Published by Fitzroy Books
WAVEHOUSE
Title: WAVEHOUSE
Author: Alice Kaltman
Pub. Date: June 15, 2018
Publisher: Fitzroy Books
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Pages: 289
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, TBD
Sixteen year-old Anna Dugan is a super surfer who feels most at home when taking off on a ten-foot wave. But surf culture bores Anna big time. While other surfers follow trends and speak the lingo, Anna harbors a secret desire to be an artist, drawing houses made of waves. It’s not the most practical dream for the daughter of a single mom living in Kendall’s Watch, a beach town where most kids are so surf-centric they think ‘Current Events’ have something to do with ocean tides.
Anna is not only the best surfer in Kendall’s, she’s also the shyest. When a surf scout comes to town to gage her talent, Anna freaks out and refuses to let him watch her. To protect herself from the pressure and the panic, Anna decides to only surf at her private break, Secretspot, for the rest of the summer. But Secretspot becomes treacherous in ways Anna never imagined, and the danger has nothing to do with waves. When a gorgeous stranger paddles out, smiling a bewitching smile and surfing like a god, their chemistry is impossible to ignore. A series of events are set in motion that will change Anna’s life forever; events that raise difficult questions about love, honesty, betrayal and family ties.
In the end, is it worth it? Dive in to Wavehouse, life-preserver recommended, and the decision is yours.
About Alice:
As a young girl I longed to be a mermaid. My idol sat demurely on the Chicken of the Sea tuna fish cans. I peeled labels off to save her image. Every night before bedtime I squeezed both legs in to one side of my pajama bottoms and shuffled around the house pretending I was as beautiful as the tuna fish mermaid.
Real mermaid-hood proved elusive, so I became a modern dancer instead. For over twenty years I worked with brilliant choreographers and performed in amazing places. And while I’m still paid to do the occasional pirouette, I’m now mostly known as a Parenting Coach/Writer helping out moms and dads, and talking to kids also, about their (often annoying) parents.
But honestly? I’m most at home when upside down and underwater. I’ve been swimming my entire life, and surfing for the better part of adulthood. It’s no surprise my two novels are totally ocean-centric. Saving Grace is about a mermaid, and Wavehouse is about a surfer. And I guess they’re both about me, too.
My short fiction (for adults) takes place on land, sea, and air. I’m thrilled that Staggerwing, a collection of my favorites, is forthcoming from Tortoise Books in October, 2016.
These days I split my time between Brooklyn and Montauk, New York where I wear my pajamas regular style. But if too much time passes without a swim or a surf, I’m tempted to revisit my childhood shenanigans. Wouldn’t it be fun to flip-flop about like a fish out of water or a beached mermaid, restless and hungry for the incoming tide?
If you want to reach out about bookish stuff, send me an email via the cute little Contact pop-up, or via my literary agent, Zoe Sandler of ICM Partners.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
What books did you read as a child that inspired you to write?
A true favorite book was the noir, underrated but classic The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken, originally published in 1962. (yes, I’m THAT old). It’s a bit like “Rebecca” meets “The Secret Garden”, with wolves, nasty governesses, missing parents set in a bleak, snowy landscape.
The other all-time beloved book is From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. To this day, every time I go to the Metropolitan Museum in NYC I wander around trying to decide which period room I’d want to sleep in, if like Claudia and Jamie I ended up locked up overnight in that magical, incredible bastion of everything humans have ever made and considered ‘art’.
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford, is the only book I can honestly say ‘inspired’ me to write. When I was about eight years old I started a very loosely plagiarized version of this book, with my own illustrations of a scruffy little wire-haired terrier, a big goofy yellow Labrador retriever, and some kind of generic cat with spots. I was more into drawing than writing back then. Suffice to say I only got about one chapter in before my normal restlessness and lack of stick-to-it-ness took over and I was on to other things.
Giveaway Details:
2 winners will receive a hardcover of WAVEHOUSE, US Only.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
6/1/2018- Will Read Anything– Spotlight
Week Two:
6/4/2018- RhythmicBooktrovert– Review
6/5/2018- Sincerely Karen Jo– Excerpt
6/6/2018- Ziggy’s Reading Corner– Spotlight
6/7/2018- Mythical Books– Interview
6/8/2018- Wonder Struck– Review
Week Three:
6/11/2018- The Cozy Reading Corner- Guest Post
6/12/2018- Peaceful Oblivion– Review
6/13/2018- Vylithylia Reads– Spotlight
6/14/2018- BookHounds YA– Guest Post
6/15/2018- Birdie Bookworm– Review
Week Four:
6/18/2018- Parajunkee– Excerpt
6/19/2018- For the Love of KidLit– Interview
6/20/2018- Two Chicks on Books– Interview
6/21/2018- Caffeine And Composition– Guest Post
6/22/2018- Book Dragon Lair– Review
Week Five:
6/25/2018- Lilly’s Book World– Review
6/26/2018- Jaime’s World– Excerpt
6/28/2018- Daily Waffle– Excerpt
Congrats on your book! I am looking forward to reading it.