The Guest Book
Page 25
To sculpt a profile, each part of the body needs to be distinguishable. When an upswung arm blocks part of the head it is fine for a photo, but not in a sculpture. So, I arched her back a bit more and had her throw her head back to separate it from the arm and lengthened her hair for effect, transforming the five-inch photo image into a seven-foot brushed aluminum body.
To suspend the gulls in air, my friend, Tim Ehling, and I wrapped an aluminum pipe around his trailer hitch to give it a big curve so the support would stay out of the space occupied by the gulls. We then drilled holes in the portion of the pole going into the concrete and inserted rods extending out to prevent the pole from turning.
Installation was a major event. With the much appreciated assistance from members of the committee and their husbands, we had to dig a sizeable deep hole to set the sculpture in. Bracing both elements, Lillah and the gulls, with a wood frame, we poured the concrete, smoothed the surface, and waited for it to dry.
In November 2003, “Lillah” came to life.
In November 2011, eight years later, “Lillah” is still standing.
Note: Lillah is now married and the proud mother of two beautiful little boys.
Thom Seaman, sculptor
Artshak Studio and Gallery
Southport, North Carolina
3 November 2011
BRENDA’S
CRANBERRY-CHERRY SPRITZER
1 46-ounce can pineapple juice
1 32-ounce bottle cranberry-cherry juice blend
1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 2-liter bottle ginger ale, chilled
Combine pineapple juice, cranberry-cherry juice, and lemonade concentrate. Chill until ready to serve. Before serving, slowly add ginger ale and stir gently to combine.
discussion questions
1. At the beginning of the book, Macy is struggling with Chase’s return. Why do you think she is conflicted about letting him into her life again? What would you do if you were in her position?
2. Brenda has perpetuated her own grief by creating some traditions that her children think are rather morbid. What are they? Have you ever known someone who created a similar tradition in response to grief? Did the tradition help them move forward or halt their process?
3. Macy states several times that she knows that God is not a genie in a bottle, not in the business of granting desperate wishes. Can you remember a time you treated Him as though He was? How did that affect your prayers?
4. Macy won “second prize” (the colored pencils) in the shell contest and used those pencils to draw her first picture in the guest book. She says, “Sometimes second prize can change your life.” Is there a time that not coming in first ultimately benefited you far more than winning would have?
5. Max has struggles of his own and looks to Macy to come to his rescue. What are some of the things Macy does differently at Sunset Beach that ultimately create a different outcome for Max?
6. Which man were you rooting for Macy to be with? Do you think she ended up with the right one? Did she really need to end up with one at all?
7. Macy’s search for the artist leads to a dead-end—or so she initially thought. But does it? Instead of finding the artist, she finds The Artist. How can looking at your life as a series of pictures He has drawn for you—a message of His love for you—change the way you see your life?
8. What pictures has The Artist drawn for you today?
a big thank-you goes out to:
Christy Baca, who unknowingly suggested this story.
My husband, Curt, who is patient and kind and generous and loving. I am blessed to have you in my life and in my corner.
My kids —Jack, Ashleigh, Matthew, Rebekah, Bradley, and Annaliese. As much as I love writing novels, you guys are far and away my greatest creations.
My mom, who always finds ways to make my life better.
My best friend and the other half of my writing brain, Ariel Lawhon.
The Writers and Sisters in Christ: Jenny B. Jones, Cara Putman, Cindy Thomson, Kit Wilkinson, Nicole O’Dell, and Kim Cash Tate.
The belles of Southern Belle View: Lisa Wingate, Rachel Hauck, Beth Webb Hart, and Shellie Tomlinson.
Kathy Patrick and Wanda Jewell, who opened the door and welcomed me in.
Jonathan Clements, who applauds from the balcony.
Crazy writers like me who take joy in doing this and help me remember my own: Karen Zacharias, Judy Christie, Kim Wright, Carla Stewart, Mary DeMuth, Nicole Seitz, Christa Allan, and Susan Meissner.
