Spotlight & Giveaway: A CUP OF SILVER LININGS by Karen Hawkins

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Karen Hawkins to HJ!

Hi Karen and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, A CUP OF SILVER LININGS!

 
Hello! It’s a delight to be here. I hope all of you are having a terrific reading week.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

A CUP OF SILVER LININGS is a book set in the magical town of Dove Pond where the Dove sisters have special abilities. This story is about hope, love, grief, and the power of doing what’s right, even when it isn’t easy.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

Standing beside her daughter’s open grave, Ellen Foster dug her fingernails into her palms as the annoying sound of a kazoo wafted through the wintry, pine-scented air.
A kazoo.
At a funeral.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• It features magic, which I WANT. Sarah Dove can speak to books (and they speak back!) so she knows who in town needs to read which book and when. I’d love to have that magical ability. Ava Dove, who features prominently in this story, understands plants in ways no one else can. She uses that knowledge to make teas that help people deal with pain, both physical and emotional. I wouldn’t mind having that power, either! Next up is sister Ella, a pastry chef, whose cakes allow people to experience vivid memories of times gone by.
• There are three more sisters after that, but that’s all you need to know …for now. (insert evil laughter here)

Please tell us a little about the characters in your book. As you wrote your protagonist was there anything about them that surprised you?

There are three protagonists in this book — Ellen Foster, her granddaughter Kristen, and Ava Dove. Ellen was the most difficult to write but, oddly enough, became more and more intriguing. She is not an easy woman to love, but I grew to respect her as I wrote her story.

I had my niece help me with Kristen’s personality and voice. There’s nothing like getting the brutal opinions of a real teenager to write a believably real teenager. My sister died when my niece was a pre-teen, so she was able to give me a firsthand look into the mind of an orphaned teenager. I dedicated this book to my sister, who would have loved that I worked on this book with her daughter.

Meanwhile I knew Ava a little from the previous book, so I didn’t expect surprises. However, one happened within the first few pages of the first chapter in her POV. I’d never realized how impacted she’d been by taking on her younger sister while she, herself, was so young, only 19. This old struggle deepened her personality and, later on in the story, made her actions even more understandable.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

Oh wow. That’s HARD. Let me think . . . .

This one, I think. I’d choose this whole scene (Chapter 5) because it shows the deep friendship between these characters, plus explains why Ava and Sarah are so close. There’s a lot more to this scene, but space is limited, so I’ll just start it here:

Sarah grabbed Ava’s arm and stopped her. “Ridiculous or not, he’s a nice guy.”
“I don’t have time for nice guys, or bad ones, either. I’ve got this mess with the teas, and the tearoom opening is running late, and the bo–” She caught herself just in time, flushing as she added lamely, “And other things, too.”
“Once we get this messed-up tea mystery solved, you’ll have more time.” Sarah gave Ava’s arm a gentle shake. “Please. Don’t look so worried. It’s all going to work out. I know it.”
Despite the circumstances, Sarah’s smile made Ava smile in return.
That was Sarah for you. Her inherent optimism brought hope and happiness to those she loved. Ava still remembered when, three days after her fifth birthday, their mother had brought Sarah home from the hospital. Their father had died only a few months before, and times had been dark. But then Sarah had arrived who, with her toothless grin and belly-deep chuckle, had brought them all back to life.
Ava smiled wistfully at her sister . “I wished I believe in me as much as you do.”
“You make it easy. Now, come on. We’d better get in there. Aunt Jo isn’t what I’d call patient.” Sarah grinned and then went inside, leaving Ava standing at the threshold….

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

Hope! Love! The importance of family! The power of forgiveness and understanding!

Most of all, the effects of the right book at the right time, and the joy of the perfect cup of tea.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m currently working on Ella’s story. She’s the third Dove sister and is a pastry chef whose cakes stir deep dreams and memories in those who eat them. Ella doesn’t believe in love, nor does she ever want to live somewhere “permanent.” She’s a wanderer who has come home to face her own set of truth.

The working title is THE LOST BOOK OF CAKES. It may be titled something different when it comes out, but for now, that’s what I’m calling it.

Fun fact: I’m baking a crazy amount of cakes from my own grandmother’s recipe book and will be including those in the book. She was a lovely woman and an amazing cook, but her recipes include things like, “Add a pinch of this” and “stir until ready,” so I’m having to experiment a little to get things just right.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: For two winners: An autographed copy of A CUP OF SILVER LININGS
For one winner: An audio copy of A CUP OF SILVER LININGS. US Only

Note: There will be an international drawing via my newsletter next week, so make sure you’re signed up via my website.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Each of the Dove sisters have a special, kind, generous sort of magic. Many of them echo real “powers” we all have — instantly knowing when someone needs a hug, understanding when a friend requires some space, the ability to make desserts that brighten sad days. What’s your real life magic?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from A CUP OF SILVER LININGS:

From Chapter One, the Funeral Scene:

…..Ellen tugged her black wool coat tighter, catching Kristen’s questioning gaze. Ellen realized her expression must be fury-tight after watching that ridiculous dragon flag being draped over the casket, so she forced her mouth to curve into what she hoped was a comforting smile.

