she expects peace, quiet, and time to rejuvenate. Instead, she runs head-on into the hurricane force of her mother when she discovers the house her parents insisted she rent, the grandest home on the island, comes with its own built-in-man, Brooker Knight, a wealthy entrepreneur who hopes to heal the gaping hole in his own heart.

Ali’s first instinct is to run. But to where? Living with her parents would be a heart attack in the making and she has already sublet her place. Out of options, she is forced to endure the Great Summer Share with Brooker and his soon-to-be fiancée, the newest face of a luxury makeup empire.

Can a mystical, elderly woman, a furry rescue dog, and the healing waters of Butterfly Bay help Ali and Brooker recognize true transformation can only come when the desire for change exceeds the comforts of what is keeping them stuck, or will they be strangled by grief forever? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“With Summer on Butterfly Bay, Judith Natelli McLaughlin has created a magical story of loss, love, unexpected joy—and an irresistible dog! Perfect for fans of Kristy Woodson Harvey and Carley Fortune.”

—Andrea J. Stein, award-winning author of Typecast and Dear Eliza

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
Someone once told me my writing reads effortlessly, like perfection is poured out on the page.  I was thrilled to hear that because behind the scenes there is a lot of writing, and re-writing, and struggling and editing, and crying. And writing and re-writing and struggling and editing and crying, (repeat process) to get it all to read effortlessly.

And with regards to Butterfly Bay specifically, I have been blessed to hear from my readers that my story has made an impact on their lives, addressing love, and grief and the journey to healing in a way that is real and will stay with them forever.  Connecting with even one reader on that intimate level is enough to sustain me on my own writing journey…and hearing this same refrain from so many readers? Including words like “I read it in one day?”  Well, I am humbled, honored, and consider it my privilege to continue to share my stories.

What is one thing you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself?
Do. Not. Give. Up.

It’s about the journey, not the destination.

And this next nugget is one my dad liked to share. It’s a Branch Rickey quote: “Luck is the residue of design.”
 
Oh. That’s three. My apologies, but all three see me through.  And, by the way, this is my third novel and I am still telling myself these same three things.
 
If Summer on Butterfly Bay was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
This is such a perfect question!  Perfect because when my niece finished reading Butterfly Bay, one by one, she cast the movie, sending me screen shots of her proposed actors. It was a fun afternoon as her ideas rolled in and then I put them all together for an Instagram reel, crediting her as casting director.  So, here we go… Emma Stone as Ali, Henry Cavill as Brooker, Elle Fanning as Sloane, Emma Thompson as Mary, Harrison Ford as David, along with the great Ellen Burstyn and finally, my very own dog, Duke McLaughlin, playing the part of KoB. 
 
What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
Easy. The last book I read is the last book I would recommend…The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese.  It is a masterpiece.  Read it. Listen to it. Mark it up. Take notes. Take your time. Just read it.  I already wish I could read it again for the first time. My favorite takeaway theme from the sweeping novel is women raising other women up. Us women, we all stand on another woman’s shoulders. Mine are sturdy thanks to the ones before me. And on.  And on.  I know why Oprah fell so deeply in love with the book. And as I mentioned in an intsa post, I am ready to discuss it with her whenever she wants.
 
If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
Right now I am in Seaside Park, NJ which is the loose backdrop for Butterfly Bay.  We would hop on our bikes and ride up and down the boardwalk, then stop at Park Bakery for a piece of glazed coffee cake.  Followed by a stop at White Oak Market where we could order a few subs to go, for lunch.  We’d pop our lunch in the bike basket and ride home to eat on my front porch.  After lunch and a lazy nap on the porch swing, perhaps we’d head out for a paddle board excursion on the bay after which we could walk to Charlies (now Salty Scoops) for ice cream. We’d search for Monarch butterflies, read our books, and bury our toes in the sand. We’d end the day on the pier with a sunset that doubles as fireworks. 
 
If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 

Yikes. My first instinct is to reach out to my niece, the one who cast the Butterfly Bay movie, to see what she thinks. But without her help I will have to go with…

Nope. I needed her help! And we are picking Tina Fey! Thanks, Erin…she is perfect.  Did you hear her narrate Bossypants? Tina Fey is dry and funny, smooth and rough all at the same time.  GENIUS!

Thanks to Judith for visiting 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. 

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Giveaway ends September 3rd at midnight EST.

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