My IRL friends, who laugh with me and root for me: Jill Dean, Lisa Shea, Jen Tolbert, Missy Johnston, Lisa Whittle, Shari Braendel, Kim Young, April Mangum, Rachel Olsen, Karen Ehman, Zoe Elmore, Paige McKinney, and Nancy Malcor.
The on-location folks in Sunset Beach, North Carolina: Thom Seaman, the sculptor; the Carroll family, who own the real Time in a Bottle, for letting me use their house’s name; Lisa Massey, the chief of police; and Pat Wilson, who gave me a spot on the shelf at Pelican Books, my favorite bookstore in the world.
My story consultant, Nicci Jordan Hubert.
My agent, Esther Fedorkevich.
The folks at Zondervan: Sue Brower, Alicia Mey, Don Gates, Michelle Lenger, Jennifer VerHage, Heather Adams, Katie Beth Broaddus, Becky Philpott, Ben Greenhoe, Joyce Ondersma, Jackie Aldridge, and Tonya Osterhouse.
The Artist, who painted me pictures all along the way and supplied the words to describe them.
About the Author
MARYBETH WHALEN is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. She is the director of She Reads, an online book club focused on spotlighting the best in women’s fiction. Marybeth is the author of The Mailbox and She Makes It Look Easy. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She’s always at work on her next novel. Marybeth and her family live in North Carolina.
You can find her online at www.marybethwhalen.com.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Praise
“Lost loves, a beach house, hope, healing, and a mysterious guestbook combine to create a delight as warm and compelling as a day in your favorite beach chair. You’ll be rooting for Macy as she reconciles the past and searches for the mystery man she can’t forget.”
—LISA WINGATE, national bestselling, award-winning author of Dandelion Summer and Blue Moon Bay
“Marybeth Whalen is masterful at setting the stage and drawing the reader in. A trip to Sunset Beach for a family stuck in regrets and sorrow is a journey for the heart that kept me in suspense until the very last page. The Guest Book is lovely. Uplifting. Satisfying. A must-read!”
—CARLA STEWART, award-winning author of Chasing Lilacs and Stardust
“The Guest Book has the perfect blend of a Nicholas Sparks’ beach setting with a heavy dose of hope and happily-ever-after. Doomed to repeat the mistakes of her past, Macy returns to the beach house of her youth. Her journey becomes one of discovery and opening dormant dreams. Then God answers her prayer with a flood of men. A delightful read with underlying strands of poignancy. I loved this book!”
—CARA C. PUTMAN, author of A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island and Stars in the Night
“The Guestbook is sheer intrigue, romance, and the perfect kind of agony. I couldn’t put it down until I knew every last detail. Quirky and surprising storytelling, multidimensional characters, and a killer beach setting captured me from page one. Marybeth Whalen is to be commended again for another complex yet stunning read. Count me as a fan.”
—MARY DEMUTH, author of The Muir House
Dear Macy,
I feel like Writing this is breaking the rules for us. That we aren’t supposed to need words between us. But I am going to set aside the rules just this once. I never liked rules much anyWay, and I have a feeling you don’t either.
I think it’s time that we meet. In person. I’ve been drawing y
ou pictures for most of my life, and I Want to finally see the face of — hear the voice of — the artist who has captured my imagination for as long as I can remember. We communicate in pictures and not many people understand that. I’m ready to move past these pictures, which have been our connection all these years, and finally tell you who I am. And explain why I’ve never told you before.
So this year, I’ve drawn you a picture of the place where we can meet. I will be waiting for you there on Friday at two o’clock. I hope you will come. Please, say you will.
Love, the artist
ZONDERVAN
The Guest Book
Copyright © 2012 by Marybeth Whalen
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.
EPub Edition © MAY 2012 ISBN: 978-0-310-33475-0
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
* * *
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Whalen, Marybeth.
The guest book : a novel / Marybeth Whalen.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-310-33474-3
I. Title.
PS3623.H355G84 2012
8l3’.6–dc23 2012003444
* * *
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Lyrics from “Man of Colours” by Icehouse. All rights reserved.
Published in association with the literary agency of Fedd & Company, Inc., Post Office Box 341973, Austin, Texas 78734.
Cover design: Michelle Lenger
Cover photography: © Veer
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