Interview with Author Sebastian Cole on BlogTalkRadio
Posted on February 22, 2013
Hey, guys. I’ll be doing my first radio interview to discuss my debut novel, Sand Dollar: A Story of Undying Love, on Saturday, February 23rd at 12:00 p.m. E.S.T. on BlogTalkRadio. Please feel free to call in to speak with me and the hosts, Michelle Cornwell-Jordan and Jamie B. Musings. I look forward to speaking with you!
Sebastian Cole 🙂
Sherrie Pogorzelski’s Book Review of Sand Dollar at Amazon
Posted on October 1, 2012
★★★★★
Excellent
“Mr. Cole did an amazing job writing this book. I strongly recommend that any one who loves romance books you need to read this one, just have your tissues ready your going to need them. What Noah went through was gut wrenching a true sole mate is hard to find as Noah will tell you, but if you wait long enough as Noah did for Robin it will work out in the end. And to share his love story with a very special some one like Josh is even better. I can’t wait until his next book come out. I really Love this book.” — Sherrie Pogorzelski
Review of Sand Dollar by Long And Short Reviews
Posted on August 7, 2012
★★★★
“Sebastian Cole has written a thought provoking and intriguing story in Sand Dollar… once the story hooked me, I could not put it down…I will say one thing, I did not see the ending of this one coming, and it brought tears to my eyes.” — Long and Short Reviews
Afullbookshelf’s Review of Sand Dollar at Amazon
Posted on July 25, 2012
Heartbreakingly beautiful
★★★★
“Sand Dollar is the story of Noah and Robin. Not only does it span their lives individually throughout the years, but also their relationship as well. Mr. Cole did a fantastic job of bringing Noah, Robin and all other characters to life. I was hooked from the beginning. I found Noah to be extremely likeable and could understand where he was coming from with his family background. Never did I get the impression that Noah was selfish or greedy like you would expect with his upbringing. Robin is a different character altogether. She is kind of a mystery. We don’t really get answers to Robin until closer to the end of the book, but it’s easy to guess which direction the story is going.
The story is told back and forth between present day Noah and his past. Sometimes I found it hard to know if we were in the present or past, but once I got a hang of how the story was written, it wasn’t difficult to follow.
I had an incredibly hard time putting this book down, because I needed to know what happened. It’s a heartbreaking story, even up to the end, but it’s beautifully heartbreaking.” — Afullbookshelf
Sand Dollar Chapter-a-Week
Posted on July 15, 2012
I’d like to thank everyone for following my Chapter-a-Week blog. However, I’m sorry to say that I will no longer be posting additional chapters of Sand Dollar to my website. So… if you have enjoyed what you’ve read so far, please buy the book. It’s only 99 cents as an eBook, $9.99 in paperback.
Click here to find out where to buy it.
