Dreaming with Julie Carobini

Dreaming Through
the Dark Times
by
Julie Carobini

I’ve been through divorce, brain surgery, and serious financial hardship. Probably not the way a post about dreams should begin. The reality is, though, that many of us go through times so tough that dreams seem both vaporous and unattainable.

Unless we know the ‘lifter of our heads’.

During many of those dark days, I found myself standing at the water’s edge, pleading with God. Sometimes I lived close enough to walk. Other times I had to get into my car and drive an hour just to stand in front of the vast sea and cast my cares upon the One who created them.

Since then, I’ve experienced many bright days too. New love, a family, healings, fresh joys…and still through the years, I have often taken to the sea to talk to God. At one particular point, I remember worrying that the beach had become my idol, and promising God that I would give it up, if that’s what he wanted. (I even made myself stay away, an endeavor that lasted all of two weeks.)

Instead, he gave me a writing career. He took all the lows and highs in my life and created something new with them. Believe me when I tell you that I had no plans of my own to write beach-themed novels one day. I just kept praying and writing and seeking until an idea popped into my head. I followed that idea, and now find myself writing my fifth novel filled with ‘waves of grace’, as I’ve come to think of these stories.

So what does this all have to do with dreams? Plenty. Has God given you a dream? Does it seem outlandish—maybe even to you? Don’t be quick to discount it. Instead, be patient. Pray over your idea until you know that it is absolutely not from him—or perhaps that it absolutely is!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Carobini writes beach-themed novels for the ‘young at heart.’ Sweet Waters, the story of a woman whose fairytale turns out to be a soap opera, is available now (B&H Publishing Group). Visit her at http://www.juliecarobini.com/ ~ Julie would love to hear from you!


ABOUT THE BOOK - Sweet Waters

What happens when the fairytale turns out to be a soap opera?

Tara Sweet is nothing if not sensible. Usually. But her engagement is off, and her mother—yes, mother—is newly married and gallivanting around Europe.

It’s time for a change. So she convinces her sisters to honor their father’s final wish and rediscover the fairy-tale life they knew in Otter Bay, California. But Tara discovers fairy tales are fragile—and truth is often one ugly layer after another of secrets, accusation, rumor, and a past an entire church wants to forget.

Firefighter Josh Adams knows all about battling personal demons. He’s been doing so ever since a woman nearly died in his arms. Actually, long before . . .

As the turbulence in their lives grows, Tara and Josh find themselves at odds with their families, their faith, the townspeople of Otter Bay—and each other.

Only in facing the lies from the past can they find the truth.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Sweet Waters, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on September 15th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Meet Julie Carobini - Interview & Book Giveaway

It’s my great pleasure to present breath-of-fresh-air author Julie Carobini! Her latest novel, Truffles by the Sea is the follow up to Chocolate Beach Let’s meet Julie.

The Bio

Julie Carobini writes beach stories for the ‘young at heart.’ Her novel, Chocolate Beach, debuted in February 2007, and her second book, Truffles by the Sea, will be released by Bethany House Publishers in February 2008. Inspired by God's grace, coastal living, and her rambunctious family, Julie lives with her husband Dan, and their three children in Southern California.

The Interview

JA: Your current novel is Truffles by the Sea. Tell us a little bit about it.
JC: I’d love to! This is the story of Gaby Flores, the best friend from my first novel, Chocolate Beach. Poor Gaby has a penchant for drama and an unfortunate knack for dating Mr. So Wrong. After breaking off yet another relationship, watching her apartment building burn to the ground, and discovering that her dippy delivery guy has run off with most of her business, our heroine decides it’s time to turn things around.
So she moves to a tiny waterfront loft and takes on a new motto: “Be gullible no more!” But when legal troubles and quirky neighbors and two surprising romances enter her beachy world, Gaby’s motto and fledgling faith are put to the test.

JA: So far, your heroines have quite an affinity for the beach, as do you. Are there any other traits you share with them?
JC: Let’s see. Bri, lovable as she is, can be a bit snarky at times (shame on her, shame on me ;). Gaby’s actually pretty sweet but gullible; she has trouble discerning the truth at times, as do I.

