Sailing New Bern

Sailing New Bern -- well, the Pamilco. We had a blast touring New Bern this weekend, including a sail with Captain Malinda aboard her 43' center-cockpit Irwin. We were trying to get a decent photo of me for the back cover of my new book, Leaving Lukens (due out this summer), but I decided I didn't like any we took -- I was squiting into the sun without sunglasses, and with -- well, you can see what I mean. Anyway, we had a great time! Also, I had a book signing at the Hanna House Bed and Breakfast. This is the only place I will stay in New Bern!

Elizabeth City book signing was a blast from my past

Saturday was the day for a book signing at Page after Page Books in Elizabeth City. I'd say it went well, both in terms of the quantity of books sold and the quality of the people visiting the store. Only one was absent. Let me explain.

Many years ago, I worked around the corner at the Daily Advance, a newspaper serving the small city and surrounding counties. I was the editor of the Lifestyles section, a position now held by a fellow who graciously ran a story about me on Thursday in the paper. (Thanks to Robert Kelly-Goss!) Back then, the bookstore was owned by Suzan (with a Z) Small, and we became fast friends.

When I set up the book signing, I fully expected her to be my point of contact. I made references to our relationship, and was puzzled by the lukewarm response. Surely, she must remember me, I mused. Arriving at the shop with books in hand, I was greeted by the steady manager Sharon. She showed me to my appointed table and did her paperwork on the books, then returned to her work, leaving me to my own devices.

The book signing now in full progress, I signed books, chatted up the customers, and enjoyed watching sailboats docking across Water Street, remembering my days as a team member on a racing boat, a J-24, that owned the water beyond those docks.

One customer mentioned she'd read the article about me, and tried to piece when I was in town. We compared notes. She asked if I knew her sister-in-law, who used to own this book store.

"You mean Suzan with a Z Small?"

"Yes, she sold it to ANOTHER Susan."

Oh. That explains everything.

Now that we got that straight, the woman was typing a note to Suzan on her I-Pad (or whatever it was). "Tell her I said hey. Long story short, Suzan and I reconnected briefly and virtually -- and her sister-in-law bought a book for her. Small world, neat coincidences.

New project started; history revisited

Now that The Pirate's Bastard is out and Second Wind Publishing as accepted The Mystery of the Phoenix Festival, my next project can begin in earnest. This work is the second in the Called to Serve young readers series. The Mystery of the Phoenix Festival is the first.

While The Pirate's Bastard is intended for adult readers, compared to what is on television and in "G"-rated movies, there's nothing objectionable in there (except the title, perhaps). It's been suggested to me that it might be a great fit for an Accelerated Reader program through schools, and I'm looking into that as a possibility.

The question has come up, though, about my ability to write for adults and young readers. I don't see any reason why a decent story teller can't tell a variety of stories to different audiences. My publisher seems to agree with me. I write in vastly different genres, too. There is a constant in all that I write, though. The constant is history. Even in the Called to Serve series, the mysteries involve history. It might be history of a place, or in the case of the second book, there's rich history in the characters and location shared in a fresh way.

I'll share more about the story as it progresses.

Back from the Beach

It was hot. The beach in August usually is, and this trip proved no exception. Still, it was fun -- again, no exceptions to trips to the beach, as it's one of my favorite places on earth. This visit to Sunset Beach was with family, shifts of 14 of us in a rented house a block off the beach. With the exception of one little trip into Calabash designed to take a break from the burning sun, my car sat in the driveway. We walked daily on the beach, played in the surf and a little further out, and marveled at the greatness of the ocean.

At this juncture, some environmentally-minded blogger might tangent about how bad things have become for our world's oceans, or the magnitude of pollutants in the water, or something else of great concern. Don't get me wrong -- I am concerned about the health of waters, and we do our part to keep it clean and use it sparingly. (Spending time on a sailboat makes one very aware of how precious a resource it is, both for drinking and for enjoying.) But the little girl in me still loves to catch a good wave, splash at the water's edge, and watch coquinas dig fervently below the soft sand's surface as a wave rolls back out to sea. I still dream of sailing on the waters to faraway ports, mourning that I do not own a sailboat to go in at this point (or the resources to buy another). And I still look at the waves with wonder, in awe of the ocean's vastness and secrets it gives up only to those who go in search of them.

I recently read Robert F. Burgess' book, They Found Treasure in which he interviewed treasure hunters in Florida. In the company of hunters like Mel Fisher, Burgess learned stories and techniques used during dives that sometimes spanned decades. Given my interest in the subject, you can bet this was the first book of several yet to be read that will help round out a certain character in my next book. I started an outline, and have been writing a little most every day, even while at the beach. I'd like to say I have a first draft nearing completion, but that's not the case. Rather, I have the bulk of a 20-page outline started. Unlike The Pirate's Bastard for which there was no outline, this current work is starting out as a full outline with lots of details and dialog (my favorite part of story telling) that help formulate the direction of the story. I have yet to do a full interview with each character, but that's coming. They are in the process of telling me who they are.

Most all of them love the water. It's the constant that binds us all together, in the end.

Lovely Edenton and Roanoke Island Festival Park

I won't bore you with the details of our recent trip to Edenton, Roanoke Island Festival Park, and Manteo, but I will tell you it was a successful adventure. I took several good photos of the Lost Colonists' ship replica, Elizabeth II,and other boats; we visited with dear friends, and we splashed in ocean after a fine lunch dockside in Manteo.

A worthy trip, given I wanted to take back-up shots for my novel's cover (and to have others on file -- just in case). For those of you who haven't been yet, Festival Park is a great place for children of all ages. There are exhibits, hands-on activities in the museum, and of course the Elizabeth II on which to play first mate (or cast-away, or whatever your heart desires). I heartily recommend it!