Here’s what readers are saying about the SURPRISE ENDING:
“And despite the many twists of this heart-wrenching story for the reader to enjoy, the author gifted me with one more delectable twist that sent my heart-strings strumming!…And, when I finally surrendered and committed to these star-crossed lovers to watch the tale reach its fruition, Mr. Cole reveals one more gem of truth after all was said and done that warmed me to my toes.” — Bookideas.com
” Cole twists and turns this plot (which is why I couldn’t put it down) to where you can’t assume anything about the ending. You HAVE to read it.” — Kate Patrick
“Cole metes out important information at a good pace, keeping the reader as baffled as Noah by Robin’s strange changes of heart, and carefully manipulates details to lead to a real surprise ending.” — Feathered Quill
“You need to follow this and see how it turns out. This is a must read for anyone who loves pure romance.” — Let’s Talk Romance Reviews
“I was totally taken by surprise by the ending (sad in a way but ultimately it was a happy one), which I didn’t see coming at all, another plus!” — Johanna
“There were many times I wanted to reach into the book and honestly shake Robin, but luckily her character went on to be thoroughly explained, rectifying my need to smack her! The end was a slam dunk; totally unexpected.” — Pamela
“Sebastian Cole not only has one or two tricks waiting for you towards the end*** but many.” — Reesa
“It takes you on one hell of a rollercoaster ride, only to bring you to a very unexpected ending. That, to me, is what a well-written book is.” — Isabella
” It was a very emotional read for me, I spent time yelling at the characters, and then crying with them at the end.” — Bea
“The unexpected ending was perfect.” — Tina
“Wow I didn’t expect it to end the way it did. Very nice book with very vivid characters.” — Jalynn
Twenty-Fifth Chapter: Testing The Waters
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Posted on July 9, 2012
“I wouldn’t listen to your parents if I were you. If your heart’s set on buying the lighthouse, then just do it,” Robin advised, stretched out in Noah’s arms on the teak deck of Noah’s boat, anchored out in front of the old lighthouse on a lazy summer day. “I can definitely picture us getting married there,” she continued. “It’s such a pretty spot. You know, it’s too bad they don’t make you wait a year to get divorced. Otherwise, we’d still be married right now, and we wouldn’t have to go through all that paperwork again just to get remarried. Speaking of paperwork, when are you planning on having me sign another one of your stupid prenups?”
“There’s not going to be a prenup this time. I guess I’ll just have to take my chances, that’s all.”
“But what about your parents?”
“What about them? You’re marrying me, not my parents.”
She smiled and continued with her list. “I want to have another child,” she announced.
“Of course, I’d love to have a child with you… but what kind of child exactly are we talking about?” he joked.
Robin laughed. “I’ve always loved the name Olivia — if it’s a girl, that is.”
“I think Olivia’s a beautiful name for a girl,” he said, eliciting a smile.
“Oh, and one more thing…” Noah looked at her closely. “I don’t want to be a social worker anymore. I’ve always wanted to be an X-Ray tech.”
“I think you should do whatever makes you happy, Robin.”
“Well, it would mean quitting my job and going back to school full time for a year until I get my certificate.”
“So when can you start?”
A big smile stretched across her face. “You’re the greatest. I love you, Noah Hartman,” she said, leaning in for a kiss, standing up and dipping her foot into the water, testing it.
Johanna’s Review of Sand Dollar at Amazon
Posted on July 6, 2012
An excellent book…
★★★★★
“Sand Dollar is a love story reminiscent of “The Notebook”, as the author confesses, but still remains uniquely its own story. I won’t bother with a lengthy synopsis as other readers have done a fantastic job summarizing it.
There were several things I really enjoyed about this book, most important of which, I think, is that the story always felt “real”, and never forced. I also loved how the author chose to go back-and-forth between the past and the present, revealing layers of the story as they become relevent. I was totally taken by surprise by the ending (sad in a way but ultimately it was a happy one), which I didn’t see coming at all, another plus!
My one complaint? Not really with the story itself, but I couldn’t help but notice the absence of an author bio and picture, something which I compulsively seek out before I ever start a story. Its not really a big deal, but I like to be able to read about an author to sort of get to “know” them before I read their work so I have an idea of where they’re coming from. Plus, who wouldn’t want to see what such a hopeless romantic looks like?
Marvellous book, it brought a smile to my face, and I would certainly love to see Sand Dollar become a movie as the author wishes, I have a feeling it would do very well 🙂
I have received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads” — Johanna
Twenty-Fourth Chapter: The Three Reasons
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Posted on July 2, 2012
Wearing a navy robe with matching slippers, Noah headed out the front door to fetch the Providence Journal, which was on the front lawn resting up against the For Sale sign. Shuffling back inside, he sat down at the patio table with the newspaper folded under his arm and a cup of coffee in his hand. It was a dreamy summer morning. The air was dry, and there was a light breeze shooting off the bay. Seagulls squawked as they fought over a scrap of food on the beach below. Noah’s coffee was getting cold as he sat there, staring off in the direction of the old lighthouse in the middle of the bay.
