Today I have Susan Cliff on the blog to celebrate the release of her newest Harlequin romantic suspense, Stranded with the Navy SEAL. Susan's talking about her favorite island and castaway stories. And there's a giveaway at the end!
Top 5 Castaway Stories
I’m thrilled to be here, celebrating my new release, Stranded with the Navy SEAL. It’s a story about a cruise-ship chef and a super-fit Navy SEAL who get stranded on a deserted island together. They have to fight for survival and try to resist their attraction. It’s a struggle on both counts. 😃
I’ve always loved castaway stories, so I’m sharing a list of five books and films with this theme. I will warn you that some of these picks have disturbing or controversial content. Especially #4.
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I read this book in 2012 and I absolutely loved it. The story is about Anna, a private tutor accompanying her teenaged student, TJ, on a family vacation. When their plane crashes, TJ and Anna are stranded together—for years. TJ transforms from a gangly youth into a proper man. He becomes her partner in survival, and they fall in love.
I might have more reservations about this story if the roles were reversed, and it featured a 30-year old man falling for a 19-year-old girl. Here, the age difference didn’t bother me. I thought the author did a great job handling their relationship.
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Tom Hanks is the ultimate castaway, and his physical transformation in this role is jaw-dropping. You know you cried for Wilson.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
This was one of my favorite books as a child. I reread it as an adult, and found it just as compelling. The story is about Karana, a girl who lives with her family on an island off the coast of California. After many of her people are killed by invaders, the entire tribe sets sail to a new place. Karana realizes her little brother has been left behind, so she jumps into the ocean and swims back to him! Tragedy strikes and she ends up alone on the island for most of her life. It’s a story of solitude, survival and perseverance.
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Swept Away
Here’s an Italian film I saw twenty years ago, and it made a huge impression on me. It’s about a rude rich woman on a swanky yacht vacation. She treats the staff terribly and considers herself superior. She gets stranded with one of the male workers, who she expects to serve her. The man expects the opposite. He thinks women should be submissive, and now he’s in the position of power. She can’t survive without him. She’s spoiled and helpless. He literally beats her into submission, and she enjoys surrendering. They become lovers.
It would be interesting to study the parallels between this truly shocking movie and the “bodice rippers” of the 70s—or even the “dark romances” that are popular today.
The Blue Lagoon / Life of Pi
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I was going to feature The Blue Lagoon, but I glanced at the movie stills and found them jarring. The actors look so young and so…naked. It’s super inappropriate, by today’s standards. So is Swept Away, but at least those actors are adults.
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Let’s focus on another castaway story, Life of Pi. It’s not a romance, and there’s no cute volleyball to get emotionally attached to. Instead, there’s a teenaged boy and tiger, the sole survivors of a terrible shipwreck. They aren’t friends, and they don’t become friends. It’s an incredible film, beautifully made and full of intense action.
Thanks so much for reading! Stranded with the Navy SEAL is a modern romantic suspense story with a protective Alpha hero and a heroine who rediscovers her strength. If you’d like a chance to win a print copy, fill out the Rafflecopter OR leave me a comment with your favorite castaway story.
Susan Cliff
Publisher: Harlequin Romantic Suspense (November 1, 2017)
Genre: Romantic Suspense
For one navy SEAL, danger and passion are brewing in paradise
Working on a cruise ship was supposed to be the perfect distraction for chef Cady Crenshaw. Instead, it made her the perfect target. Abducted and thrown overboard into foreign waters, she has only one shot at survival…and it comes at the hands of an irresistible ally.
Navy SEAL Logan Starke's protective instincts were locked and loaded the moment he met Cady at the ship's bar. When a violent struggle to take down her captors leaves Logan and Cady stranded on a deserted island, he leaps into rescue mode. But the hot sand and the even hotter attraction between them can't be denied…and temptation could be the deadliest threat yet.
Working on a cruise ship was supposed to be the perfect distraction for chef Cady Crenshaw. Instead, it made her the perfect target. Abducted and thrown overboard into foreign waters, she has only one shot at survival…and it comes at the hands of an irresistible ally.
Navy SEAL Logan Starke's protective instincts were locked and loaded the moment he met Cady at the ship's bar. When a violent struggle to take down her captors leaves Logan and Cady stranded on a deserted island, he leaps into rescue mode. But the hot sand and the even hotter attraction between them can't be denied…and temptation could be the deadliest threat yet.
Where to Buy*:
More Info:
Susan Cliff is a longtime romance reader, part-time writer and full-time California girl. She loves to daydream about exciting adventures in faraway places. Her Team Twelve series features strong Navy SEAL heroes falling for unique women.
Where to Find Susan:
If you'd rather simply leave a comment below, you'll still be entered into the giveaway. :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Oh! I have On the Island sitting on my Kindle (grabbed it when it was on major sale earlier this year!), I really need to bump it up my list.
Do you enjoy stories about castaways? What's your favorite?
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
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