Ten Questions for Grace Mason
Single mom Grace Mason is the
main character of Lauren Clark's new release Stardust Summer. Grace
likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old son, Evan, their tiny
house, and her teaching job in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
When tragedy strikes one thousand miles away, Grace and
Evan find themselves on an unexpected journey to Upstate New York. Not only
must Grace handle her father's tragic passing, but she must face the woman
she believes responsible for her own mother's death.
While Henry’s passing brings little closure for Grace, she
finds herself inexplicably drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a
short trip results in a series of adventures for Grace, her son, Evan, Kathleen, and their handsome and charming
next-door neighbor, Ryan Gordon, the town doctor.
Today, Stardust Summer author
Lauren Clark talks with Grace Mason about childhood memories, her relationship
with her father, Henry, and why it often takes the offering of forgiveness to
find true happiness in life.
Lauren: What did you want to be when you grew up?
Grace:
I always thought I'd grow up to work at a university like my father, Henry. I
loved the atmosphere and activity on a campus—all of the students rushing
around—everyone had somewhere to go, someplace important to be. And everyone
loved my father. It was like this big, extended family. I had Evan, though,
before I graduated from college, so my plans changed. I work at an elementary
school as a teacher's aide so that I can be close to my son every day.
Lauren: Jock or princess in high school? If you
liked sports, which did you play?
Grace:
I was definitely a jock. Growing up, I was always outside, one of the
tomboys in the neighborhood, always throwing the ball around with my father or
playing kickball with the boys down the street. My father liked weekend
adventures—fishing, camping, bike riding, and swimming in the ocean. I grew up
loving nature and the outdoors.
Lauren: Which is worse? A hangover or a really bad
sunburn?
Grace:
Since I'm an outdoorsy kind of girl, and I'm lucky enough to tan rather
than burn, a hangover is definitely worse! I have Evan, and he's only eight
years old, so I don't allow myself to indulge much.
Lauren: Favorite food?
Grace:
Growing up in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, summers tend to be brutally
HOT! From April through October, I have fond memories of walking with my
friends down to the corner store to get an ice cream cone. The weather was
always so humid that we had to eat our cones really fast, or the scoops would
melt all over our hands. I think this treat cost about 75 cents, and I can
remember spending every penny I could scrape together on those cones! My
favorite flavors are anything berry:
Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry. I love all of them!
Lauren: Dream vacation?
Grace:
I've always dreamed about going to Europe, specifically England. My father once traced our
family history back from when our ancestors came over from the UK to America in the 1700's. I'd love to
take a month and go explore those countries, learn more about the people, their
lifestyles, taste the food, explore tourist spots, art galleries and museums.
I'm enamored with any British accent, love hearing about the Royals, want to
visit Oxford, and am, of course, smitten with "Downton
Abbey."
Lauren: Best advice you've ever received?
Grace:
My father always told me to follow my dreams, which, when I was younger,
involved getting my Ph.D. and spending my career teaching or advising on a
large college campus. I did end up majoring in education, and loved the
students at my school. Now that I've moved to New York, though, there may still be
time for me to chase that dream after all.
Lauren: Worst advice?
Grace:
My best friend in college telling me to "Go For It!" when I mentioned my infatuation with one of
our professors. He was notorious for flirting, breaking hearts, and womanizing.
Somehow, in my barely-out-of-adolescent existence, I thought that everything
the man told me was somehow different than the dozens of other girls he'd
romanced and released. The other issue? We'd all had a few drinks, my
inhibitions were lowered, and he was alone at the end of the bar. My friends
left me there, swaying and swooning, practically sitting in his lap. A few
months later, he'd gotten me pregnant, moved on to another co-ed, then took a
job teaching abroad. The experience was enough to make me swear off of most men
for (almost) a lifetime!
Lauren: Talk about your
relationship with your stepmother, Kathleen.
