Friday, March 28, 2014

Friday Freebie: Golden State by Michelle Richmond and Up at Butternut Lake by Mary McNear


Congratulations to Nina Lehman, winner of last week's Friday Freebie: Visible City by Tova Mirvis.

This week's book giveaway is another terrific two-fer.  One reader will enjoy a copy of both Golden State by Michelle Richmond and Up at Butternut Lake by Mary McNear.  Both novels have recently been released in trade paperback.  Here's a little more about the books from their publishers:

Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jacquelyn Mitchard, and Anna Quindlen, Golden State is a powerful, mesmerizing new novel that explores the intricacies of marriage, family, and the profound moments that shape our lives.  Doctor Julie Walker has just signed her divorce papers when she receives news that her younger sister, Heather, has gone into labor.  Though theirs is a strained relationship, Julie sets out for the hospital to be at her sister’s side—no easy task since the streets of San Francisco are filled with tension and strife.  Today is also the day that Julie will find herself at the epicenter of a violent standoff in which she is forced to examine both the promising and the painful parts of her past—her Southern childhood; her romance with her husband, Tom; her estrangement from Heather; and the shattering incident that led to her greatest heartbreak.  Infused with emotional depth and poignancy, Golden State takes readers on a journey over the course of a single, unforgettable day—through an extraordinary landscape of love, loss, and hope.

In the tradition of Kristin Hannah and Susan Wiggs, Mary McNear introduces readers to the town of Butternut Lake and to the unforgettable people who call it home.  It's summer, and after ten years away, Allie Beckett has returned to her family's cabin beside tranquil Butternut Lake, where as a teenager she spent so many carefree days.  She's promised her five-year-old son, Wyatt, they will be happy there.  She's promised herself this is the place to begin again after her husband's death in Afghanistan.  The cabin holds so many wonderful memories, but from the moment she crosses its threshold Allie is seized with doubts.  Has she done the right thing uprooting her little boy from the only home he's ever known?   Allie and her son are embraced by the townsfolk, and her reunions with old acquaintances—her friend Jax, now a young mother of three with one more on the way, and Caroline, the owner of the local coffee shop—are joyous ones.  And then there are newcomers like Walker Ford, who mostly keeps to himself—until he takes a shine to Wyatt...and to Allie.  Everyone knows that moving forward is never easy, and as the long, lazy days of summer take hold, Allie must learn to unlock the hidden longings of her heart, and to accept that in order to face the future she must also confront—and understand—what has come before.

If you’d like a chance at winning a copy of both Golden State and Up at Butternut Lake, simply email your name and mailing address to

Put FRIDAY FREEBIE in the e-mail subject line.  One entry per person, please.  Despite its name, the Friday Freebie runs all week long and remains open to entries until midnight on April 3, at which time I’ll draw the winning name.  I’ll announce the lucky reader on April 4.  If you’d like to join the mailing list for the once-a-week newsletter, simply add the words “Sign me up for the newsletter” in the body of your email.  Your email address and other personal information will never be sold or given to a third party (except in those instances where the publisher requires a mailing address for sending Friday Freebie winners copies of the book).

Want to double your odds of winning?  Get an extra entry in the contest by posting a link to this webpage on your blog, your Facebook wall or by tweeting it on Twitter.  Once you’ve done any of those things, send me an additional e-mail saying “I’ve shared” and I’ll put your name in the hat twice.


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