My special guest today is fellow Ellora’s Cave author, Eve Cassidy. Eve has a new release this week, her debut release with EC, called Southern Comfort and she’s talking about favorite hangouts.
One of my favorite things in real life, television, movies or books is discovering a cool new place where people like to hang out. Not necessarily a place you go to party (although it can be) but generally the feel good place you and your friends always seem to congregate and eventually you get to know people who work there and frequent there on a first name basis. It becomes your home away from home for you and your friends.
That’s exactly the kind of place my upcoming ebook with Ellora’s Cave is all about. Southern Comfort is a bar and is loosely based on “the” bar me and my friends used to hang out at many years ago when I was an active duty marine stationed at an air base in North Carolina.
It was just outside the front gate so it offered easy access for everyone but it was still off base so it didn’t carry all the same rules an on base bar did. Honestly the place was a bit of a dump but it was a good size with multiple rooms stuffed with couches, tables, a dance floor, 2 bars and a good number of pool tables. I considered myself quite the player back then so I played a lot of pool there. But more importantly, all my friends were there.
Practically any day of the week, I could show up and there’d be a crowd of people I knew well and hung out with. Those were some good times and great memories.
It was that atmosphere that inspired me to write Southern Comfort and actually I am writing more stories around the same concept of a bar outside every front gate that caters to the boys of service.
Now a days my friend hangout is a French Bakery Café that is located in my city’s arts district about 20 minutes from home. Besides delicious food, decadent desserts and free wi fi, they are the only place open 24/7 365 days a year. The perfect writer hangout. When deadlines loom, you’ll find me there writing late into the night. Although some days you have to fight to get a table. It’s beloved by the entire city.
Whenever I meet someone who hasn’t been there I am more than eager to take them there for the quirky décor and an unbelievable salted caramel brownie. No wonder the place is so popular.
So what about you? Do you or did you have a favorite friend hangout? I’d love to hear about it.
Here is the blurb for Southern Comfort:
Two guys. A girl. One incredible game of pool…
Scarlett wants to escape, even if it’s just for a little while. So she heads to Southern Comfort where she’ll find a certain Marine she can’t keep her mind off of and he won’t be alone.
Michael spies the uptight woman of his dreams the minute she fights through the crowd. Sexy as sin, he can’t take his eyes off her while she flirts over some liquid courage. When she finally heads his way, it’s time to find out if she can live up to her end of the fantasy.
Red-hot chemistry may call the shots, but once you take the double hit… The game is on.
Purchase from Ellora’s Cave on 2 September.
CONTEST: Tell us about your favorite hangout and go into the draw to win a download of Eve’s new release, Southern Comfort.
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August 30th, 2010 at 1:12 am · Link
Kailua Beach on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
August 30th, 2010 at 3:55 am · Link
Hi Eve and shelley,
My favorite hang out is a small, quaint cafe in my town. It serves sandwiches, tea, coffee, wine, fresh baked goods, etc. and is the perfect place to go if you want to relax or meet up with someone.
August 30th, 2010 at 8:32 am · Link
Grand Central Cafe on the ground floor of my office. Can usually meet any of my colleagues or friends in the evening, having a glass. Great place for chatting and relaxing.
August 30th, 2010 at 9:22 am · Link
Hi Eve and Shelley,
Back in my working days, our hangout used to be a bar a couple of doors down from work. No dancing, but it had pool tables and darts, and drew a great crowd of people.
These days, no more bars. My hangout it is a coffee shop/bakery one town over. My Mom and I meet there once a week to just chat and grumble about the men in our lives, lol. The coffee shop actually just got WiFi, which was a huge deal, they even had a party to celebrate! Free pastries and coffee all day, very fun.
August 30th, 2010 at 12:17 pm · Link
Hi Eve and welcome! My hubby and I have a favorite coffee shopwhere we go for a coffee before we hit the supermarket. It’s perfect for people watching, which is very big for a writer!
August 30th, 2010 at 12:19 pm · Link
Abhishek – now that sounds good. Hawaiian beaches are gorgeous!
Becky – your quaint cafe sounds lovely too. There’s nothing nicer than fresh baked goods.
August 30th, 2010 at 12:27 pm · Link
Tamsyn – that sounds handy!
Cathy – a game of pool is always fun. It’s funny, but I don’t go to bars as much as I used to either. The drinking and driving thing is always a consideration every time we go to a bar.
August 30th, 2010 at 1:12 pm · Link
All of the hangouts in the comments sound great. Seems like the coffee shops are definitely the go to place these days. Besides our love for caffeine, there is always the free wi fi that makes it so attractive. :)
August 30th, 2010 at 9:07 pm · Link
My favorite hang out would be the bookstore I can go there and stay forever and least that’s what my family says.
August 30th, 2010 at 11:52 pm · Link
I don’t often go out to hang out these days–I do spend a lot of time in the van, hanging out while waiting for one child or another :) If I’ve got a good book with me and some water, that makes a fine hangout, too :) Not quite as social, but potentially relaxing all the same!
August 31st, 2010 at 2:40 am · Link
The French bakery sounds yummy. I don’t really have a favorite. I don’t hang out as often as I used to. Maybe it’s time to find a place.
Love the cover for Southern Comfort.
August 31st, 2010 at 4:21 am · Link
My favorite hangout used to be this military themed night club (the owner collects military memoribilia, a lot of it antique) here where I live, but I haven’t gone there in months. I don’t really have a new hangout right now.
If you mind me asking, Eve, which base were you stationed at?? I’m curious because I live like 10 minutes away from Camp Lejeune. (small world, right?…lol)
August 31st, 2010 at 10:19 am · Link
My favorite friend hang out wasn’t a particular place, so much as a group that went to a particular set of place, all revolving around playing blue grass.
September 2nd, 2010 at 3:49 pm · Link
Sherry S. – The bookstore is and always will be a fave of mine. :)
Fedora – I remember those days when my kids were smaller.
Hi N.J. – Thank you on the cover. I love the EC cover art dept.
Courtney S. – A military themed night club sounds awesome. I would definitely hang out there.
I was stationed at Cherry Point so practically down the road from LeJeune. Definitely a small world. Which is one of the things I loved about the Marine Corps.
September 2nd, 2010 at 3:52 pm · Link
Alice – what a great idea. A hangout tour. :)
September 2nd, 2010 at 3:56 pm · Link
Congrats Becky – You are the winner of a free ebook copy of Southern Comfort.
If you’ll email me at evecassidy at gmail dot com with the format of your choice, I will get that right out to you.
Thank you everyone for stopping by to chat with me. Have a lovely weekend.
Eve
September 2nd, 2010 at 7:06 pm · Link
*squee* Thank you so much Eve!