Jaffareadstoo is delighted to welcome you all to our
Fourth of July Summer Picnic
☼
I'm delighted to welcome author, Rebecca D'Harlingue
to our 4th July Summer picnic
Thank you for sharing your Fourth of July summer picnic with us today
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☼Welcome, Rebecca. What favourite foods are you bringing to our Independence Day summer picnic?
Fried chicken will be the star, breaded and fried in really hot oil in an iron skillet. Then there will be macaroni salad with peas, cheddar cheese, and a mayonnaise and vinegar dressing. I’ll probably also bring corn on the cob, and for dessert, plenty of watermelon.
☼What would you like to drink - A Fourth of July cocktail, a jug of iced tea, or a glass of sweet, summer punch?
I’ll bring a jug of iced tea, made with black tea and Tazo Wild Sweet Orange tea.
☼Where shall we sit, by the lake, in the park, on the porch or by a pool?
We will go to Redwood Park, which is in Oakland, California, where I live. It’s a huge, woodsy park, with all kinds of trees. The redwoods are second growth, the forest having been logged well over a century ago, but they are spectacular. These are the coastal redwoods, so they are very tall, but not as big around as the giant sequoias. You can see those if you go to Yosemite National Park in eastern California. There is a creek bed at Redwood Park, but by July, it will probably be dry, since it doesn’t rain here in the summer.
☼Do we have a wicker hamper, a table complete with cloth and cutlery, or is everything in a paper carrier bag?
Everything will be in a wicker hamper, with a red and white checked tablecloth and napkins that I made years ago. We will have unbreakable plates and paper cups.
☼Do you have favourite place to have a Fourth of July picnic?
Sometimes we go to Redwood Park, but we might also go to the beach, or even have a picnic supper on a grassy area where we can see fireworks in the distance. One of my most memorable July 4th picnics was on one of the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. We went with my daughter and son-in-law. On the boat trip, we saw dozens of dolphins swimming beside us. For our picnic on the island, we found a beautiful spot which looked out onto the island and the ocean.
☼What is your earliest summer memory of a picnic at this special time of year?
When I was young, my family sometimes had a barbeque in the back yard for aunts, uncles, and cousins. Those were the only times my dad ever cooked, and he made his special signature sauce. In the evening we had sparklers, which weren’t really safe, but we loved them.
☼Which of your literary heroes (alive or dead) are joining us on the picnic today?
Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, Amy Tan, Geraldine Brooks
☼Which summer read are you bringing to the picnic?
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
☼Do you have a Fourth of July or a summer music playlist, and if so, will you share with us a favourite song, or piece of music which makes you feel happy?
On July 4th you have to be a bit nostalgic. When my kids were little, a nearby park had a concert, and everyone brought a picnic and in the evening they played rousing music, like John Philip Sousa. Sometimes on or around the 4th we often go to a baseball game for our local team, the Oakland A’s (Athletics). After the game there will be a huge fireworks display. I have a fond memory of one year when they played Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America.”
☼Do you find it easier to write in the summer months or during the winter?
I don’t think the season really affects my writing a lot. I guess I would say that I don’t get much done for about the last six weeks of the year, because there is a lot going on with Thanksgiving and Christmas.
☼What can you tell us about your current book or WIP?
My current novel is The Lines Between Us. It is about a woman and her niece in seventeenth-century Spain and Mexico, and an American woman who finds the niece’s diary in the late twentieth century.
“In The Lines Between Us D’Harlingue has created a captivating debut novel filled with unique characters, exquisite details, and intriguing family secrets. A diary and letters furtively passed down three hundred years from grandmother to granddaughter transport readers back in time and move them forward as the mysteries are elegantly revealed. This book is about women’s honor, overcoming heartache, and bravery.”
- Jill G. Hall, author of The Black Velvet Coat
Rebecca, where can we follow you on social media?
Instagram: @rebeccadharlingueauthor
Thank you for sharing your Fourth of July summer picnic with us today
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Fun! See you in Redwood Park, Rebecca!
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