Unfolding the Providence Journal and glancing at the date — June 10th, 1997, he tore off the corner with the date printed on it, crumpled it up, and tossed it on the ground before getting up and going inside. Upstairs in his closet, he climbed a wooden stepladder and reached for a box on the top shelf. As he grabbed it, a large manila envelope resting on top of the box fell on his head. Sitting on the bed with the box and the manila envelope, he removed the lid from the box and looked inside. Resting on top was his wedding invitation, the date reading June 10th, 1996.
“It would have been our first wedding anniversary. We never even made it a year. God, I missed her.”
Twenty-Third Chapter: The Educated Decision
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Posted on June 25, 2012
A line of Mercedes, Lexus, Range Rovers, BMWs, and Porsches waited in front of Capriccio restaurant, followed by a black Ford F150 pickup truck. Wearing a sport jacket and tie, Noah got out of his new pickup truck and tossed the keys to the valet. He walked into the dimly lit interior and passed a baby grand, where a man in a tuxedo was playing That’s Life by Frank Sinatra. He joined Scott, Sharon, Jerry, and Miriam at a candle-lit table.
“What on earth were you thinking?” Miriam exclaimed, angry. “How could you just quit like that? There isn’t another company around that will pay you half as much money as your dad’s been so generously paying you. And this is how you thank him?”
“I don’t care about the money,” Noah responded. “I care about being happy.”
“Don’t be a fool,” Jerry added. “You could be happy anywhere. It’s your responsibility in life to take whatever job pays you the most amount of money. Everyone else seems to enjoy making money. Besides, how do you plan on paying your bills without it?”
“I guess I’ll just have to downsize, that’s all… sell the house… whatever it takes. At this point in my life, it’s more important to me to have a career that I love.”
“And what career would that be?” Miriam asked.
“Well, I’ve got this new idea I’m working on. You know that lighthouse on an island in the bay across from my house? Well, guess what? It’s for sale ! I could buy it, fix it up, and turn it into a charming bed-and-breakfast.”
Twenty-First Chapter: To Tell The Truth
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Posted on June 18, 2012
“Why did I have to push her into making a decision? Because I couldn’t wait to feel loved again? I should have been more patient — you know, wait out the storm until it blows over. I should have given her all the time in the world, whatever she needed. If only I hadn’t given up so easily… If only I had held on, never letting go…”
Looking like a Catholic schoolgirl with her hair in braids, a red plaid skirt, stockings, and a white cardigan, Robin was standing in the witness stand at the Newport County courthouse, her right hand in the air and her left hand on a Bible. Noah looked dazed, wearing a suit and sitting next to his lawyer, Ben.
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
“I do,” she replied.
Twentieth Chapter: A Casualty Of Words
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Posted on June 11, 2012
Robin and Noah were dining alfresco at Trattoria Simpatico in Jamestown as a jazz trio played instrumental music under an old beech tree in the background. The waiter removed an empty bottle of Pinot Grigio from the table and walked away.
“What’s wrong?” Noah asked, watching Robin push the roasted potatoes around her plate. “You barely touched your food.”
“Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Like what?”
“It’s no big deal. I was just thinking about what my shrink said to me the other day, that’s all,” she said, looking away.
“And… what did he say?”
“Nothing really. Just talked about fairy tales.”
Noah took a sip of wine. “I just don’t understand you lately,” he said, setting the glass down. “Ever since we got back from our honeymoon, you seem distant for some reason. Did I do something wrong?”
“No, you didn’t do anything. I told you, I just have a lot on my mind.”
“You used to love going out on the boat, and you haven’t gone out on it with me once since we got back. For that matter, you won’t even hang out on it with me at the dock.”
“You spend too much time on that thing as it is.”
“The boat’s not a bad thing, you know. You treat it like it’s some kind of other woman.”
“Look, just because you named your expensive yacht after me doesn’t mean I have to like it, okay?”