Kristen didn’t look convinced. She turned her attention back to the preacher, the diamond stud in her nose sparkling in the late- afternoon sun. It was painfully obvious that Julie had allowed her daughter all the excesses she’d craved as a child, and Ellen shuddered to think what damage had already been done.

As if she could hear her grandmother’s thoughts, Kristen hunched her shoulders against the breeze, causing her red-and-purple kimono to flap around her knees. Earlier today, as they’d gotten ready to attend the service, Ellen had balked at the sight of Kristen wearing the garment, but the teenager had flatly refused to change, saying she and her mother had picked out the kimono during Julie’s final week.

Final week. Ellen’s throat tightened. She hoped and prayed Julie hadn’t suffered. Please, no. Julie, why didn’t you call me? I would have come. I would have helped.

Fresh tears burned Ellen’s eyes, and she furiously blinked them away behind her sunglasses. She would not cry.

Would.

Not.

The reverend, a round man who looked sweaty even on a chilly January afternoon, smiled at Kristen before he launched into his opening. “My friends, we are not here to mourn the loss of resident artist and beloved town member Julie Foster but rather to celebrate the beauty she added to our lives by sharing her artwork, her smile, her life, and her lovely daughter, Kristen. Julie was a warm person. A generous person. A vibrant person. We will all miss her dearly.” He faltered a bit as his gaze brushed by Ellen.

Ellen wondered what Julie had told people about their contentious relationship but decided it was best she didn’t know. Still, she couldn’t help noticing the uncertain glances cast her way, both curious and faintly disapproving. Had Julie complained about her, or were they upset Ellen wasn’t weeping like a broken doll? They didn’t know her if they expected a public display. When she wept, it was in private, away from prying, judgmental eyes.

Ellen’s restless gaze swept over the residents of Dove Pond. She recognized a few of them from the five years she and Julie had lived here after the divorce. During the day, while Julie was in school, Ellen had been fighting her way to the top of an architectural firm in Asheville, where she’d overseen a number of complex commercial rehab projects. In those days, getting Julie to the bus stop on time had been a struggle, and Ellen could still see her daughter dashing out of the house, her thick blond hair uncombed, her book bag half open, her socks mismatched as she ran to meet the school bus, which was usually honking urgently from the street. That was Julie in a nutshell. She’d rushed through life underprepared and thoughtless, causing her organized and orderly mother decades of worry and concern. And now, for all of Julie’s troublesome and rebellious ways, she was gone.

Forever.

Ellen’s stomach ached as if someone had punched her. This was not how things were supposed to end. She and Julie were supposed to overcome their issues. They were supposed to become close—friends, even—working together to make Kristen’s life better.

Ellen’s eyes filled with tears yet again, so she took a deep breath and focused on the reverend, who had just asked Ava Dove to come forward and read. Ellen watched the young blond woman make her way from the crowd, a small book in her hands. Ellen disliked the Dove sisters almost as much as she disliked this funeral. The entire town admired the Doves, and some even believed the seven sisters possessed “special” abilities, which was beyond ridiculous.

During the drive over, Ellen had been horrified to hear Kristen say how much she loved working for Ava Dove. From some of the things Kristen had said over the past few days, it was obvious she believed the specialty teas Ava made from the flowers and herbs she grew in her greenhouses could cure a number of ills, including arthritis, heart palpitations, and even broken hearts. Ellen had had to fight to keep her lip from curling in disdain.

The Dove Family Nonsense, as Ellen thought of it, was exactly the sort of fairy tale–ish, new age baloney Julie had loved and had apparently fed to an impressionable Kristen. To accomplish Action Item Three, Ellen would have to disentangle her granddaughter from the town, which meant dissolving her close relationship with Ava Dove. That wouldn’t be an easy task, as Kristen worked almost every day after school with Ava, who was planning on opening a tearoom this coming spring. Kristen positively glowed when she talked about it.

Ellen narrowly eyed Ava where she stood beside the preacher, ready to speak. She wore horribly inappropriate purple coveralls under a mustard-yellow Carhartt coat with a bright patch on one front pocket that read AVA DOVE’S LANDSCAPING AND GOURMET SPECIALTY TEAS.

Ridiculous. Am I the only person who understands the proper attire for a funeral?

Ava cleared her throat. “Julie and I became close this past year during her illness, and I consider her and Kristen family.” Ava’s pale gray-green gaze found Kristen’s, and they smiled at each other, sending a twinge of jealousy through Ellen.