JA: This is the second of your chocolate-themed books. How did you come up with the concept? Per chance, were you on the beach, eating chocolates?
JC: Well, hm, not exactly ;) Bri, the beach chick heroine of Chocolate Beach is a terrible cook, but she bakes a mean tray of brownies. So it made sense to put Bri’s two passions together in that book. In Truffles by the Sea, Gaby’s a single, working woman under a ton of stress, and Bri’s too busy with her own life to bake her brownies. So Gaby turns to truffles from a local chocolatier. What’s especially funny to me is that she’s broke, yet she manages to scrape together a few coins here and there to feed her obsession. Can anyone relate?

JA: I can relate. In college, I would hunt down loose change so I could by M&Ms! What do you hope people take away when they finish reading your books?
JC: I hope readers are entertained, and that they feel as if they were whisked away to a relaxing place. And yet, they’ll hopefully see that while life’s full of curve balls, being grounded in faith will keep them from getting nailed.

JA: I have to say that visiting your website is like stepping into a refreshing, sandy get-away. Great job on setting a mood! Your tagline is Faith, Flip Flops & Waves of Grace. What does that mean to you?
JC: I thought hard about that tagline. While I want readers to know they’ll experience elements of faith in my writings, it will never be heavy handed. We serve a God who liberally offers grace to all who call him Lord, and my stories are about women who need that in heavy doses. And the flip flops represent both the beachy locales of my stories along with the breezy, humorous style I’m committed to writing.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
JC: Thanks for asking! I’m working on a book about a woman’s quest to honor her father’s memory by moving her family back to their hometown only to uncover secrets that destroy the fairy tale life she believed they all had once lived. This story is set along the majestic Central California Coast.

JA: What’s something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
JC: I can be such a hermit.

JA: If you’re headed out to the beach for some relaxing and lounging, what books might find their way into your tote bag?
JC: You’ll always find a copy of Coastal Living, that’s for sure. As for books, you’d probably find a Billerbeck or a Gutteridge—stuff that makes me laugh. You’d also find a notebook with my scribblings because when I get inspired, I want to write it down!

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with the latest Julie Carobini publishing news?
JC: Oh, thanks for asking, Jennifer, and thanks too for letting me visit today! Readers, please stop by my website at www.juliecarobini.com, where you’ll find info on obtaining a signed bookplate, my latest news, and the occasional chocolate giveaway.

Thank you, Julie, and continued blessings on your writing journey!

Win the Book

Truffles by the Sea is in stores now, but you can win a copy here. Just leave a reply to this blog. The winner will be picked at random on February 19th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

REVIEW - Chocolate Beach by Julie Carobini

I just had the joy of reading Chocolate Beach by Julie Carobini. Rather than write my own recap, here’s the back-of-the-book blurb:

Bri Stone has it all: the man of her dreams and their surf-riding teenage son, a chocolate-loving best pal, an adorable beach bungalow, and a kicky job as a Southern California tour bus host. She also has a few things she did not ask for: a know-it-all friend, a snobby mother-in-law, and a Fabio-meets-Dilbert boss. All three of them seem eager to share their strong opinions and suspicions about Bri's relationship with her husband, Douglas. When Bri’s rose-colored sunglasses crack after she finds evidence that Douglas has grown tired of her carefree ways, she resolves to win him back. Can Bri reinvent herself – and recapture his heart?

I’ll admit, I’m a chocoholic, so I was first drawn to this book by the title and cover. But from the very first page, I was hooked by the story.

Bri Stone is a woman I completely relate to. Bri loves her family and has a great life. But she’s also got that little voice in her head, the one that asks “Am I good enough?” When Bri decides she needs to remodel not only her home, but herself, the results are hilarious, and touching. Who among us hasn’t thought that a new hairstyle or wardrobe might make everything better? I know I have.

Carobini’s writing style is warm and breezy, like an afternoon at the beach. She does a wonderful job evoking the mood and feeling of seaside life. You can tell how much she loves the beach herself, because it shines so passionately through Bri. As for chocolate, well, my only complaint about this book is that I kept wanting to run out and buy some! And after reading about chocolate chili, silky chocolate soup and chocolate-cherry fondue, I was really sad there weren’t recipes at the end. But that’s probably for the best… Bethany House, my hips thank you for the lack of recipes!

If you’re looking for a fun book that will make you feel good all over, grab a copy of Chocolate Beach And be on the lookout for Julie’s next book, Truffles by the Sea available on line and in stores now! (Visit my blog on February 11th to catch an interview with Julie.)