Grace: Thankfully, we have a very good relationship
now. It took a long time to get here, and most of that was my fault. I harbored
much grief over the loss of my mother and blamed Kathleen for many years for
her death. It took my own father passing away to bring me closer to Kathleen;
it was Henry's way of bringing us together when he couldn't do it during his
life. Kathleen's really amazing. She loves Evan unconditionally, treats me like
her flesh-and-blood daughter, and sees the good in everyone. Kathleen also
introduced me to Ryan Gordon, the love of my life. Now, how can anyone argue
with a gift like that?
Lauren: For your wedding, share the something old,
something new, something borrowed, & something blue.
Grace: I still pinch myself when
I think about my wedding. My entire life changed after my father died, and
meeting Ryan Gordon was the most unexpected thing to come out of such tragedy.
He's sweet, kind, and wonderful to Evan.
Old: My father was an old-fashioned sort of guy,
always handsome and dressed well. He carried a small gold pocket watch with him
at all times, which amused the students and college staff to no end. I had the
florist create my bouquet so that I could carry the watch with me when I walked
down the aisle.
New: Since we've had so many mishaps and accidents
over the last year, we all decided that it would be best if I forgo the high
heels and wear something low and sensible for the ceremony and small, intimate
reception we'll be holding outdoors at the college. I actually shopped for
weeks before stumbling on the perfect little pair of white satin ballet
slippers. They match my simple silk dress perfectly, with just the toes peeking
out from the hem. I'm hoping to be able to dance long into the night, under the
stars, until Ryan tells me it's time to leave for our honeymoon.
Borrowed: Kathleen offered up a strand of fine pearls
to wear during the ceremony. The necklace is delicate, with graduated pearls
that take on a pink color in the outside light. They were a gift to her from my
father, Henry, which makes the necklace all the more special.
Blue: As a surprise, Ryan took Evan on an adventure
to find me the perfect little pre-wedding present. My son decided that Corning
Museum of Glass would have a gift unlike any other. He spent several Saturdays
creating the delicate glass beads that make up the bracelet. The beads are in
three shades of blue: Baby Blue for the
way that the sky looks over Keuka
Lake in the mornings, Turquoise
for the clear, bright color at midday,
and Indigo for the Stardust Summer skies
I love so much.
Lauren: Define true happiness.
Grace: About a year ago, that
would have been really difficult. I thought that I was happy in Ocean Springs.
I had my career, my son, and my house. I had a huge buffer from the real world
and kept myself busy with teaching, Evan, and occasional walks near the ocean.
I didn't realize how lonely and isolated I was until my father, Henry, passed
away. It was like I felt that I had forever to get over our differences. I
thought that I had plenty of time. And then, one day, he was gone before Evan
and I could say goodbye.
I miss him so much now, but
living in New York, on 'his' lake and in his special place, I feel his
presence all around me. I've regained a sense of what's truly important—family,
friends, and unconditional love. That's true happiness.
Author Bio:
Lauren Clark has been a voracious reader since the age of four
and would rather be stranded at the library than on a desert island. In
her former life, she worked as an anchor and producer for CBS affiliates
in Upstate New York and Alabama. Lauren adores her family, yoga, her
new Electra bike, and flavored coffee. She lives near the Florida Gulf
Coast.
Book Blurb:
Single mom Grace Mason doesn't believe in miracles, magic, or love at
first sight. She likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old
son, their tiny house, and her teaching job. For Grace, happiness means
that nothing much ever changes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Then,
one thousand miles away, tragedy strikes. A massive heart attack leaves
Grace's estranged father comatose in an Upstate New York hospital.
While a team of doctors fight to keep Henry Mason alive, Grace and Evan
rush to his bedside to say their final goodbyes.
Henry's passing
brings little closure for Grace, but she finds herself inexplicably
drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a short trip results in an
entire summer spent with Henry's second wife, Kathleen, and her
next-door neighbor, Ryan Gordon, the town doctor. When a series of
unlikely events lead to Evan's disappearance, Grace must face her worst
fears to find her son and bring him back home.
Stardust Summer
explores the complexities of forgiveness, what it means to be a family,
and the fabulous possibility of falling in love—again.
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