“Julie asked me to share a passage from her favorite book.” Ava opened the book, removed a bright pink Post-it, and began reading. “ ‘Kama is the enjoyment of appropriate objects by the five senses of hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting, and smelling, assisted by the mind together with the soul.’ ”

Of course Julie would have some sort of ridiculous Far Eastern babble read at her funeral.

Kristen whispered, “Recognize the book?”

Ellen shook her head.

Kristen smirked. “It’s the Kama Sutra.”

Ellen wondered if a person could burst into flames with mortification. If it had been physically possible, she was certain she would have already done so long before now.

An odd noise came from Kristen. Ellen cut her granddaughter a sharp look and caught the teen attempting to smother a laugh, looking so much like her mother that Ellen’s heart stuttered a beat. In that grin was a streak of pure rebellion, the same streak that had pushed Julie to run away from home at the tender age of seventeen, beginning the worst year of Ellen’s life. And now, there it was, on Kristen’s face. For the first time since Ellen had arrived in Dove Pond, a sliver of fear pierced her soul. Please, God, don’t let us go down the same road Julie and I traveled. I can’t lose Kristen, too. I can’t. I just can’t.

From across the grave, Ava continued reading, “‘. . . without becoming the slave of his passions, will obtain success in everything he may do.’ ” She closed the book, a misty smile quivering. “So true.”

Everyone nodded, wiping their eyes and sniffling.

Aware of Kristen’s critical gaze, Ellen forced herself to murmur, “Wonderful.”

Wonderful that it’s over.

Ava handed the book to her sister Sarah who’d quietly come to stand beside her. Although Sarah was five years younger, she looked enough like Ava to be her twin. The younger Dove sister wore a flowing, multicolored maxi dress under a long blue coat, which clashed with her bright orange sneakers.

People in this strange little town thought Sarah was a “book charmer,” which would be laughable if it wasn’t so pathetic. They thought she could talk to books and—more ridiculous yet—books could talk back, telling her which people they’d like to visit. Ellen supposed such a skill, if it existed, would be useful to Sarah, who was the town librarian. All the Doves think they’re so special. Well, they’re not. They’re strange, that’s what they are. Every one of them.

She wondered briefly where the other Dove sisters and their mother were. Perhaps, tired of the strangeness of this tiny town, they’d moved away. Which would be completely understandable.

Sarah patted the book and favored the group of mourners with a far-too-cheerful smile. “Julie asked me to set this book aside at the library in case any of you would like to check it out.”

“So kind,” the preacher said. “Thank you for that reading, Ava. And, Sarah, thank you for making the book available. After that lovely excerpt, I’m sure a lot of us will be checking out the Kama Sutra.” He beamed around the group. “I met with Julie and Kristen as they planned this service, and I was impressed with their determination to bring joy today rather than having ‘the usual weep-fest,’ as Julie called it. She wanted all of us to leave today filled with hope and love. In keeping with that wish, before you head out, please take the time to hug your neighbor.” He smiled. “God bless you. See you all Sunday.”

Hugs? With this group? No, thank you. Ellen turned toward Kristen but found her hugging her friend Missy.

“Mrs. Foster?”

She instantly recognized Ava Dove’s voice and, stifling a sigh, reluctantly turned to face the young woman….

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins returns to her beloved Dove Pond series with another “mesmerizing fusion of the mystical and the everyday” (Susan Andersen, New York Times bestselling author)—but this time, the magic is in the tea leaves.

Ava Dove—the sixth of the seven famed Dove sisters and owner of Ava Dove’s Landscaping and Specialty Teas—is frantic.

Just as her fabulous new tearoom is about to open, her herbal teas have gone wonky. Suddenly, her sleep-inducing tea is startling her clients awake with vivid dreams, her romance-kindling tea is causing people to blurt out their darkest secrets, and her anti-anxiety tea is making them spend hours staring into mirrors. Ava is desperate for a remedy, but her search leads her into dangerous territory, as she is forced to face a dark secret she’s been hiding for over a decade.

Meanwhile, successful architect Ellen Foster has arrived in Dove Pond to attend the funeral of her estranged daughter, Julie. Grieving deeply, Ellen is determined to fix up her daughter’s ramshackle house, sell it, and then sweep her sixteen-year-old granddaughter, Kristen, off to a saner, calmer life in Raleigh. But Kristen has other plans. Desperate to stay with her friends in Dove Pond, Kristen sets off on a quest she’s avoided her whole life—to find her never-been-there father in the hopes of winning her freedom from the grandmother she barely knows.

Together, Ava, Kristen, and Ellen embark on a reluctant but magical journey of healing, friendship, and family that will delight fans of Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, and Sarah Addison Allen.

Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. Her highly acclaimed Dove Pond series is a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible.

To find out more about Karen, check in with her at Facebook.com/KarenHawkinsWriter, @KarenHawkinsAuthor on Instagram, and at her website, KarenHawkins.com.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads |