Do you love to read a great book as much as I do? Whether sitting in my back garden surrounded by the heady scent of our heirloom roses, or curled up on my linen duvet in my bedroom, reading a truly good book is one of my most luxurious pleasures.
Imagine my delight when Southern author Kristy Woodson Harvey sent me a preview copy of her latest novel,Lies and Other Acts of Love
, and asked me to review it for you? I'm going to tell you right here and now that it is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a very, very long time. More about that later, first, I know you will love meeting Kristy. I am so grateful to Kristy that she took the time in her very busy life {especially right now, her novel is brand new and just out!} to share some of her inspirations and loves with us. And, as an amazing bonus, she was gracious enough to give us a little tour of her beautiful home later this week.
1. Please tell us a little about yourself. I am an author and blogger, and I live in North Carolina with my husband and four-year-old son.
2. When did you realize you wanted to write? I had my first newspaper column when I was 17, and that’s when I got the bug!
3. What inspired the writing of Lies and Other Acts of Love? I wanted to write a different kind of love story, one about the ups and downs that can happen over the course of a long marriage. I get my book ideas from the most insignificant things. In fact, I got the idea for this one when my dad was the judge of a chili cook-off at church and someone complained because the person who won was a professional chef. Having read the book, you know how completely non-essential that is to the book, but, what can I say? All of that came from that tiny little spark!
4. Your book features women who share a strong bond of love, yet have disagreements. What do you think makes the relationship women have with each other different from the way men relate to each other? This is a broad generalization, but I think women tend to hold grudges for longer but that their relationships often run deeper. Lovey talks about this in the book, that fathers and daughters seem to have a less complicated relationship that involves more adoration but that mothers and daughters have a type of love that “fights and forgives.” And, in some ways, it goes deeper because of the imperfection of it. Again, broad generalization! I think these dynamics are tricky, but, in this particular family, that’s how it is.
5. As an only child, you write with great insight about the sisters in the book, and their relationships together. How did you prepare to write about how sisters feel about each other? My mom has three sisters, and they are all very close, so I think growing up with such a great family really helped me write the book. I adore my big extended family, and they mean the world to me, which is why I think I like writing about families so much.
6. What inspires you? The water, fresh flowers, beautiful music, gorgeous photographs, art that speaks to me... And then, sometimes, nothing at all, in the sense that my ideas seem to arrive as if from nowhere, sometimes in the middle of the carpool line or at the grocery store where there isn’t much inspirational around! I’ve come to think that my brain is always working on my books, even when I don’t know it!
7. You blog with your Mom about interior design. What do you think living in a home filled with beautiful things adds to our daily quality of lifestyle? There is no doubt in my mind that living surrounded by things we love increases our quality of life. And that doesn’t mean being surrounded by designer pieces or expensive things. It can be that favorite shell that reminds you of that fabulous trip to the beach or those family photographs that always make you smile. When you don’t feel at home in your own home everything in life is more difficult.
8. Do you have a favorite antique that you display at home? My husband’s grandmother was an avid antiques collector and traveled the world in pursuit of the perfect pieces. We have a good number of family pieces and a few that we have purchased ourselves. My favorites are an entrance hall chest that is a fragile and stunning bleached mahogany that has been passed down through generations in his family. The other is this huge, gorgeous Campaign chest that was the first “serious” purchase my husband and I made when we moved into our second house. Our first house was tiny, and we had so many family pieces between us that we didn’t have to buy a single piece of furniture!
Please give us a peek into your loves and inspirations:
1. My favorite colors are: Yellow, white, Carolina blue
2. If I could have one wish, I would wish for: That my son will always be healthy and happy. I mean, sure, I’d love to hit the New York Times Bestseller List one day, but, when I strip it all down, as long as my family’s safe and healthy and happy, I’m okay. Period.
3. Right now I'm reading: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, by Amy Guertin Reichert
4. My favorite place is: Our house in Beaufort, NC. We completely gutted and redid it, and I love every, single thing about it—especially the view!
5. I can't live without: Chocolate. Well, I mean, I could of course. But who would want to?!
6. A French Garden House antique I adore: I am a sucker for silver, so ALL OF IT! That sterling purse? Sigh… My father-in-law gave me a sterling and mother-of-pearl dessert set of his mother’s for my birthday, and it is one of the most beautiful things I own, so that especially resonates with me too.
About the Book: In Lies and Other Acts of Love, we meet Lynn "Lovey" and her family. After sixty years of marriage, Lovey knows that all of us from time to time, need to tell a little white lie. Her granddaughter, Annabelle, on the other hand, is as truthful as they come. She always does the right thing—that is, until she dumps her hedge fund manager fiancé and marries a musician she has known for three days. After all, her grandparents, who fell in love at first sight, have shared a lifetime of happiness, even through her grandfather’s declining health.
When Annabelle’s world starts to collapse around her, she discovers that nothing about her picture-perfect family is as it seems. And Lovey has to decide whether one more lie will make or break the ones she loves.
You will fall in love with Annabelle and her distinctly Southern family. Women who are gracious, engaging, loving, who know how to create a beautiful life. Women who are strong, protective of their families, friends, and way of life. Kristy Woodson Harvey gives these women a voice, distinctly Southern, yet universal. The women in this novel are rich, engaging characters, they have the same lives as most of us do, filled with tender, heart tugging memories, with marriages forged out of passion as well as pain, with a strong desire to create bonds of sisterhood and love.
This is the perfect summer read {but don't wait that long!} and I know it's going to be a favorite of book clubs, as we all have so much in common with Lovey, Annabelle and their family. I can't but imagine that this will make a stunning movie one day!
BUY THE BOOK HERE:
You can visit Kristy on her website Kristy Woodson Harvey. See you Wednesday for our mini tour of Kristy's home! Linking with: Tweak It Tuesday The Scoop Tuesdays At Our Home Inspire Me Tuesday Coastal Charm Show and Share
28 comments
The beautiful cover of the book (Lies and Other Acts of Love) promises to lead you into another world and the title…..even more so! The idea of the story sounds brilliant and I can’t wait to find a copy to read. And all this written by an author who is still young and exquisite :-)
The book sounds very interesting. I love the south with its charm. Also love books about families. Hope it is a big success.
Sharon
I’ve heard about this book and have been wanting to read it, Lidy. Kristy sounds like a lovely person, that she cares most about the health of her family than having a Number 1 book, that’s wonderful.
Since we bought our condo in North Carolina several years ago, I have become more intrigued by southern women. Each time we visit I want to learn more and more about this beautiful part of our country!
Jane
I can’t wait to read this novel! Women are complicated; as a southern woman, I sometimes marvel at this fact. Men do seem to be “big picture” while women are “detail.” Details make the character, the paragraph, the beautiful room, the lovely table setting, the event. Here’s wishing you much success with your book!
This sounds so amazing. I’d love to read this, novels about women and their families are my favorite.
We moved last July and have been unpacking. This book would be a great summer read.
Lovely interview with Kristy! Thanks for hosting the giveaway. It’s a great book!
Funny, how out of the blue one can be approached about a topic one has hardly given any thought to!
Yesterday evening I watched on TED a conversation with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, speaking about relationships with other women. How we all need girlfriends to help us through this journey called Life.Therefore, I don’t need to tell you how delighted I am that you introduced this new read today.
Love to read it!
Thank you for the give away…
Cynthia
I’ve been reading raves about this book????
What a delightful lady.Her book sounds like a perfect Summer read for the beach or just sitting on the porch with a glass of sweet tea.