Thursday, August 23, 2012

A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island by Cara C. Putman and Love Finds You on Mackinac Island by Melanie Dobson

Check out these delightful new books by gifted authors, Cara C. Putman and Melanie Dobson! Romance lovers, these authors never disappoint!

Mackinac Island. It’s a magical place that allows you to step back in time from the moment you first step off the ferry. Authors Cara Putman and Melanie Dobson have teamed up for a tour of the island, now and then. Comment at each stop for a chance to win a copy of one of their books set on Mackinac Island. You’ll find the list of stops here. Share the tour on twitter, Facebook, pinterest and other places, and you’ll gain extra entries for the grand prize of a copy of each of their books and a 5 slice box of Murdick’s Fudge, straight from Mackinac Island. Just be sure to email Cara at cara@caraputman.com, so she can record your entries. The grand prize winner will be selected on August 27, 2012.

While the current Mackinac lighthouse was built in 1895, my novel was inspired in part by an intriguing note I read on my tourist map, a note about an old light station on the eastern bluffs. I mapped out my bike ride to find the site of this old station. I asked locals and a lighthouse expert about the location, and I climbed the bluffs searching for it. No one seemed to know about the station, and even though I found some old buildings and ruins on the east side of the island, I never found the site for this old light. When I returned to Mackinaw City, I toured a historic lighthouse that looks out into the Straits of Mackinac. And I wondered, what if...? What if there had once been an old lighthouse high above the eastern shore? And what if the lighthouse keeper disappeared? I don’t know where the older lighthouse was on Mackinac—or if there was one—so I built one for my story.
The lighthouses are a very recognizable aspect of Mackinac Island. They stand like sentinels, guarding the waters leading to Mackinac...warning boats to be wary. When I see the lighthouses, I know we are getting close to the piers and to the start of our time on the island. 


A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island
 Join attorney Alanna Stone as she returns home despite her determination to never set foot on Mackinac Island again. Once again in close proximity to Jonathan Covington, her first love, she vows to protect her privacy and her heart from the man who still makes her pulse race. But when her worst fears are realized and history repeats itself—landing her in the midst of a murder investigation—Jonathan may be her only hope. Will they be able to lay aside the past and let God heal their hearts, or will reconciliation come too late?  Read the first chapter here.

Love Finds You on Mackinac Island:
As the Gilded Age comes to a close, Elena Bissette’s family has lost most of its fortune. The Bissettes still own a home on fashionable Mackinac Island, and they spend summers there in hopes of introducing Elena to a wealthy suitor. Quickly tiring of the extravagant balls at the Grand Hotel, she spends her days walking along the island’s rugged coastline. There she meets Chase, a handsome laborer who invites her to watch the ships from an abandoned lighthouse. The two begin to meet there in secret, hoping to solve a mystery buried in the pages of a tattered diary. As Elena falls in love with Chase, her mother relentlessly contrives to introduce her to Chester Darrington, the island's most eligible bachelor. Marriage to the elusive millionaire would solve the Bissettes' financial woes, and Elena is torn between duty and love. Read the first chapter here.

12 comments:

Cara Putman said...

Thanks so much for hosting us, Jill!

Anonymous said...

I loved Mackinac Island and would just love to go back through these wonderful books! The peace, the quiet,,,,the FUDGE!!

Karen Schulz
aregeetee5162 at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

How wonderful to pair to books that take place at one of Michigan’s finest spots — Mackinac Island. I have found memories of it from frowing up in the Detroit area, though I now live in the South. Just thinking about it brings back the memories of those fudge samples! YMMM!

Melanie Dobson said...

Thank you so much for hosting us, Jill! Trying to find that lighthouse was one of my favorite parts of my journey on Mackinac. :)

Judy said...

The fudge is heavenly! Oh, I liked other things about Mackinac Island too :) I hope to go back again someday.

Blessings!
Judy
sweetpea.judy(at)yahoo(dot)com

Great giveaway! I would love to read both books!

Pam K. said...

I am looking forward to reading both of these books set on Mackinac Island and would love to win copies. The fudge looks delicious as well.
Thanks for this fun tour.

pmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net

Cherie Hamby Kasper said...

Lighthouses are something I really want to check out. Just moved to NW Ohio last year and there are many to see along the Erie Lake coast also.

Lane Hill House said...

I would like to be put in the drawing for Melanie's book. Thank you. Kathleen
lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net
(I have Cara's book.)

apple blossom said...

these books sound wonderful thanks for chance to win

ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

Cara Putman said...

Cherie, I never think of lighthouses in Ohio. How fun!

bn100 said...

I'd like to visit the lighthouse.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Jill said...

Paula Osborne kyflo130 at yahoo dot com entered by direct message on 8-23.