About the Event

We are pleased to invite you to our Summer Songs, Books & Breezes Virtual Adventure with New York Times and bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Mary Alice Monroe, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Amy Mason Doan and talented pianist Glenn Kramer.  Join us on Zoom* to “meet” these creative artists and experience their shared joy for music, reading, and days at the beach.

As you relax in the comfort of your own home, imagine yourself surrounded by warm sand, azure waters, fresh air, and ocean breezes, and allow our four authors to transport you virtually to your favorite beach. Learn about their new books just in time to add to your summer reading list, and then sit back, relax, and enjoy a 15-20 minute performance by pianist Glenn Kramer, closing out with a fun sing-along that is sure to lift you out of your quarantine-induced funk.

This Virtual Adventure was designed not only to support five creative artists whose book tours and events were cancelled due to COVID-19, but also to provide readers with our signature Adventures by the Book® multi-sensorial experience that brings literature to life in exciting and unique ways. Event admission is included with your purchase of any of the authors’ books, or purchase all four, and receive a special bundled discount.

Your Adventure includes your choice of any of the authors’ books, shipping within the US, signed bookplate(s), a virtual book discussion with four bestselling authors, a 15-20 minute summertime musical performance, and a fun sing-along.

*Instructions to join the Zoom virtual Adventure will be emailed to you three days prior to the event. Please note that no technical assistance will be available during the event, so we highly recommend you practice using Zoom with friends and family prior to the event.

About the Authors

Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of 27 novels including The Weekenders, Beach Town, Ladies’ Night, Summer Rental, Deep Dish, and Hissy Fit.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she received a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia and was a newspaper reporter for 14 years. The last ten years of her career were spent as a features reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In her new book, Hello Summer (St. Martin’s Press: May 5, 2020), Conley Hawkins has left her family’s small town newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, in the rear view mirror years ago. Now, after ten years of blood, sweat, and tears, Conley is exactly where she wants to be and is about to take a fancy new position at a New York City newspaper. That is, until she discovers at her own going away party that her new job is suddenly gone, disappearing overnight along with her hopes and dreams of a bright future in a big city.

Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the Beach House series: The Beach House, Beach House Memories, Swimming Lessons, Beach House for Rent, and Beach House Reunion.

She is a 2018 Inductee into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame, and her books have received numerous awards, including the 2008 South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing, the 2014 South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence, and the 2015 SW Florida Author of Distinction Award.

In her new book, On Ocean Boulevard (Gallery Books: May 19, 2020), Mary Alice returns to her beloved Beach House series in this breathtaking novel about one family’s summer of forging new beginnings agains the enduring beauty and resilience of the natural world. It’s been sixteen years since Caretta “Cara” Rutledge has returned home to the beautiful shores of Charleston, South Carolina. Over those years, she has weathered the tides of deaths and births, struggles and joys. And now, as Cara prepares for her second wedding, her life is about to change yet again.

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the bestselling author of six novels, including The Southern Side of Paradise, Slightly South of Simple, and the forthcoming Feels Like Falling.

A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, Kristy lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is working on her next novel and blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic.

Selected as A Spring 2020 Okra Pick, and featured as a most anticipated book of 2020 by Parade, Working Mother,and She Knows, and as the Mary Kay Andrew’s Reading Challenge Women’s Fiction Pick, it introduces an odd couple tale of friendship that asks just how much our past choices define our happiness.

To schedule a book club visit with Kristy or any of our authors on NovelNetwork:

Amy Mason Doan grew up in Danville, California and now lives in Portland, Oregon.She’s written for The Oregonian, San Francisco Chronicle, Wired, Forbes, and other publications. Amy has an M.A. in Journalism from Stanford University and a B.A. in English from U.C. Berkeley.

Her new book, Summer Hours (Graydon House: June 4, 2019) is a sparkling novel about a secret affair, the summer it unravels, and the reunion a decade later that will be one woman’s happy ending or her biggest mistakes.

Both her books are emotional, layered stories about secrets, lifelong friendship, and coming to terms with our pasts. “Doan’s characters leap off the page,” says Publishers Weekly.

To schedule a book club visit with Amy or any of our authors on NovelNetwork:

About the Performer

Glenn Kramer has been delighting audiences at the piano for over 30 years. His original arrangements, transcriptions, and compositions have received wide acclaim. He has performed at over 1,000 events including corporate functions, dinner banquets, improvisation shows, birthday parties, holiday events, assisted living/retirement communities, weddings, anniversary parties, and even Celebration of Life events.
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Glenn is the host of the weekly livestream show Tune-In! All-Request Hour, in which anyone can request songs on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Periscope, and on his website. His format of talking with viewers, performing their requests, and showing the lyrics on the screen makes this a unique and entertaining show.

He is also the founder of  AmateurPianists , a non-profit performing arts organization and the world’s largest piano-themed Meetup group. Its mission is to create performance and learning opportunities through recitals, presentations, and masterclasses. They have a world-class amateur piano competition in San Diego every three years, the next one is planned for Summer 2022.
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Chat with Authors for Free

Are you in a book club, or do you have a group of friends, colleagues, or other social group who are seeking fabulous authors who are excited and available to meet with you? Then you will be delighted to know that Kristy Woodson Harvey and Amy Mason Doan are just two members of our wonderful community of over 125 NovelNetwork® authors, available to meet with book clubs via video chat, and you can even do so via Zoom (for free) from the safety and comfort of your own homes.

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 Kristy, Amy or any of our authors, join for free here.