Saturday, June 12, 2010

Big Huge Reader Contest - Day 12!


Lost and Found by Kelly Jamieson
Buy eBook from Samhain Publishing
Contemporary Romance

Last week my book Lost and Found was released with Samhain Publishing. I’ve been blogging all over about this book, about how many “romance rules” I broke when writing it, how many genres it crosses and how many issues in the story aren’t black and white, including infidelity.

But today I want to talk about the setting of the book. If you’ve seen the trailer for the book (view it here) you’ll know that the ocean features prominently in the story. Krissa and Derek live in Montecito, California, in a fictional house on the Pacific Ocean. (If you’ve read the book, I encourage you to watch the trailer again, I think it’s much more moving when you know the story!)

Some of the images I used in the trailer are ones taken by my husband, a professional photographer who went to photography school in Santa Barbara, California, which is now one of our favourite places to visit, and which is why I set many of my stories there!


© Lance Thomson Photographic

The heroine of Lost and Found, Krissa, likes to wander on the beach when she has important things to think about. The vast, seemingly endless ocean helps put her problems into perspective and the ceaseless rhythm of the waves onto shore soothes her.

When Nate arrives in Montecito, he’s a photographer in danger of losing his career. He’s made his fortune photographing water – often the ocean – in calm conditions and using long exposures that make the water smooth and glassy and tranquil. He too, finds comfort in walking on the beach and sitting beside the ocean.

A number of images in the story are symbolic of Krissa, Nate and Derek’s lives – turbulent, crashing waves; a tangled mass of seaweed, impossible to unravel; a seashell that’s beautiful and perfect on the outside, but empty and lifeless inside.

As well as photographs, here are a couple of poems that provided some inspiration to me when writing Lost and Found:

From Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Sea Shore:

Behold the Sea,
The opaline, the plentiful and strong,
Yet beautiful as is the rose in June,
Fresh as the trickling rainbow of July;
Sea full of food, the nourisher of kinds,
Purger of earth, and medicine of men;
Creating a sweet climate by my breath,
Washing out harms and griefs from memory,
And, in my mathematic ebb and flow,
Giving a hint of that which changes not.

And ‘maggy and milly and molly and may’ by ee cummings:

maggy and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles: and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
its always ourselves we find in the sea

I hope sharing a little about the setting of this story deepens your experience when you read it!

Watch the Lost and Found trailer!

Buy eBook from Samhain Publishing

Kelly Jamieson Website


REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author’s blog for the day will enter you into the Big Huge Reader Contest for a Pink Sony eReader or one of three boxes packed full of RT Booklovers Convention goodies. Unfortunately, due to the grand prize being an electronic and weight of the other three boxes, this contest is for US residents only.

38 comments:

SiNn said...

I love Emerson and Cumming! their work is so inspiring

ty for posting and congrats on the release sounds great

booklover0226 said...

Congrats on your release.

It has been a long, long time since I've read cummings' works; it's time to dust off and read his collection.

Thanks,
Tracey D

Tilly Greene said...

I've been to Montecito as a surly teenager and was totally inspired by my surroundings. Need to pick this one up so I can go back to that place again - just beautiful!

Tilly

kelly said...

I read quite a few poems about the ocean looking for inspiration but those two really got inside my head. Thanks everyone!

PS

The link to the trailer in the blog doesn't seem to be working so here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-XRFJZhxvk

Kristabel Reed said...

I love Emerson's Sea Shore. I'm such a beach/water person, at one point I read every book/poem about the ocean I could find. It's been years, I think I'll have to do that all again. Thanks for the reminder, and the beautiful poems.

Out of complete curiosity, are you a water sign?

kelly said...

That's so cool Kristabel! I love the ocean too but I'm not a water sign, I'm a Libra!

And everyone, I am giving away a copy of Lost and Found today to one commenter!

Stephanie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stephanie said...

Thank you for sharing the inspirering post! You live in a truly magical place. No wonder you use it in your stories!

