Stardust Summer Lauren Clark Review~Spotlight~Excerpt

Stardust Summer

by Lauren Clark

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BLURB:

Single mom Grace Mason doesn’t believe in miracles, magic, or love at first sight. She likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old son, their tiny house, and her teaching job. For Grace, happiness means that nothing much ever changes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Then, one thousand miles away, tragedy strikes. A massive heart attack leaves Grace’s estranged father comatose in an Upstate New York hospital. While a team of doctors fight to keep Henry Mason alive, Grace and Evan rush to his bedside to say their final goodbyes.

Henry’s passing brings little closure for Grace, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a short trip results in an entire summer spent with Henry’s second wife, Kathleen, and her next-door neighbor, Ryan Gordon, the town doctor. When a series of unlikely events lead to Evan’s disappearance, Grace must face her worst fears to find her son and bring him back home.

Stardust Summer explores the complexities of forgiveness, what it means to be a family, and the fabulous possibility of falling in love—again.

Kathleen woke with her head pressed to the tablecloth. She jerked awake at a loud noise outside.

It was the sound of a boat engine churning on the lake, a quarter-mile away. She listened for the cast and pull of a fishing line, the rhythmic whirr of a reel. All familiar sounds, all part of her world. The noises were usually soothing.

This morning, only a dull ache existed. She felt as if a hammer had been buried in her brain.

Kathleen's eyes pricked with tears. She fumbled to find her watch and look at the time. Already eight-fifteen in the morning. She needed to call Keuka College and let everyone know. She had to cancel the library dedication.

And there was Grace. Kathleen had to deliver the news about her father, and make sure she was coming to the funeral.

Henry's daughter, whom she'd spoken to hours before. The same woman she'd reassured that her father was okay. Resting comfortably. Stable. The doctors are doing all they can.

Kathleen's hands shook. She fumbled through papers to find her stepdaughter's contact information. Anyone else would have it memorized, a little voice played in her head.

But finally, beneath a tumble of scratch pads and pens, stuck to a yellow post-it note, was a small white card with Henry’s writing.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw it. Grace at school, the paper said, with ten numbers scrawled beneath it. Her hands shook as she punched the keys, one by one, and listened to the ringing, waiting for someone to answer.

An operator’s voice came through clearly with a hint of Southern drawl in the greeting. Kathleen hesitated, gathering her thoughts, and the woman patiently repeated her greeting, this time, with more of a question in her voice.

Following a deep breath, Kathleen let the words spill out. She needed to speak to her stepdaughter, it was an emergency, and could she please find her. Immediately, music blared. Kathleen held the phone out at arm’s length and shut her eyes at the noise, waiting. She couldn’t think of what to say, or how to say it.

When the music stopped and Kathleen heard Grace answer, it stopped her cold. Hers was such a grown up, confident voice, and a person she didn’t know very well.

Grace paused expectantly for Kathleen to talk. The sound of children, chattering and giggling, echoed in the background.

"I'm calling about your father. He seemed to be doing better. He was stable, and then, last night, he had another stroke." Kathleen inhaled and made herself say the next sentence. "The doctors...I'm so sorry, Grace," her voice broke, "he didn't make it." 

Kathleen closed her eyes tightly, trying to shut out the pain in Grace’s voice. The syllables she heard were cutting and sharp, bending at the end into tears.

After the sobs and exclamations of disbelief, there were questions. Patiently, Kathleen tried her best to answer each one. Grief washed over Kathleen again, listening to her stepdaughter mourn.

She had never felt so helpless.

n the end, though, it was done. And Grace, who'd sworn she would never visit her father again, was finally coming home for Henry.

Lauren Clark writes contemporary novels sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets. A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends.

Lauren is a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association, the Mobile Writers Guild, and a regular contributor to Parents & Kids Magazine's Mississippi Gulf Coast Edition. Check out her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.

Stardust Summer for Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFZVW1K

Stardust Summer for Nook 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stardust-summer-lauren-clark/1114565578

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Stardust Summer for Smashwords

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Stardust summer

Favorite Quotes

“I can’t let him go right now. What I mean is…" Kathleen looked at the box, her hand on the lid. “Instead, I’m going to share something with all of you. Henry's favorite song.”

And her voice lifted, loud and clear. Kathleen sang, off-key, but strong.

“And now the purple dusk of twilight time steals across the meadows of my heart. High up in the sky the little stars climb, always reminding me that we're apart."

Evan scrunched his nose. “Oh. People do weird things when they're in love, then." He sunk back against the gray plush of the seat.

“Look at you. You’re here,” Kathleen was able to gasp. She hugged Evan again. "I'm so happy.

Evan yelped a little. “Too tight, Grandma, you’re squeezing me too hard!”

Ryan and Grace laughed as Kathleen released him.

"Phew!" Evan exclaimed, stretching his arms above his head. "I can take deep breath now."

This book was given to me for an honest review.

This is not my typical style of book I like to read but when I started to read it I realized that it was the beginning of a great story. Throughout the book you go through the being part of Grace’s life and what to get to know her better.

Grace has a son named Evan and she has been through heartache everyone she loves leaves her so she believes that if she closes her heart of to love then she cannot be heart. She is a woman who builds her life around her son and a career as a teacher is set in such a way that she can be with him as much as possible. Then she receives news that her father that she has been estranged from has had a massive heartache and is dying. She and her son do the right thing and go to say their goodbyes. 

At first it was supposed to be a trip to say goodbye and go back home but something drew her to this town and now she decides to spend the summer.  Throughout this book you learn more about her, her step-mother Kathleen and the doctor Ryan. Grace and Ryan have are becoming close but can they trust their feelings? Can they trust each other?  Will Grace let her fears of being left if she lets herself love him ruin what they have? This is a must read story.

FIVE TRUSTING ANGELS

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