Noah looked at her, puzzled. “And every time I walk up to you to show you the least bit of affectionate, you walk away. You’re never interested in making love anymore. It’s not so much about the sex as it is about expressing our love for each other in a way that only intimacy can achieve. So what’s bothering you? Is it me? Is there anything I can do to help?”
Robin hesitated, took a deep breath, and spoke. “Yeah, there is something you can do to help…”
Nineteenth Chapter: The Problem With Memories
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Posted on June 4, 2012
Tony had a kind of arrogance about him, gawking at Robin as she reclined in the chair in his office and straightened her blouse.
“So how was your honeymoon?” he asked, laying a picture frame on his desk face down.
“Perfect… like a fairy tale,” she replied. “Which reminds me, did you ever see Pretty Woman, the movie?”
Before he could answer, she continued, “Julia Roberts wanted the fairy tale, remember?”
Tony nodded.
“Well, that’s what I got — the fairy tale. The only problem is… it’s a frickin’ fairy tale. I mean… that stuff only happens in the movies, right?”
Tony opened his mouth, but Robin spoke first. “I keep thinking any minute the clock’s gonna strike twelve, and I’m gonna get tossed aside, sent back to where I came from, while Prince Charming over here rides off into the sunset with someone else on the back of his fancy white horse. I hate feeling insecure like this. It’s a terrible feeling…” she said, shaking her head, “expecting that someday everything is going to be taken away from me, ya know what I mean? And where does that leave me, huh?” she said, looking at Tony, waiting for an answer.
He paused to observe her body language, and figuring it was safe to speak, he started to talk.
“ABANDONED, that’s where !” she shouted. “I don’t know, what do you think? Is it really too good to be true?” she asked desperately.
Let’s Talk Romance Reviews
Another great review at Let’s Talk Romance Reviews.
Eighteenth Chapter: The Curse Of Jean Pierre
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Posted on May 28, 2012
A small island-hopper plane took off from the Saint Maarten airport. It offered one seat on each side of the aisle, a cabin not tall enough to stand up in, and no flight attendant. A white Igloo cooler filled with soft drinks was secured in the cabin for those thirsty enough to dare unbuckle in flight.
As the plane approached the neighboring island, it began its descent. Without a cockpit door, Noah and Robin held onto each other tightly as they watched the pilots fly the small aircraft downward at a steep 45-degree angle just above the treetops of the mountainous terrain. Noah wondered where the horizon had gone as the runway — growing ever so large by the second — filled the entire forward view through the front windshield. At the last possible moment, the plane leveled off and touched down. As the plane raced down the short runway, the brakes were applied, and the plane started slowing down, coming to a stop at the very end, where two topless women walked in front of the plane on a white sand beach.
“Bienvenue à Saint-Barth,” the pilot announced proudly as the plane veered right, heading toward the small terminal. “Welcome to Saint Barts !”
Seventeenth Chapter: Smooth Sailing
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Posted on May 28, 2012
June 10th, 1996 turned out to be a beautiful day for sailing, with hardly a cloud in the sky. A sleek, black helicopter was flying just above the Newport Bridge with its door wide open. Inside the helicopter, a videographer motioned for the pilot to fly lower so he could get a different angle on the sailboat he was filming, which was sailing briskly toward the expansive structure. The name on the transom read Rockin’ Robin.
Noah was at the helm with Robin tucked underneath his arm. She was wearing a white wedding gown and a big smile. Her long red hair was flowing freely in the breeze. Noah, Scott, Jerry, Zeke, Jake, and two other men were wearing black tuxedos. Julie, Sharon, and two other young women were wearing long lavender bridesmaids dresses. Miriam and Mary were also onboard, wearing elegant floral dresses. Brittany wore a pretty pink dress covered by a purple life preserver. Scott and Sharon’s two boys, David and Sam, were wearing orange life preservers as they sat on the port side hanging onto the railing, their feet dangling off the side. Unlike the others onboard who were smiling and enjoying the moment, Jerry and Miriam seemed to be just along for the ride.
