Spotlight & Giveaway: Is It Any Wonder by Courtney Walsh

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Courtney Walsh to HJ!

Hi Courtney and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Is It Any Wonder!

 
Hi! Thanks for having me! 🙂
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Is It Any Wonder is a second chance romance about two childhood friends who share a birthday. As kids, they made a pact to return to Nantucket, where they grew up, to celebrate their golden birthday together, at Brant Point Lighthouse. But a tragic accident tears them apart, and it’s years before they’re reunited again, this time, not as friends but as something else–not quite enemies, but two broken people who have a lot of history, the messy kind.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Not that there was time to think about it now. Not with the waves growing and the wind blowing and her paddle floating away, pulled out to sea by a storm she hadn’t seen coming.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The hero of the book is in the Coast Guard, and in order to research I interviewed the husband of a reader of mine who set me straight on a LOT of misconceptions about what they do.
• When I was writing this book, every time I needed to get back into Louisa’s character, I thought of the word “quirky.” I really wanted to write a character who really marched to the beat of her own drummer. 🙂

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

I like to write about people who own their own businesses, maybe because my husband and I own our own business. It’s a different level of pressure when you’re only relying on yourself, and I like to explore that.

I really love writing heroes who are somewhat broody. In this case, my hero, Cody, is exactly that. He doesn’t want to be in Nantucket or anywhere near Louisa, and his circumstances seem to be working against him. There’s something so fun about writing a grumpy-ish hero. 🙂

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

PROLOGUE
Dear Mr. Boggs,
It’s been five years since you died, and I’ve thought about you
every single day since. If I close my eyes, I can imagine I’m ten years old and you’re down at the beach building sandcastles with me and Cody.
None of the other parents ever wanted to play with us, but you were always more than willing. I mean, you couldn’t have actually liked being buried to your neck in sand . . . but you let us do it. You even smiled for pictures like that.
I can’t help but think that what happened was my fault. At least indirectly. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I hate it in movies when people seem so broken up with guilt over something that’s clearly not their fault—but what happened to you kind of was my fault, wasn’t it?
Is it any wonder that I wish I could take it back? I wish I could say I’m sorry. I wish I could rewind and change everything about that night. I hurt you. I hurt Cody. I hurt Mrs. Boggs and Marley. I even hurt my own parents because the moment they told us you were gone, everything changed. It was like we’d been plummeted into a jar of molasses, like we were moving in slow motion, swimming through a thick cloud of sorrow.

Will the cloud ever go away? Will it always hang here, a sad reminder that the choice of a foolish girl could impact so many lives, destroy so many friendships?
I don’t know. And I don’t know why I’m writing. I know you’ll never read these words. It helps, though, at least a little bit. It makes me feel better putting it out there into the world, the fact that I’m so horribly sorry for what I’ve done.
I pray one day you can forgive me. I pray one day you will all forgive me.
Love, Louisa

Continued below…

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

I think every one of my books has some element of forgiveness in it. I think because it’s so incredibly difficult (and rightfully so) to really forgive someone once they’ve hurt us. In this case, I want people to take away the freeing feeling of finally letting go of something they’ve carried with them for a long time. The freedom of actually forgiving someone, whether they’re sorry or not. That’s huge. And hard. And messy. I love exploring that with my characters.

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

I just finished edits on my 2022 release, and I’m taking a breather before jumping into a new book that I’m really excited about! 🙂
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: I’d be happy to giveaway a paperback copy of  It Any Wonder for US only!

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: In the book, Louisa has a relationship fall apart because her boyfriend didn’t believe in her. Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who didn’t believe in you? How do you navigate a relationship with someone who doesn’t believe in you?

 
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Excerpt from Is It Any Wonder:

