The fifty-something character who took over my latest book

I almost always feature a third character in my longer romances. In addition to the male and female lead, there’s a third voice with a different, though related story.

In The Beach Reads Bookshop, we have Luis, the third of the Hometown Brothers, a young billionaire who suddenly learns he’s a father. We have Deena, the child’s caregiver who reluctantly comes with Luis to Teaberry Island to run The Beach Reads Bookshop.

The third character, Carol Fisher, is a woman in her fifties who was so much fun to write! Carol starts out having an experience that, unfortunately, many women of a certain age can relate to: she’s let go at her job. Carol runs a tutoring center at a small university and is beloved by her students, but her bosses decide they want to put all tutoring online, and Carol isn’t considered tech-savvy enough to do the job. Out she goes.

Carol is married at the beginning of the book. Her marriage isn’t great, but she’s committed to her disabled husband… until she comes home to discover him carrying his so-called nurse to bed! He’s having a midlife crises and has found a time-honored way to restore his masculinity at the expense of his marriage. Carol moves out.

Newly separated from both her husband and her job, Carol heads for Teaberry Island on the Chesapeake Bay, a place where she and her sister spent some formative childhood years. There, after facing a few interesting challenges, she meets a new family of same-age friends, gets a job at The Beach Reads Bookshop, and rebuilds her life. Deena and Luis become the kids she never had. Her sister and nephew join her on the island, and they become closer than ever with Carol.

Naturally, since it’s my book, I gave her the sweet revenge I figured all discarded employees and scorned wives would enjoy reading about… topped off by a bit of romance. Preorder the book and enjoy!