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A Sweet Slice of History Adventure
April 15, 2019 @ 6:30 pm PDT
$11.96 – $39.87
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About the Event
Adventures by the Book is pleased to invite you to a special evening celebrating women and history at our Sweet Slice of History Adventure. And what better way to celebrate than with a decadent assortment of sweets and wine in a venue that everyday celebrates the history of women, the Women’s Museum of California, San Diego.
Travel back in time to the 1940’s, the 1950’s, and the 1960’s through the eyes of three bestselling authors, Chanel Cleeton, Camille di Maio, and Susan Meissner, and their protagonists, where we will meet a German American teenager whose life changes forever when her immigrant family is sent to an internment camp during World War II, where we will visit the Hotel del Coronado the way it was 60 years ago, and where we will experience the Cuban Revolution through the eyes of a young Cuban exile who will risk her life— and heart— to take back her country.
Your Adventure includes a delicious an assortment of desserts, wine, admission to the Women’s Museum of California, author presentations, book signings, and the chance to meet the authors up-close and personal in an intimate setting.
And wait, there’s more! If you pre-order your book(s) below, we will apply a 20% discount. Can’t choose which book to order? Why not order all three and we will reward you with a frequent reader discount of 30% (applies to pre-ordered books only).
About the Authors
Susan Meissner is a USA Todaybestselling author of historical fiction with more than half a million books in print in 15 languages. She is an author, speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include As Bright as Heaven, starred review in Library Journal; Secrets of Charmed Life, a Goodreads finalist for Best Historical Fiction 2015; and A Fall of Marigolds, named to Booklist’s Top Ten Women’s Fiction titles for 2014.
The Last Year of the War: Elise Sontag is a typical Iowa 14-year-old in 1943, aware of the war but distanced from its reach— until her father, a legal U.S. resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where behind the armed guards and barbed wire, Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her identity. The only thing that makes the camp bearable is meeting fellow internee Mariko Inoue, a Japanese American teen from Los Angeles, whose friendship empowers Elise to believe the life she knew before the war will again be hers.
But when the Sontag family is exchanged for American prisoners behind enemy lines in Germany, Elise will face head-on the person the war desires to make of her. In that devastating crucible, she must discover if she has the will to rise above prejudice and hatred and reclaim her own destiny, or disappear into the image others have cast upon her.
Camille Di Maio recently left an award-winning real estate career in San Antonio to become a full-time writer. She has a bucket list that is never-ending, and uses her adventures to inspire her writing. She’s lived in Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and California, and spends enough time in Hawai’i to feel like a local. She’s traveled to four continents (so far), and has met Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, and even her musical idol, Paul McCartney. She overdoses on goodies at farmers markets and belts out Broadway tunes whenever the moment strikes. There’s almost nothing she wouldn’t try, so long as it doesn’t involve heights, roller skates, or anything illegal.
The Beautiful Stranger: 1958. Kate Morgan, tethered to her family’s failing San Francisco restaurant, is looking for an escape. She gets her chance by honoring a cryptic plea from her grandfather: find the beautiful stranger. The search takes her to Hotel del Coronado, the beachfront landmark on the Southern California coast where filming is underway on the movie Some Like It Hot. For a movie lover like Kate, it’s a fantasy come true. So is the offer of a position at the glamorous hotel. And a new romance is making her heart beat just as fast.
But as sure as she is that the Coronado is her future, Kate discovers it’s also where the ghosts of the past have come to stay. Sixty years ago a guest died tragically, and she still haunts the hotel’s halls. As the lives of two women— generations apart— intertwine, Kate’s courageous journey could change more than she ever imagined. And with the Coronado wending its way through her soul, she must follow her dreams… wherever they may lead.
Chanel Cleeton is the USA Todaybestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana. Originally from Florida, Chanel grew up on stories of her family’s exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London, and a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She loves to travel and has lived in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.
When We Left Cuba: The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez— her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.
As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must choose between her past and her future— but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything: not just the island that she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart…
For Book Clubs:
Are you in a book club, seeking fabulous authors who are excited and available to meet with you? Then you will be delighted to know that Susan Meissner and Camille Di Maio are two of our newest NovelNetworkauthors, available to meet with book clubs via video chat.
NovelNetwork is the nation’s first and only match(dot)com for authors and book clubs to find each other, so check it out today. Book clubs join for free and gain access to our database of dozens of authors, from NYT and international bestsellers, to debut authors, cookbook authors, mystery and non-fiction authors, and representing various regions of the United States, and even Alaska and Hawaii, all of whom want to meet with you!
To schedule a visit with Susan, Camille, or any of our authors, join for free here.
