Mary Alice Monroe
Author Interview - Mary Alice Monroe
Author of The Summer of Lost and Found
The coming of Spring usually means renewal, but for Linnea Rutledge, Spring 2020 threatens stagnation. Linnea faces another layoff, this time from the aquarium she adores. For her—and her family—finances, emotions, and health teeter at the brink. To complicate matters, her new love interest, Gordon, struggles to return to the Isle of Palms from England. Meanwhile, her old flame, John, turns up from California and is quarantining next door. She tries to ignore him, but when he sends her plaintive notes in the form of paper airplanes, old sparks ignite. When Gordon at last reaches the island, Linnea wonders—is it possible to love two men at the same time?
Love in the time of the coronavirus proves challenging, at times humorous, and ever changing. Relationships are redefined, friendships made and broken, and marriages tested. As the weeks turn to months, and another sea turtle season comes to a close, Linnea learns there are more meaningful lessons learned during this summer than opportunities lost, that summer is a time of wonder, and that the exotic lives in our own back yards. In The Summer of Lost and Found, Linnea and the Rutledge family continue to face their challenges with the strength, faith, and commitment that has inspired readers for decades.
Author Interview - Mary Alice Monroe
Author I draw inspiration from: Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing
Author Interview - Mary Alice Monroe
Favorite place to read a book: My favorite place to read a book is absolutely anywhere I can find time to read uninterrupted
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Kate Watkins, the fly fishing maven from my novel Time is a River. She is someone I want to be like when I grow up!
Author Interview - Mary Alice Monroe
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher asked me if I had ever thought about being a writer. I had never known you could be a writer as a job until she said it. I'm so grateful for that teacher who planted the idea into my mind, which gave me the impetus to work toward that goal of becoming a writer.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Nothing beats a hardcover, but I use and buy books in every format. I especially love audiobooks when I am driving.
The last book I read: The Hour of the Witch, Chris Bohjalian
Author Interview - Mary Alice Monroe
Pen & paper or computer: computer
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Cara Rutledge from The Beach House series. I’ve written her for twenty years and know her so well!
Author Interview - Mary Alice Monroe
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: a teacher of English
Favorite decade in fashion history: What a fun question. 1920s. I binge watched The House of Elliott and am besotted. I keep wishing those headpieces would come back. And gloves would be timely!
Place I’d most like to travel: I'd like to visit Japan again with my husband.
My signature drink: Beach House Blend dark roast coffee by Charleston Coffee Roasters
Favorite artist: I have a few: Mary Edna Fraser; Jonathan Green; Bill Hagerty; and my daughter Gretta Kruesi
Number one on my bucket list: Make more memories with my husband, children, and grandchildren
Find more from the author:
Instagram: /maryalicemonroe
Facebook: @maryalicemonroe
Twitter: @maryalicemonroe
Author Bio: Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of 27 books, including the Beach House series: The Beach House, Beach House Memories, Swimming Lessons, Beach House for Rent, and Beach House Reunion, On Ocean Boulevard, and her latest book in the series The Summer of Lost and Found (available May 11, 2021; Gallery Books/Simon and Schuster). Monroe’s debut middle grade fiction series, The Islanders, will be released June 15, 2021 (Aladdin Books/Simon and Schuster).
Monroe a 2018 Inductee into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame, and her books have received numerous awards, including the 2008 South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing, the 2014 South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence, the 2015 SW Florida Author of Distinction Award, the RT Lifetime Achievement Award, the International Book Award for Green Fiction, and the 2017 Southern Book Prize for Fiction.
Monroe’s bestselling novel The Beach House is also a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie McDowell, Minka Kelly, and Chad Michael Murray.
She is the co-creator and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction, which features five dear friends and bestselling authors—Monroe, Mary Kay Andrews, Patti Callahan Henry, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Kristin Harmel. With more than 22,000 readers tuned in, the women talk about books and life, while also spotlighting indie bookstores.
Monroe is also an active conservationist and supports numerous conservation-focused organizations. Her work includes serving as a board member emeritus for the South Carolina Aquarium and a state-certified member of the Island Turtle Team. She lives on in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, which is a source of inspiration for many of her books.
