Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Lee Tobin McClain & Forever on the Bay

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Forever on the Bay by Lee Tobin McClain, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m delighted to have Lee on the blog today to chat about her new book!

FOREVER ON THE BAY by Lee Tobin McClain
SERIES: The Off Season #6
GENRE: Contemporary Romance (Clean & Wholesome)
PUBLISHER: HQN
RELEASE DATE: April 26, 2022
PAGES: 336

Safe harbor and new beginnings await on the Chesapeake Bay…

Pleasant Shores cop Evan Stone has worked hard to become a man of his word, overcoming the alcoholism that sent him down the wrong path in his youth. So when his late best friend’s sister asks for his help, he doesn’t hesitate. He promised he’d watch out for Cassie, and the cottage next to his will be a perfect short-term refuge for her and her dog. The other half of that promise—to stay away from Cassie romantically—is harder to keep.

Sheltered for years because of a childhood illness, Cassie is ready to reach for what she wants. And despite her family’s warnings and her own fears, Cassie’s heart wants Evan. As the return of his estranged son puts his sobriety to the test, Cassie and Evan are drawn together, finding strength through what they’ve each weathered. She knows Evan would risk anything to protect her, but are they willing to risk the price of loving, now and forever?

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Hi Lee! Welcome to the blog!

Lee: Oranges, because they remind me of Florida where my mom lived for many years. Beaches, palm trees, warm sunshine—I love all of it.

Carrie: aww i can see why you’d pick those!

Lee: Summer! See above. I like being outside, gardening (a little), hiking, and eating al fresco. Living in Pennsylvania, where the weather is cloudy and cold for much of the year, we really appreciate summertime!

Carrie: i dread summer… but then again I live in ‘Hotlanta’ where it’s just miserably hot

Lee: Dogs! My books almost always include dogs because they’re so funny and companionable and affectionate. Additionally, dogs can be service or working animals, which I admire and love to write about. Cats are… cats, and I say that as a cat owner. Independent, cranky, and as prone to bite you as purr at you.

Carrie: I’m a dog person too 🙂

Lee: Print. I love the feel and smell of books. 

Carrie: there’s nothing like it!

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Lee: I’d like to choose reading as well! But so as not to copy… my other superpower is looking at the bright side. I’m a quiet optimist and always believe things will work out for the best. That’s why I love and write romance!

Carrie: there’s plenty of reading superpower to go around – but I also love your ‘bright side’ superpower. We could all use more of that in our current world 🙂

Q: Tell me some good books you’ve read lately.

Lee: I have really been enjoying dual-timeline novels. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn is a breathtakingly wonderful spy story; The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is the story of two sisters during wartime and the choices they must make, and it’s fantastic. And I got very caught up in A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner; it pairs up a historical story about the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire with a contemporary story of young mother trying to recover from the tragedies of 9/11.

Carrie: i love dual timelines, too!

Q: Writing spaces are as diverse as authors and books. Where is your favorite space to write?

Lee: I’m there now! We are lucky enough to have a Barnes and Noble here in Greensburg, PA, and I love to sit in the café and write. I overhear interesting stories (right now I’m trying not to eavesdrop too obviously on a first meeting between a man and woman who met online). I also get inspired by all the wonderful books surrounding me. Since I can spend hours there, I feel obligated to pay my “table rent” by buying books—not a hardship!

Carrie: yes, that would be a win-win for sure!

Q: Some authors like to hide little things in their stories. Is there anything you have hidden in Forever on the Bay?

Lee: This isn’t exactly hidden, but I put a real person into Forever on the Bay. The hero and heroine visit a university campus, and the heroine talks to the department secretary who mothered her when she was a college work-study student. That secretary is modeled on the wonderful secretary in my department at Seton Hill University, where I have worked for thirty years. Wendy finally retired this year—she’s worked at Seton Hill longer than I did—and she allowed me to use her name and some of her warm and friendly personality traits in my novel. Like many secretaries, Wendy (both real and fictional) knows everything that goes on in the university, so she helps to solve an important mystery in my book.

Carrie: awww i love that 🙂

Q: What do you most want readers to take away from Forever on the Bay?

Lee: God works everything for good, and people can turn their lives around.

Carrie: amen ♥

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Lee: I have a brand new series, Hometown Brothers, set on an island on the Chesapeake Bay. Book One is called The Forever Farmhouse, and it comes out in September.