Fifteenth Chapter: A Kiss To Remember
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Posted on May 21, 2001
As Noah loaded a cardboard box into the back of a small U-haul truck, Robin, wearing her new diamond engagement ring, hugged Julie in front of her apartment.
“I’m going to miss you,” Julie said to Robin. “One piece of advice… keep him this time, okay?”
“Oh, believe me, I will. I love him, and nothing could ever change my mind about that.”
“Well, maybe you should write yourself a letter… just in case.”
Robin laughed as she kissed Julie good-bye and headed for the truck.
Forty-five minutes later, the U-haul truck pulled into Noah’s cobblestone driveway in Jamestown. While Noah grabbed a carton from the back of the truck, Robin stood on the threshold fumbling with an orange foam keychain with her daughter standing beside her, clutching onto Pinocchio and anxious to go in. As soon as the door opened, Brittany ran up the stairs to find her new room, her smile fading as she entered. The walls were brown, the curtains brown, the comforter brown, and the dresser was black.
“Mommy,” she called out. “MOMMY !” she screamed nervously, not getting an immediate response.
Fourteenth Chapter: Destiny
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Posted on May 14, 2012
Light gusts of wind blew brown leaves in swirling patterns as Noah, rid of his beard, sat at his desk staring out the window, surprised to see a red robin sitting on the sill, waiting patiently for her mate to arrive with another twig. Like clockwork, the other red robin flew in, placed the twig in the nest, and flew away to go find another twig.
Diane sat at her desk watching him. “Noah, you okay? You gotta snap out of it and finish the profit projections that were due yesterday. Noah… Noah?”
“I can’t stop thinking about her. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
“Who? Cindy?”
“No… Robin. She was the one. I don’t understand what happened,” he said morosely. “Robin, I don’t understand,” he said softly to himself.
“Destiny’s funny that way. If it was meant to be, Robin will come back to you. If she doesn’t, then it was never meant to be. It’s like that saying, If you love something, set it free…”
Noah leaped up, grabbed his briefcase, and strode toward the door.
“Hey, where you going? What about the projections?”
Noah stopped and looked at her. “To pay a visit to destiny,” he said, dropping the completed budgets on her desk and disappearing down the hallway.
Eleventh Chapter: The North Star
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Posted on April 30, 2012
“It was great sailing weather that summer, and I got to spend time with my two loves — Robin and Freedom. Now what could better than that?”
As long as you had a boat, there was always plenty to do on Narragansett Bay during the summer months in the Ocean State. Noah’s sailboat was one of a thousand boats anchored off the Quonset Point Air Force Base for the annual air show. Brittany was wearing a purple life preserver, trying to follow the dazzling display of aeronautics through a pair of oversized binoculars. Noah took a picture of Robin blowing a kiss to him just as The Blue Angels flew by with a thunderous roar.
Tenth Chapter: The Real World
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Posted on April 30, 2012
High on a cliff overlooking a sandy beach, Zeke was giving Noah a huge bear hug in front of an old trailer at the trailer park. Zeke was big and burly, nearly double Noah’s size, with a thick beard.
“Sorry, we’re big huggers in our family,” Zeke admitted, releasing him. “Me and Mary are so glad to finally meet you. Robin has told us so much about you. And anyone who treats our little girl with love and respect is always welcome here.”
“Thanks, that’s really nice of you to say,” Noah said, recovering from the hug.
Mary was short, with long, salt and pepper hair. “Hi, Noah, I’m Mary,” she said, kissing his cheek and making him blush. “You sure are easy on the eyes.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Jaworski.”
“Mrs. Jaworski? Who’s that? Call me Mary. Who knows, maybe someday you’ll even call me Mom.”
“Sure thing… MOM.”
