Book Spotlight and Q&A: Sunshine Beach by Wendy Wax

Beach reads and women's fiction are popular right now as summer has started officially!

 Sunshine Beach (Ten Beach Road #4) by Wendy Wax, published June 21, 2016 by Berkley

Publisher description: There’s nothing that a fresh coat of paint and a few glasses of wine can’t fix…  

After losing their life savings in a Ponzi scheme, Maddie, Avery, and Nikki banded together to make the most of what they’ve got left. It’s Maddie’s daughter Kyra who stumbles across a once glorious oceanfront hotel that has fallen into disrepair. The opportunity to renovate this seaside jewel is too good to pass up. What could possibly go wrong? Everything. 

Maddie’s second-chance romance with her all-too-famous new boyfriend gets complicated, Avery struggles with grief over the loss of her mother, and Nikki’s reluctance to commit to the man who loves her could leave her to face the biggest challenge of her life. And their hotel renovation uncovers a decades-old unsolved murder which just might bring their lives tumbling down all over again…

Just love that cover, perfect summer scene and read. I want to be in a hotel like this right now!

A Q&A WITH SUNSHINE BEACH AUTHOR WENDY WAX

Welcome, Wendy!

It’s been two years since we last heard from Ten Beach Road’s Maddie, Avery and Nikki, and I know readers have been looking forward to their return. I think it’s great that they’re back at Bella Flora in Sunshine Beach.

Yes, they’re back in Pass-a-Grille along with Kyra, Dustin, and most of the friends, family and crew of Do Over. They’re determined to figure out how to regain control of the show. Even Nigel, everybody’s favorite Paparazzi is there.  

What’s going on with the show?

The episodes filmed in The House on Mermaid Point haven’t aired yet, but it’s already clear to the Do Over cast that the footage is far too personal and will and show them at their worst whenever possible. Plus the treatment, miniscule budgets and no approval of editing along with contrived hardships and unnecessary intrusions by the network all make it impossible for them to produce the sort of program they first imagined and, in Ocean Beach, thought they’d be creating. So this a major turning point. They’re looking for a way to reclaim Do Over and that’s what leads to the discovery of the seemingly abandoned mid-century modern Sunshine Hotel, next door to the Don CeSar and just two miles from Bella Flora.

Is this as complete a renovation as they’ve tackled in earlier books?

Absolutely.  However, they’re getting resistance to even starting the project. The owners, two sisters, who inherited the hotel from their grandparents, have left it moldering for decades, unable to agree what to do with it.  One sister wants to see it renovated and sold. The other believes that the key to a long ago family tragedy lies in the hotel and doesn’t want it touched.

So they really have their hands full.

With that and more, actually.  Even when the cameras begin rolling, complications arise. Maddie’s romance with rock legend William the Wild gets complicated.  The paparazzi remain on call 24/7 hoping to catch sight of mega movie star Danielle Deranian or Kyra and his son, Dustin. Nikki’s reluctance to commit to Joe could leave her to face the biggest challenge of her life alone.  Even the Sunshine Hotel seems to be against them when the renovation uncovers a decades-old unsolved death and disappearance. Among the many emotional and physical ramifications of hosting a crime scene is that, quite simply, production grinds to a halt.  Not a matter of life or death, of course, but it could be the death knell for the women of Ten Beach Road financially.

What else can you tell us about Sunshine Beach?

One of my favorite aspects of the book is the Sunshine Hotel itself and that’s because the inspiration for it came from my own childhood.  You may know I’m a native of St. Pete Beach. When I was growing up, my family belonged to The Rellim Hotel and Beach Club on Pass-a-Grille Beach.   I spent summer days at The Rellim pursuing my childhood job—fun—back and forth between the pool, in particular the diving board, and the Gulf, stopping occasionally for ice cream and “sun tan lotion.” I loved The Rellim.  It opened in 1949 and closed in 1981. Needless to say, it was part of the inspiration for my Sunshine Hotel, giving me a chance to reminisce and to share a bit of what made it so special to me.  

Are any other locations inspired by real places in St. Pete Beach?

No and that’s because actually I just highjack most of them whole and put them in the book. Many of the places I send my Ten Beach Road characters are real, though not all were around when I was still living there. Most of those I include are places I enjoy going to and it’s fun to share them with readers.  The Paradise Grille, which used to be a concession stand, the historic Don CeSar and The Wharf Restaurant are among those mentioned in Sunset Beach.  In fact, I’ll be doing a Sunset Book Signing at the Paradise Grille in June.  It and my other southeast book tour dates and stops are on the Events & Appearances page at authorwendywax.com.

Anything else you’d like to share with readers?

Yes! There a fabulous downloadable Sunshine Beach Book Club Kit available and I just love it. Everyone’s invited to check it out.  It includes the “Wax Family Never Fail (cross my heart!) Egg Souffle” recipe that Maddie makes.  It’s as close to a Cheez Doodle as anyone’s willing to give Avery first thing in the morning. It also includes my memories of “The Beach I Grew Up On” and pics of the real mid-century hotel that inspired Sunshine Beach, along with discussion questions.

Oh, and just to remind everyone that book news, updates and giveaways can also be found on Facebook and Twitter and there’s a newsletter sign up on my site, as well.  And that my USA Today bestseller, A Week at the Lake, will be published in mass market for the first time on Tuesday, June 28^th.  

Thanks for giving me a chance to share Sunshine Beach with you and your readers!

www.authorwendywax.com ● facebook.com/AuthorWendyWax · @Wendy_Wax