SEVEN YEARS LATER
CHAPTER ONE
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Not that there was time to think about it now. Not with the waves
growing and the wind blowing and her paddle floating away, pulled out to sea by a storm she hadn’t seen coming.
Louisa Chambers inhaled a sharp breath as the water swelled and a wave crashed over her head. Her legs kicked against the water of Nantucket Sound as she heaved her body up onto the paddleboard.
So much for a quiet morning out on the water.
She sighed. Her father would be so angry with her if she died paddleboarding.
“How many times have I told you to wear a life vest?” he’d say. “You don’t challenge death, kitten.”
He still called her kitten. She might actually miss that if she died.
She knew all too well the realities of death—she didn’t need reminding. But maybe death needed to know she wasn’t scared of it.
I’m not scared. I’m strong. I’m stronger than I look.
Again she willed herself to stay calm. Her paddle was officially gone.
She wasn’t far from Madaket Beach—she’d hang on to her board and kick her way back. It was early, just after sunrise, but someone would be up soon. Mr. Dallas with his golden retriever, maybe. Or one of the McGuires.
But the wind intensified and pushed her in the wrong direction, sending her into deeper, choppier waters. The shoreline stretched on forever, and the water kept moving her farther and farther away from it.
Her hand slipped off the paddleboard, and she gasped as a wave smacked her in the face.
How many times have I told you to wear a life vest?
Her dad’s voice echoed in her ear—louder this time—and right- fully so. She should’ve listened. She should’ve—whack. Another wave, this one bringing with it a mouthful of water. She spit it out and struggled back to her board, barely latching on to it as the cur- rent kicked up again.
She coughed, white-knuckling the paddleboard and scanning the shore, the horizon, the open sea.
Nothing.
That was when she began to realize she might actually be in dan- ger. That was when she thought, I could die out here.
Who would handle the Timmons anniversary party if she died? How would she ever show Eric she was completely over him—even though, in reality, she wasn’t sure she was? Who would water that stupid houseplant her mother had sent over from Valero and Sons “because you need practice keeping something alive if you’re ever going to have children”?
She wanted to have children, so she needed to make sure that plant lived.
She draped her torso over the paddleboard and tried not to think about sharks. She tried to think about something happier.
Beaches on Nantucket Close after at Least a Dozen Shark Sightings.
It was the headline of an article she’d stumbled across online only two weeks prior. Were the sharks gone? Were they circling her at that exact moment?
And then, all of a sudden, the image of a smiling Daniel Boggs flittered through her mind.
Is this how you felt, Mr. Boggs?
That image had no business haunting her, not now when she’d been doing so well. But a wave tossed her forward, and she barely managed to hold on to the board, so she closed her eyes and prayed.
Because right about now, she needed a miracle.
Mr. Boggs had probably prayed for the same thing and look how that had turned out.
Maybe this was what she deserved. Maybe this was payback for what she’d done. Maybe this was God’s way of reminding her that actions had consequences.
Actions like not wearing a life vest. Or breaking someone’s heart.
She’d been working how many years to try to make amends for her mistakes? Would it ever be enough? Would forgiveness ever come?
It occurred to her that on normal days she was excellent at push- ing these thoughts away. In fact, most days she didn’t even have to work at it.
Apparently being faced with the end of one’s life resulted in this. A deep dive into all the things she’d been successfully avoiding. As if there weren’t more important things to be thinking about. Like staying alive.
If only she had a single clue how to do that.
“God, I’m pretty sure I don’t deserve to be rescued, and I’m not in the habit of asking for help, which I’m sure you know. But it would be super awesome if you could maybe shift the wind and give me a push toward the shore.”
The waves just kept pulling her deeper and farther away.
She supposed miracles were in high demand these days. And maybe it simply wasn’t her turn. She clung to the board as fear welled up inside her. Panic buzzed somewhere down deep, and she tried to keep it from overtaking her.
She’d make a list like she always did to help sort out her anxiety.
A wave swelled, and she let out a scream (and she really was not the screaming type, so it surprised even her), but the water settled her back down, and somehow she still had hold of the board.
A list. Okay . . . what to list? Things to do seemed a bit pointless given her current situation.
Another swell, and she swallowed a mouthful of water. She coughed—hard—then drew in a clean breath.
Things I wish I’d done in my life. A bucket list made moments before my impending death.
• I wish I’d worn a life vest.
• I wish I’d checked the weather forecast.
• I wish I had put on waterproof mascara (because when they
find my body, it would be nice not to look so dead).
• I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time on Eric Anderson.
• I wish I’d said I was sorry.
• I wish I’d mailed the letters.
• I wish I’d made it to my golden birthday.
After all, she’d spent twelve years wondering if he’d show. Or maybe that pact had been long forgotten, sucked down to the depths like dirt down a drain.
The next wave enveloped Louisa completely, heaving her under for so many seconds she was certain she’d lost the way back up and into the air. But no, another toss and there it was again—glorious oxygen.
