Books are food for my soul! Pull up a beach chair and stick your toes in the sand as the Jersey surf rolls in and out, now open your book and let your imagination take you away.

Monday, March 30, 2015

The Denim Blue Sea by Joanne DeMaio (Author Guest Post / Book Review)

In association with Author Joanne DeMaio, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for The Denim Blue Sea!






Author Guest Post


Beach walking is one of my favorite things to do. There's so much to see on a simple beach-combing walk; so many stories to be found in the treasures that wash ashore, in the changing tides, hours of the day, seasons.

In my newest novel, The Denim Blue Sea, the fictional seaside setting of Stony Point is based on a little Connecticut beach called Point O' Woods, shown here.


I've walked this stretch of sand every year of my life, daughters often by my side, contemplating our days and lately … book concepts! I've found this beach to be the best place in the world to cuff your jeans and walk along the water's edge, a place forever promising summer, a place that has endless stories in the sand.




About The Author



Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She enjoys writing about friendship, family, love and choices, while setting her stories in New England towns or by the sea. Her fifth novel, The Denim Blue Sea, was recently published on March 3, 2015. Currently at work on her next book, Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut. To learn more about the author, visit Joannedemaio.com. She also enjoys hearing from readers on her Facebook Page.


Author Website
Facebook
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Goodreads




Book Review



The Denim Blue Sea by Joanne DeMaio
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
Format: Paperback - 370 pages
               Kindle - 1814 KB
               Nook - 902 KB
ISBN: 978-1505650747
ASIN: B00RZOKJ64
BNID: 2940151632294
Genre: Women's Fiction


Buy The Book:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Kobo
Goodreads


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour hosted by the author.


Book Description:

New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio returns to seaside Stony Point in this novel filled with beach friends, love, and the enchantment of a sandy boardwalk winding along the shore.

During two August weeks, denim designer Maris Carrington and coastal architect Jason Barlow prepare for their much-anticipated wedding. Guests arrive early, turning keys in charming cottage doors to begin their New England summer escape. The wedding is a reason for old friends to gather again; to meet in their shabby beach hangout and get the jukebox cranking; to walk that weathered boardwalk beneath a starry sky; to breathe the sweet salt air. "Cures what ails you," one of the friends, Neil, always said long before his life was sadly claimed. But his legacy was not.

When Maris discovers Neil's long-lost journal, its passages reveal a heartbreaking secret. Can truths be found within its timeworn pages? Can this leather-bound journal unite the friends as their lives begin to fray? A bittersweet family reunion, a surprising encounter from a devastating accident, a shocking confession leaving one marriage shattered--all will test the once close-knit circle. Suddenly this safe haven on the tranquil Connecticut shoreline churns with emotional turmoil, threatening even the beach wedding just days before it is to happen.

Yet like a silver cap on a breaking wave, love and friendship wash ashore with hope, ever shimmering, in The Denim Blue Sea.


Book Excerpt:

To read a book excerpt of The Denim Blue Sea, click on the Goodreads Link



My Book Review:

In The Denim Blue Sea, author Joanne DeMaio transports the reader back to the tranquil seashore town of Stony Point, Connecticut, where they catch up with the lives of six friends: Maris, Eva, Matt, Jason, Kyle and Lauren, who were introduced in the novel, Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans. It is a year later, and the close knit group of friends are coming back to Stony Point for the summer wedding of denim designer Maris Carrington and architect Jason Barlow. Just like the ebb and flow of the tide, life brings issues and changes to one's life, but the bonds of friendship, sea air and salt water are cleansing, they cure what ails you. For this group of old friends, a summer wedding will bring them together, but the bonds of friendship and personal relationships will be tested when a long-lost journal that reveals a heartbreaking secret is found, and other life issues surface and swirl around in the shimmering denim blue sea, yet its calming effect offers them a chance of hope, love, family, friendship, forgiveness, and redemption.

The Denim Blue Sea is a poignant story of friendship and family, dealing with life's issues, and long held secrets that will tug at your heartstrings. Author Joanne DeMaio weaves an emotional tale written in the third person narrative, that is set in the present with flashbacks to the past. The reader is transported to the tranquil seashore town of Stony Point, Connecticut, where they follow along with Maris, Eva, Matt, Jason, Kyle and Lauren as they get ready to celebrate Maris and Jason's wedding while dealing with challenges of real life, loss, love, heartbreak, secrets, and personal demons.

Author Joanne DeMaio easily captivates her readers' attention with this beautifully written and emotional tale through a seamless and flowing storyline, and with a wonderful description of a tranquil beach setting that wraps itself around the reader like a sun-warmed beach towel. The characters draw you into their lives with a strong emotional pull, their complexities and flaws are true-to-life, it is easy to relate to them with compassion, empathy and hope. With a mixture of intrigue, suspense, drama, humor, heartache, hidden secrets, romance, and a strong bond of friendship, this story takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride that will keep you turning the pages until the satisfying conclusion.

The Denim Blue Sea is an intricate story of interweaving friendships and real life challenges that is both heart wrenching and inspirational. It is a powerful and compelling story that will have you feeling the full gamut of emotions while soothing your soul. It is a wonderful story that demonstrates the power of love conquering all, it will resonate with you long after the last word has been read.


RATING: 5 STARS 








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