(I’m sorry that I forgot to bring Jen Knox’s excellent memoir with me when I did the video. But she is giving away two copies, hosted on this blog.)

Don’t forget to check out the full giveaway listing at www.JTimothyKing.com (with more books coming, continuing into February).

Determined to turn her life around, Gaby Flores moves to a beachfront loft, takes on a new motto–Be gullible no more–and begins to rebuild her flower store while searching for Mr. So Right. But when a lawsuit, an eviction notice, a near-empty bank account, and quirky neighbors invade her beachy world, not even chocolate can solve her worries as her fledgling faith is put to the test.

I’m giving away a new, autographed copy of this Christian beach read, Truffles by the Sea, Julie Carobini’s debut novel, which arrived a couple weeks ago, direct from Julie’s online beach shop. This is the sequel to Julie’s debut novel Chocolate Beach, which I’m also giving away, in another post.

Meet Bri Stone, a laid-back beach chick from Ventura, California. Bri has it all: the man of her dreams and their surf-ridin’ teenage son, a chocolate-loving best pal, an adorable beach bungalow, and a kicky job as a Southern California tour bus host. She also has a few things she didn’t ask for: a know-it-all friend, a snobby mother-in-law, and a Fabio-meets-Dilbert boss. Ack! All three of them seem eager to share their strong opinions and suspicions about Bri’s relationship with her husband, Douglas. When Bri’s rose-colored sunglasses crack after she finds evidence that Douglas has grown tired of her carefree ways, she resolves to win him back. Can she reinvent herself—and recapture her husband’s heart?

I’m giving away a new, autographed copy of this Christian beach read, Chocolate Beach, Julie Carobini’s debut novel, which arrived at my home office this past weekend direct from Julie’s online beach shop. See the bottom of this post for instructions on how to enter the giveaway.

I actually read Julie Carobini’s debut novel Chocolate Beach some time ago. But I’m doing a teaser on it today, because I’ve got a beautiful, brand new, autographed copy of it, which I will be giving away in a post that’s going up tomorrow.

Chocolate Beach is what Julie calls “beach-lit,” or what I had been calling “Christian chick-lit.” As Julie explained in an interview she did with me last year on a different blog:

I began using the term beach-lit around the time that my first book, Chocolate Beach, was released because my heroine, Bri, was more of the “anti-chick.” By that I mean she wasn’t the usual pink-clad gal who loves name-brand shoes and high-end fashions. She was a working mom who preferred flip-flops and casual hoodies— and of course, being at the beach.

So instead of focusing on the “chick” I focused on the location, the beach. More than that, though, my stories tell of how God offers “Waves of Grace” to those who love and serve him.

I started Truffles by the Sea a couple months ago. Then life got in the way. Being an author and blogger is always a balancing act between reading and writing, and sometimes I fall off the high-wire. I’m about a quarter of the way through this Christian chick-lit— er, that is, beach-lit novel by Julie Carobini, and I’m liking it better than its predecessor, Chocolate Beach, which I did enjoy.

Determined to turn her life around, Gaby Flores moves to a beachfront loft, takes on a new motto–Be gullible no more–and begins to rebuild her flower store while searching for Mr. So Right. But when a lawsuit, an eviction notice, a near-empty bank account, and quirky neighbors invade her beachy world, not even chocolate can solve her worries as her fledgling faith is put to the test. (From the back cover.)

Looking at my “to-read” bookshelf for something to read after slogging through Nora Roberts’s Northern Lights… Would someone remind me: why exactly am I reading this? I’m nearing the end, but the end can’t come quickly enough. Right now, I’m rating it at about 2½ out of 5, because the prose needs momentum and the characters need personality. (All except for Bing, who actually does have personality. But he’s not even a secondary character.)

Looking at my “to-read” bookshelf, for an intelligent and engaging novel to enjoy, I discover that I have precious few books by the kind of authors I have most enjoyed: indie authors, unknown authors, and mid-list authors. These are authors of the kind who have blogs, and Twitter and Facebook accounts, who enthusiastically engage with fans, who would love for me to mention them here.

So I will.

Here are some of the authors whose work I have enjoyed, and which I expect to enjoy:

I’m chatting here in my virtual living room today with Julie Carobini, author of what she calls “beach-lit” novels: Chocolate Beach, Truffles by the Sea, and—her latest—Sweet Waters. As always, what I say is in italic type, like this, and what Julie says will be in a plain font.

Hi, Julie. Thanks for doing this interview for BeTheStory.com.

You’re welcome! Thanks for inviting me, Tim!

You’ve said that the sea is a demonstration of God’s creativity. I imagine this is what inspired you to write “beach-lit”? (I almost feel like you chose that tag to correct people like me, who was calling Chocolate Beach “Christian chick-lit.” :-))