She inhaled a sharp breath and coughed.
I wish I’d fallen in love.
She looked up at the sky, which had turned gray and dark. She hadn’t realized she had so many regrets. Her teeth chattered and she started to tire. These waves were kicking her butt. She’d practically resigned herself to dying when she spotted a headlight—a boat out in the sound.
She tried to lift her arm, but it was so heavy. She tried hauling herself onto the board, but she didn’t have the strength. Maybe she wasn’t doing as well as she thought. Maybe she’d already half died. She looked for a white light in the sky but saw nothing.
Maybe white lights were only for people who weren’t responsible for someone else’s death.
She’d never get over that as long as she lived, though it seemed that might not be much longer. Unless someone in that boat was the answer to her prayer.
She had to stay awake. She had to hold on. They had to see her.
Please see me.
The boat cut through the water, tossing in the wind, and again Louisa tried to wave.
I wish I’d fallen in love.
C
It was supposed to be routine. Summer on Nantucket hadn’t even started yet, but when Cody Boggs spotted the yellow paddle floating in the water, his gut wrenched.
They’d gotten a call from someone on the beach only moments ago—possible swimmer in the water.
“It’s hard to make out,” the caller had said. “But I felt like I should call. If it’s a person, they’re in danger.”
Cody was already out on the water, his first time on the boat with the crew, so they sped toward the reported sighting. They were about to give up when Cody saw it. A paddle, but no kayak. No paddle- board. No canoe. No person.
Odd.
“Slow down,” he told the ship’s coxswain. He glanced at one of the petty officers. “Do you see that?”
A tight line creased the other man’s brow. “The paddle? Yeah.”
“I’m going to take a look.” Cody pushed through the door and out onto the deck of the lifeboat, where two other men stood.
“See something, sir?”
“Not sure.” Cody scanned the water through his binoculars, look- ing for any sign, pausing on the shoreline of Nantucket.
The one place he swore he’d never be stationed. The one place they needed him.
The paddle bobbed in the water. The wind had kicked up, one of those instances where the weather changed without notice.
Anyone could’ve thought it was going to be a decent day on the water. He would’ve thought so too at first blush, but he knew not to ever trust the ocean.
The coxswain turned the boat and sped parallel to the island, passing Madaket Beach. No sign of anyone in distress. But none of the men on that boat wanted to head back to the station without the absolute certainty they’d done all they could to ensure there was no one out in that water.
Cody shifted his gaze from the beach to the sea, scanning the vast ocean, looking for any sign of life.
Nothing.
His gut didn’t usually steer him wrong. He was always ready for the tide to turn—on the water and in his life.
The coxswain opened the cabin door. “Head back to the station?” “Go out a little further,” Cody called back.
The man did as his XPO ordered, and Cody whispered a prayer.
Same prayer he always whispered in these kinds of situations. “Lord, if I can save one soul, lead me to them now.”
They cruised through the water, the wind tossing the forty-seven- foot boat around like a rag doll. They sped away from the shore, and Cody put the binoculars down, relying on his eyes to lead him to anyone who might be in danger.
His eyes, his gut, and the good Lord above. Those had always been his most trusted allies.
And maybe there was no one. Maybe this time his gut had steered him wrong.
“Nobody’s out here, sir,” a seaman named Jessup called out. “Wind’s getting nasty. We should head back.”
Cody planted his feet on the deck of the boat as water poured over the side. Nasty for them, yes, but deadly for someone in the water without a paddle.
Or maybe the paddle had floated away from somebody’s dock. Or maybe someone had already perished and they were too late.
As the next swell jolted the boat, the men at his side lost their balance, both reaching for the railing to steady themselves. Cody didn’t move an inch.
As the water lowered the boat back down, he spotted the faintest shock of red in the water up ahead. He lifted a hand, then turned to face the coxswain, who’d caught the same glimpse and now sped toward the object.
Could be nothing. But what if it wasn’t?
The red object had disappeared, and Cody took out the binocu- lars again and scanned the water. The white-capped waves dispersed, and there it was, only this time, Cody had the object in his sights. This time, it was clear that this was no piece of discarded plastic—it was a paddleboard, and there was a woman clinging to it.
The person on the beach had been right. There was someone in the water.
The coxswain maneuvered the boat closer to the woman, slowly— and Cody locked his gaze on her. When they were close enough, one of the men threw a flotation device. The woman reached for it, but a wave pushed the ring out of her reach.
“She looks tired,” Cody said, mostly to himself. How long had she been out here?
His heart kicked up a notch. He was trained for this, and yet there would always be a part of him that had to steady his own thoughts when it came to the ocean.
But then there would also always be a part of him that was filled with rage when it came to these watery depths. A part that refused to let them win.
The seaman at his side tugged the flotation device in and tried again, but the brutal waves poured over the woman’s head, and the weight of the water pulled her under. Her hand slipped off the paddleboard, and she struggled to hold on.
The woman went under again, and after another wave, only her paddleboard surfaced.
