Thankyou to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Blue Hawaiian by CarlaLuna and to Carla Luna for her wonderful guest post today! Guest post by Carla Luna, the author of Blue Hawaiian For me, reading is not only a delightful tonic, but a way to escape my surroundings. Not that I don’t enjoy my quiet hometown in Wisconsin, but I’ve always loved visiting new places via books. When I was younger, I imagined myself traveling through the wardrobe to visit Narnia or having adventures in Oz with Dorothy and Toto. As my reading choices matured, I still loved reading books that transported me to different countries, like twisty mysteries set in Morocco, historical dramas set in Paris, or gothic romances set in crumbling British castles. My love of exotic settings also influenced my decision to work in archaeology, which allowed me to travel a great deal. Even after I settled down and had children, I still loved traveling, and I tried to squeeze in a few trips every year to places in the U.S. and Canada. But in 2020, planning any kind of trip became impossible. Like so many people, I found myself housebound, frustrated, and anxious, with my “trips” limited to the occasional grocery store outing. So, what did I do? In the words of the musical Hamilton, “I wrote my way out.” Since I’d been temporarily laid off, I devoted most of my free time to writing a series of contemporary romantic comedies, all set at destination weddings. The first of these, Blue Hawaiian, was set at a wedding in Maui—a place I’d visited many years ago, on my honeymoon. While working on this book, I visited Maui “virtually” any way I could—via YouTube videos, travel guides and DVDs, movies, blogs, and photos. Even if I couldn’t fly to Maui to conduct research first-hand, I could give myself a temporary respite from everyday life by making it the setting of my story. After I finished writing Blue Hawaiian, I wrote two more books—one set at an October wedding in Door County, Wisconsin (an area known for its fall foliage), and one set in California wine country at Christmas. Even though our family’s holidays in 2020 were very low-key, I was able to enjoy a Winter Wonderland-themed wedding extravaganza through my third book. It’s my fondest hope that when people read my books, they will feel transported, even if just for an evening, away from the cares and concerns of their homelife, and enjoy a virtual vacation. Blue Hawaiian The first rule of serving as the maid of honor at your perfect sister’s destination wedding? No mistakes. The second rule? No drama. For Jess Chavez, a week in Maui is hardly a dream vacation—not when her sister expects her to be the perfect maid of honor. Not only does Jess have to fake perfection, but she can’t let anyone know she’s unemployed and barely scraping by. Above all, she needs to steer clear of Connor Blackwood, the sexy groomsman who broke her heart five years ago. A family wedding offers Connor the ideal opportunity to convince everyone he’s no longer an irresponsible playboy. If they see he’s changed, they might support his decision to leave the family winery and strike out on his own. With so much at stake, the last thing he needs is an alluring distraction like Jess. When Jess and Connor end up together, exploring the island’s lush, tropical beauty, the sparks between them become impossible to ignore. Throwing caution to the wind, they decide to make their own rules. Five days of passion. No strings. No tears. No promises. What could possibly go wrong? Purchase Links UK/ US Author Bio Carla Luna writes contemporary romance with a dollop of humor and a pinch of spice. A former archaeologist, she still dreams of traveling to far-off places and channels that wanderlust into the settings of her stories. When she’s not writing, she works in a spice emporium where she gets paid to discuss food and share her favorite recipes. Her passions include Broadway musicals, baking, whimsical office supplies, and pop culture podcasts. Though she has roots in Los Angeles and Victoria, B.C., she currently resides in Wisconsin with her family and her spoiled Siberian cat. Social Media Links – Website: www.carlalunabooks.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/casacullen FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CarlaLunaAuthor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlalunacullen/ Thank you for reading the post and thank you to Carla Luna for her guest post! Have a wonderful Wednesday! Comments are closed.
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