UPDATE: Sand Dollar paperback available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Posted on April 26, 2012
The paperback version of Sand Dollar is now available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Amazon hasn’t uploaded the cover image yet, however, and Barnes & Noble hasn’t entered the description. Hopefully, they’ll display this information shortly.
Click on a logo to go to Sand Dollar’s selling page:
Eighth Chapter: Total Surrender
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Posted on April 23, 2012
Noah’s hair was riffled by the wind as he tacked his sixty-foot sailboat, her boom swinging across mid-ship as her sails filled with air. Majestic orange and red cliffs reflecting the setting sun welcomed her as she entered the mouth of Narragansett Bay into Newport Harbor. Gliding through the glistening water, seagulls squawked as they flew across her bow. The name on her transom read Freedom; Jamestown, RI.
As she lay on the teak bow, Robin looked back at Noah and smiled as they sailed by the abandoned lighthouse on the small private island, her red hair trailing in the breeze. Noah took a deep breath of the fresh air surrounding Freedom and smiled with contentment. He was living in the moment.
Sixth Chapter: Butterflies
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Posted on April 13, 2012
With a Kmart shopping bag in each of her hands, a woman wearing a black leather coat and gray wool hat crossed the busy Weybosset Street intersection in downtown Providence. The sign on top of the concrete building she entered read Emergency Family Services of Rhode Island. Standing behind the front desk wearing a white uniform and talking on the phone, Robin smiled at her and motioned with her hand to wait just one second. A young woman with greasy blonde hair and a torn coat waited anxiously beside the desk. Her two young children stared with blank faces at the TV across the lobby. The four-year-old, a cute little girl with curly, brown hair, spotted a penny on the floor, and without calling attention to it, she picked it up, examined it, and placed it in a large glass collection box containing only a handful of spare change.
“So you don’t have any beds open either, huh?” Robin said disappointedly into the phone. “Well, call me as soon as one opens up, okay? We’re filled to capacity over here too, and I’m running out of options for these people. Okay, thanks, Cheryl. Bye,” she said, hanging up with a frustrated sigh.
Second Chapter: FRAGILE: Handle With Care
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Posted on March 16, 2012
Look at me. Not too shabby for an eighty-year-old man, huh? I’m feeling pretty good, although I can’t seem to remember how I got here or how this bandage ended up on my forehead. I hope I get out of here soon; I’d like to go home. After all, today’s our anniversary.
I lean closer to the mirror, turning my head to the side and touching the edge of the white medical tape holding the square gauze to my forehead. Let me just pull the tape up a little bit over here and see what this looks like. I hear a knock at the door. Better get back in bed.
I scurry out of the bathroom and run back to my hospital bed, jumping in with relative ease. There’s a second knock, this time louder. “Come on in,” I say, pulling the white cotton sheet up over my hospital gown.
First Chapter: Prologue
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Posted on March 16, 2012
Of all the guests congregated inside Touro Synagogue, no one was more delighted than Miriam Hartman, mother of the groom. She was sitting in the front row with tissues in hand, her husband to her right, the bride’s mother — a close friend — to her left. If only Noah had married a nice Jewish girl like Sarah all those years ago, Miriam thought, his life would have turned out perfect, just the way she had planned. Instead, his life was ruined by that shicksa Robin he had insisted on marrying against her wishes. She and Jerry tried to nip it in the bud before it was too late, but Noah was stubborn, some nonsense about butterflies and the way she looked at him. For the life of her, Miriam could not understand why Noah never listened to his mother, because after all, she only wanted what was best for him. And at this point in Noah’s middle-aged life, Miriam concluded, Sarah was best for him. With all the bad decisions he had made throughout his life, proposing to Sarah appeared to be the only redeeming one.
Relishing in subdued victory, there was no need for Miriam to ever take credit for the role she had played in getting the two of them together. For all Noah knew, running into Sarah at the premiere of Sand Dollar happened by chance, or perhaps even divine intervention — if you believe in that sort of thing. However, there was nothing divine about it — not that time anyway — because Miriam had secretly planted her there.
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