Cody hadn’t been promoted to executive petty officer because he was impulsive. Quite the opposite. He was levelheaded. Calm in the face of danger. He prided himself on it.
Maybe it was Nantucket that had cast a spell on him, stealing away all the work he’d done these twelve years to overcome what the ocean had stolen from him. What other explanation could there be for his grabbing a pair of goggles and diving into the angry water, determined not to let this woman drown?
Determined not to let this ocean win.
He glided through the water, the strength of the storm doing little to slow him down. He’d trained for this. He lived for this. To keep the sea from stealing souls—that was the goal. And he didn’t like to lose.
The water wasn’t going to get this woman, no matter how remiss she’d been to go out without checking the forecast. Not today, ocean. If you want her, you’re gonna have to go through me.
He grabbed the floater that was attached to the ship as the woman bobbed up out of the water a few yards away—possibly thrown out by an angry wave. She didn’t appear to be swimming anymore. Cody barreled toward her, catching her under the arms as a wave pounded into both their bodies.
He held on to the life preserver as two seamen pulled them in. They reached the boat, and the men on the deck helped get them on board.
Quickly they sprang into action. Cody tore the goggles off his face and checked to see if she was breathing. Her body had gone limp and her pulse was faint.
“Let me help, sir,” one of the men said, and only then did Cody realize he was doing the job of the entire crew—something he’d likely have to answer for later.
He didn’t care. Maybe he had something to prove. Maybe it was this ocean and this island that needed to be reminded that it couldn’t beat him anymore.
One-two-three, he counted in his head as he administered rescue breaths. No response.
Not a great way to start out his sentence on Nantucket. Back after all these years only to lose one his first day out? That couldn’t happen.
He closed his mouth over hers again. One-two-three.
“We were too late,” one of the seamen said.
Cody shook his head, and just then the woman’s eyes opened, she
coughed up a bucket of water, and he turned her over.
Another rescue boat pulled alongside theirs, and Cody’s entire
body sighed in relief. Thank you, God.
The woman coughed again, then tried to sit up. She wasn’t small
or frail—she was muscular and athletic, the kind of person who made activity a part of her daily life. Would she be ticked off to find out she’d required saving? Lots of women were these days.
But as she shifted and brought her intense blue eyes to his, it wasn’t anger or irritation he found there. It was recognition.
“Cody?”
He leaned back on his heels and studied her face—freckles that trailed across the bridge of her nose, hair darkened by the sea, and familiar eyes as bright as the sky.
“Louisa?” Her name escaped his lips, almost a whisper.
“You two know each other?” Jessup knelt beside him.
She hadn’t looked away since she’d said his name.
Was their entire history flashing through her mind too? Was she
wondering where he’d been? Whom he’d loved? Why he was back? Why he never called? Did she want to know how he and his family had survived after they left the island? Or maybe, just maybe, she was thinking of that stupid pact they’d made all those years ago. Back when things were simple and it seemed like there would never be a day they wouldn’t be in each other’s lives.
Of course, it was possible she was thinking none of those things. Maybe she was simply thinking that he was a jerk for saying the things he did.
She’d be right.
But there was a whole world she didn’t understand, and he wasn’t about to explain it to her. He stood.
Her eyes followed.
He didn’t like it. He didn’t like being watched. Being seen. Not by Louisa Chambers, anyway.
The crew of the other boat boarded their vessel and got to work. Soon Louisa would be headed for the hospital.
Once she was gone, Cody might be able to breathe again.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Can a promise made as kids bring them back together as adults? In this Nantucket-set beach read, “master of the genre” (Midwest Book Review) Courtney Walsh delivers a sparkling inspirational romance about first love and second chances.

Twelve years ago, Cody Boggs and Louisa Chambers made a pact that no matter where their lives took them, they’d return to Nantucket Island’s Brant Point Lighthouse on July 30, their shared golden birthday, and continue their tradition of exchanging birthday wishes. But that was before a tragic accident upended both of their lives, irrevocably pulling them apart.

Their worlds collide just months before that particular day when Louisa’s fledgling event planning company is hired by the local Coast Guard station, where she discovers Cody has recently returned to the island as the second in command. As they plan a regatta fundraiser, hoping to promote positive PR in the community, neither can deny the fireworks each encounter ignites. But working together also brings up memories of the day Cody’s father died, revealing secrets that have Cody and Louisa questioning everything they thought they knew and felt about their families and each other.

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Meet the Author:

Courtney Walsh is a novelist, theatre director, and playwright. She writes small town romance and women’s fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists. Her novel, Just Let Go, won the Carol Award in 2019 and Just One Kiss was a 2020 Christy Award Finalist.

A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.
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