Join us Tuesday, May 15 for lunch at Halls Signature Events as Dorothea Benton Frank launches her newest book By Invitation Only. Charleston's favorite author examines what happens when a young sophisticated Chicagoan falls for the owner of a farm on Johns Island, a lush Lowcountry paradise off the coast of South Carolina--trading the bustle of a city for a small Southern town.
Tickets to "Lunch With Dottie" are $62 which includes a signed, hardcover copy of By Invitation Only. Additional signed books will be available for purchase at the luncheon.
Click Here to Purchase Your Tickets
About Dottie Frank
We adore Dottie and she's one of the most cordial, entertaining authors around. It's an honor to help her launch her newest book.
"I am the author of 18 novels placed in and around the Lowcountry of South Carolina and thanking God for my chance to speak. When I'm not writing, I'm reading or gardening or cooking. Love to travel, shoot the breeze with people and most of all, be with my husband and children - not always necessarily in that order. And by the way, serious huge gushing thanks for everything - your kind words, posts and emails. Writing saves me, but without your support it wouldn't mean as much."
Dottie Frank was born and raised on Sullivans Island, attended Bishop England High School in Charleston and graduated from General William Moultrie High School in 1969. She is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from The College of Charleston and a Doctorate of Fine Arts from Bloomfield College.
About the Book
By Invitation Only begins at a lowcountry barbecue party thrown by Diane English Stiftel, her brother Floyd, and her parents to celebrate her son's engagement. On this gorgeous, magical night, the bride's father, Alejandro Cambria, a wealthy power broker whose unbelievably successful career in private equity made him one of Chicago's celebrated elite, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range.
While the mother of the bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, who dabbles in the world of public relations and believes herself deserving of every square inch of her multimillion-dollar penthouse and imaginary Carrara marble pedestal, learns about moonshine and dangerous liaisons.
Soon By Invitation Only zooms to Chicago, where the unraveling accelerates. Nearly a thousand miles away from her comfortable, familiar world, Diane is the antithesis of the bright lights and super-sophisticated guests attending her son Fred's second engagement party. Why a second party? Maybe it had been assumed that the first one wouldn't be up to snuff? Fred is marrying Shelby Cambria, also an only child. The Cambrias' dearest wish is for their daughter to be happy. If Shelby wants to marry Frederick, aka Fred, they will not stand in her way although Susan does hope her friends won't think her daughter is marrying more than a few degrees beneath her socially. At the same time, Diane worries that her son will be lost to her forever.
By Invitation Only is a tale of two families, one struggling to do well, one well to do, and one young couple the privileged daughter of Chicago's crème de la crème and the son of hard -working Southern peach farmers.
Dorothea Benton Frank's first novel, SULLIVANS ISLAND, debuted on the NY Times list at number nine and went back to press over 25 times, has well over one million copies in print and can be found in ten foreign languages. Her subsequent novels PLANTATION, ISLE OF PALMS, SHEM CREEK, PAWLEY'S ISLAND, FULL OF GRACE, BULL'S ISLAND, THE CHRISTMAS PEARL and LAND OF MANGO SUNSETS, LOWCOUNTRY SUMMER, RETURN TO SULLIVANS ISLAND, FOLLY BEACH, PORCH LIGHTS, THE LAST ORIGINAL WIFE, and ALL SUMMER LONG were all NY Times bestsellers and may also be found in various foreign languages.
Dottie is an avid cook, enjoys fly-fishing, reading and travel and is a frequent speaker on the creative process for students of all ages. She divides her time between the Lowcountry of South Carolina and New Jersey.
