Are You Like a Sea Turtle?

Hi and Welcome to my Blog:

Thanks for stopping by.  Please take a look around and make yourself to home.  You will find information about my third novel, Cape Cursed, where to purchase it, and the other books I've written as well as learning what goes in my life and in my "lane brain."  (That was the annoying nickname the boys called me in grade school.) 

Also, be sure to enter the raffle to the right and sign up for my newsletter so you will be the first to know when I have a new novel or a giveaway going.

You will notice that my prize is a $25 gift certificate to the OBX Store. For those of you who may not be familiar, OBX is a nickname for the Outer Banks, the thin strip of barrier islands on the coast of North Carolina famous for beaches like Corolla, Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Cape Hatteras.

Map of the Outer Banks-Courtesy NOAA, via Wikimedia Commons

Cape Cursed is set on the Outer Banks because I love it there. It's not the most beautiful beach I've ever been to, or the warmest water, (anyone who's ever waded into the ocean there and gotten leg cramps from the frigid water will attest to that), or the most welcoming of waves (I've been dumped on my butt too many times to count).  But there's something about the place that has captivated my mind and compelled me to set my novel there.  Maybe the place has been imprinted on my brain, but I have a theory about our affinity for certain beaches.

Maui Sunset-Courtesy Earthman via Creative Commons

Two decades ago, my husband and I went to Hawaii. While there, we had the good fortune to attend a luau on Maui. We were seated in a grove of hibiscus, anthuriums, and plumeria near a white-sugar beach at sunset. Also at our table were three other couples. They were all from New Jersey and all of the men in the group had served in World War II. As we ate and watched the sun set in a dazzling splash of red and orange over the inky Pacific, one of the men commented, “The beaches in New Jersey are prettier.”

I almost choked on my Kalau pork. I hadn’t been to a New Jersey beach, but I’d been to other beaches on the Atlantic coast, and I knew they weren’t as lovely as the one on which we were presently dining. My husband and I said nothing, but made eye contact, indicating that we both thought our table mate had enjoyed one too many Mai Tais.  But he may have only been acting like a sea turtle.

Sea turtles return to the beach where they were hatched to spawn, indicating that their birth beach leaves a lasting impact. Well, I think people are a bit like turtles; we also bond with the beach. I’ve noticed that the beaches people frequented when they were young made a lasting impression on them.

The hero of Cape Cursed, Parker Swain, definitely has a tie to the beach and the fictitious stretch of land called Cape Destiny, where the book is set.  Since I live in the east, I mostly know people who have affinities to eastern beaches like Cape May, Ocean City, Myrtle Beach, and Hilton Head.

Do you think people form attachments to certain beaches? Do you have a favorite beach? Why do you think you like that beach so much?

I'm Back & Stuffed with New Experiences (and Biscuits)

Happy Height of Summer Readers!

I spent the last 11 days on my "South Bound Saurez" (I know it's spelled soiree), but I'm referring to the Led Zeppelin song, which they apparently misspelled the title when they wrote it.

First, Ed, Corey, and I headed to DC to pick up my son, Chris, and then we embarked for Augusta, Georgia, to visit his twin sister, Cait & hubby, Jordan.  It's the first time since Christmas that we've all been together. 

Hammond's Ferry, SC, where I walked along the Savannah River.  I have pillar envy!

At Evans Town Center Park--We look pretty fresh in 105 degree temps.

Accompanying us on this journey was HEAT!  We escaped DC before the derecho--did you even know these existed?--struck Washington.  Temps in Augusta reached 107, but we weathered it pretty well.  We exercised early in the morning, (kayaking, walking--foot still hurts, so no running) and when we were out later in the day, we were at the beach.  We hit Charleston (love that place) and then Myrtle Beach last Monday and Tuesday.  Barefoot Landing was so crowded, it looked like Times Square in the evening. 

The beach was beautiful, although we all prefer staying in a beach house rather than a hotel when at the shore.  The water was just the right temp--no having to gather up the courage to plunge under the surf.  That's the way I like it.

On the 4th, we headed back to Cait's house, where Jordan did yeoman's duty grilling hot dogs and hamburgers.  The heat got to him a bit; it must have been like grilling in hell!  We intended to go to Atlanta on Thursday, but it was too hot and we were too sick of being in the car so we hung out at the house, watched The Godfather I & II and ate out (again.)  Also, we played with our favorite furry grandchildren--Penny, my Welsh Corgi granddaughter, and Bruno, my mini-Dachshund grandson.

Bruno's "All Along the Watchtower" pose.

Penny's fur coat is not appropriate Southern apparel in this heat!

We expanded our culinary horizons this vacation, indulging in Southern specialties like grits, turnip greens, black eyed peas, and Corey's new favorite Palmetto cheese spread!  I think I'm having biscuit withdrawal.  As expected the Georgia peaches lived up to their hype, and Caitlin made a scrumptious peach cobbler for dessert on the 4th of July.

Although I'm in the midst of getting my first novel, St. Anne's Day, on the market, (look for info on that soon) I did try to limit working on vacation.  While it seemed like I was doing very little that was constructive with regard to writing, I was actually doing "writerly" things.  

I believe a writer benefits by every once in a while taking a break from writing to replenish the creative well.  Traveling; eating new foods; trying new activities; meeting new people; hearing different accents, idioms and manners of speaking; all help the writer to avoid the dreaded writer's block. 

In fact, while I was on vacation, I came up with the seeds for two more novels.  Now all I need is the time to write them--that and maybe a few biscuits!