DragonStar1974@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I love the Pacific Coast. My favorite is when it storms. You see how violent the waves get against the rocks. It is an awesome power to watch it.
deslauree3 at aol dot com

Carol L. said...

Hi Kelly,
The pictures your husband took are amazing. very talented. I have read about your book in excerpts on different blogs and it's on my TRL.
Congrats on it's release.
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com

Lovie said...

You husbands photos are great. I enjoyed your blog, didn't know that you had 14 books out with Ellora's Cave (I have to go there next and check them out)

desitheblonde said...

i love the book and the contest
and wish the best for more

Anonymous said...

Hi,

This is a lovely post. I enjoyed the poems and the pictures are lovely. Your husband is a talented photographer.

Valerie
in Germany
valb0302@yahoo.com

practimom said...

the pictures are beautiful! Kelly Jamieson ROCKS!!

The Scarf Princess said...

I enjoy a book that breaks all the rules. It makes for a more emotional story when you don't follow anybody's rules and make the story your own.

joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

Michelle said...

Love the photos really makes me want to be at the beach...

Michelle B.

JeanMP said...

Those photoes are lovely.
I always enjoy spending my vacation at the beach. Your book sounds like a very interesting read

kelly said...

I will pass on the commments on the photos to the hub!

mrsshukra said...

Normally more into the characters but love Kelly's post about the setting of her novel!

delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

Pamk said...

beautiful pictures and sounds like an interesting read.

Sherry said...

I love the pictures and your book sounds very good. When's your birthday we share the same sign.

sstrode@scrtc.com

Jane said...

Congrats on the new release, Kelly. Love the Emerson poem.

janie1215 AT excite DOT com

kelly said...

Sherry you're a Libra too?
Mine's October 18. Won't say what year ;-)

Anne said...

Beautiful pictures on your post. I gave up waiting for Youtube to open, I'll try on Mon. when I have access to another computer.

Kudos to Tilly for getting up each day at 6 a.m. to put these on the blog (or is there an automated way?).

*yadkny* said...

Hi Kelly,
Beautiful pictures and video. I love the ocean as well, but surprisingly haven't read many books with it as a setting.

yadkny@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love the ocean myself. There is a calming for me just listening to the waves crash and the fresh air is unbelievable. I love it. I can't wait t read your book!! It is definitely in my TBR pile. :)

Judy said...

Thanks for the great post!! I really enjoyed it. Lost and Found looks like a great read!! Good luck with it!!

Beth said...

Thanks for the great post. I love hearing about how/why part of a story came about.
Will be reading this book as soon as I stop being lazy and get over and buy it.

Stacey Smith said...

i have always love the ocean.I live in Nouthern Ca and only get to see it every few years but i love it.book sounds entresting.


sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I'm glad your glossary of some of the sybolism today sometimes they go over my head.

Anonymous said...

Susan Lathen Forgot to add:
SuzyQ1955@aol.com

Armenia said...

Oh, that made me homesick. Now that I live in Texas I so miss the ocean. I lived in Santa Barbara, so close to Montecito for nearly 21 years.

Congrats on the release of Lost and Found. Sounds like a lovely story.

armiefox at yahoo dot com

kelly said...

Thanks for so many great comments!
The winner of yesterday's draw for a copy of Lost and Found is Michelle B!!

Michelle, contact me at info@kellyjamieson.com so I can find out what format you want your book in.

Kelly

Andrea I said...

I love the pictures. The beach is my favorite vacation place.

ainfinger@comcast.net

Fedora said...

Kelly, thanks for sharing those gorgeous photos. I'm loving what I've read about your latest story, and I've definitely got it on the
TBB!

f dot chen at comcast dot net

Anonymous said...

Congrats on Lost and Found Kelly this is already on my wish list to pick up. The images are beautiful you shared and really helps to visualize the setting.

Pam S
pams00@aol.com

BecK said...

I loved reading this book. Nate is a great character. Glad to read he got the girl in the end.

Nicole Zoltack said...

Beautiful photos!

~Nicole
Nicole.Zoltack AT gmail.com