Brunch, Books & the Jersey Shore: Join Laura Quinn for an Author Panel in Stone Harbor
- lauraquinnwrites
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
If there’s one thing I love about summer at the Jersey Shore, it’s the way books, conversation, and the coastal community seem to come together so naturally.
And I’m especially excited to be part of an upcoming Brunch Author Panel at Barrier Island Books & Art in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, alongside four other talented authors!
If you’re a reader who loves discovering new books, meeting local and independent authors, or simply spending a summer morning talking about stories, I hope you’ll join us.
📚 Brunch Author Panel in Stone Harbor
📍 Barrier Island Books & Art — Stone Harbor, NJ
🕚 Sunday, September 6th, 11 AM
☕ Brunch Author Panel
Barrier Island Books & Art is a locally owned Stone Harbor bookstore offering both new and used books, along with art, gifts, and other bookish finds. The shop has become part of the literary landscape of Cape May County, making it a wonderful setting for a morning celebrating authors and readers.
So if you’ve been meaning to start A Cape May Trilogy, this is a perfect opportunity to pick up a copy and, if you’d like, have it signed.
🌊 Meet the Authors
I’ll be joined by four wonderful authors, each bringing a very different story and reading experience to the panel.
🪣 Kimberly Brighton — My Summer Bucket List
Kimberly Brighton is an award-winning romance author whose books celebrate love, humor, and the Jersey Shore. Her newest novel, My Summer Bucket List, is a beach-read rom-com featuring a summer in Sea Isle City, a broken heart, and a woman determined to rebuild her life—with a few complications along the way.
Kimberly’s connection to South Jersey makes her especially fun company for a Stone Harbor author event. Her books include the Cape May series as well as My Summer Bucket List.
🌙 Erica M. Reilly — The Shallows of Avalon
Erica M. Reilly is the author of The Shallows of Avalon, as well as The Swells of Stone Harbor. Her connection to the barrier-island setting makes her a particularly fitting addition to a Stone Harbor author panel.
And for readers who love discovering stories connected to the places they know and love, I think there’s something especially appealing about seeing the Jersey Shore through different authors’ eyes.
🌊 Linny Mack — Beneath Still Waters
Linny Mack’s Beneath Still Waters is the first book in her Tidehaven series and combines romance, suspense, mystery, and a coastal setting.
The story follows marine biologist Emery Caldwell, who travels to the small South Carolina town of Tidehaven hoping for a fresh start—and finds herself caught up in dangerous secrets alongside former Navy SEAL Reid Morgan. The novel was published in June 2026 by Page & Vine and distributed by Simon & Schuster.
Linny is also a New Jersey author, making her another wonderful addition to this gathering of coastal storytellers. She also has a romance series featuring Cape May.
😂 Christy Schilling — Wish You Weren’t Here
Christy Schilling is the author of Wish You Weren’t Here, a romantic, escapist novel that takes readers all the way to Italy.
The story follows Ava Graham, a law student whose carefully organized plans are thrown off course when she travels to Italy—and encounters James Massini, an unexpected source of disruption, attraction, and a very different perspective on life.
If you enjoy romantic comedy, travel, complicated relationships, Italy, and stories about finding yourself when life doesn't go according to plan, this sounds like a wonderful addition to your summer reading list.
❤️ And I'll Be Bringing Thicker Than Water
Of course, I’ll be there representing A Cape May Trilogy and bringing copies of my debut novel, Thicker Than Water.
Set in Cape May, New Jersey, during World War I, Thicker Than Water combines historical fiction, romance, suspense, family secrets, and Jersey Shore history.
Cape May itself is an important part of the story. I love using real places, historical events, and the atmosphere of the Jersey Shore to create a setting that feels both authentic and immersive.
And if you’ve already read Thicker Than Water, you know that the story doesn't end there.
The second book in the trilogy, No Greater Love, takes readers into Cape May in 1923, where Prohibition, organized crime, bootlegging, the Coast Guard, family loyalties, and complicated relationships collide.
So this event is also a fun opportunity to talk about the trilogy, the research behind it, and what comes next.
📖 Why Author Panels Are So Much Fun
One of my favorite things about independent bookstores and local author events is that they create an opportunity for readers to do more than simply purchase a book.
You get to meet the person who created the story.
You can ask questions about characters, settings, research, inspiration, writing, publishing, and the strange journey that takes an idea from a writer's head to an actual book sitting on a bookstore shelf.
And when several authors come together, you also get to discover books you might never have encountered otherwise.
That's one of the best things about being part of a local literary community.
🌊 Come Spend a Summer Morning With Us
If you're spending time in Stone Harbor, Avalon, Cape May, or anywhere along the Jersey Shore, consider making the Brunch Author Panel part of your Labor Day Weekend plans.
Come browse the shelves at a wonderful independent bookstore. Meet four other authors. Discover some new summer reading. Ask questions. Talk books.
And, of course, say hello!
I'll have signed copies of Thicker Than Water available, and I would absolutely love to meet readers—whether you've been following A Cape May Trilogy since the beginning or are just discovering the series.
📍 Barrier Island Books & Art, Stone Harbor, New Jersey
🕚 11 AM, Sunday September 6th
📚 Labor Day Weekend Brunch Panel
I hope to see you there!
Bring your book-loving friends, your summer reading list, and your curiosity. I'll bring the books. ❤️
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