Many times writers get their story ideas from places they’ve visited, places they’ve lived, or places they’d like to go (or places made up in their imagination).
I’ve been blessed to call three beautiful and special parts of the United States home, although I’ve been a Texan for 23 years now.
From ages two until almost 16, I lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, part of a little slice of land called the Delmarva peninsula. At the time, I didn’t realize how wonderful it was to live so close to the beach. About 30 minutes northeast lies Ocean City, with its boardwalk and beachside attractions to include a historic amusement park. About 25 minutes southeast lies Chincoteague, Virginia, with nearby Assateague Island, which is where my family went to the beach most of the time.
We spent plenty of time wiggling our toes in the sand, fishing on the bay and the ocean, crabbing and clamming.
There’s a certain air of romance about the ocean, and our favorite beach in Virginia was no different. The area was made famous by a book, eventually turned into a movie, Misty of Chincoteague.
After more than 20 books, at last I’ve written a contemporary romance novella set on the Virginia shore, called Time and Tide. It has some ponies and the beach, of course, and Pine Breezes, campground in need of some TLC.
My heroine, Karyn, thought she’d left the Shore behind her after a tragic auto accident the summer after high school graduation years ago. Karyn went on to college and have a budding journalism career, while her parents moved on to the western part of Maryland near Washington, D.C.
But she ends up on the Shore when her job prospects go south, and she gets to spend the summer at her favorite placegenerations.
She only thinks she’ll be working at Pine Breezes until she can get a job in New York again. Brodie doesn’t expect his young daughter to take a liking to Karyn and share her dream of owning one very special pony.
He’s learned we don’t always get what we want in life, and sometimes God has other plans that turn out far better than the others we dreamed of for ourselves.
Time and Tide is part of a nine-novella collection in Splash! 9 Refreshing Romances Filled With Faith.
Get your passports out. Splash! will take readers to not just the coast of Virginia and Alaska, but coastal locations around the world to include Scotland, Zambia, Australia, Canada.
The set releases on June 23 but it’s available now for preorder here. I hope you’ll check it out.
Question for you: Summer is here – what’s your favorite body of water to visit? Since I’m landlocked in Texas, I have to travel at least four hours to get to the coast, but it’s worth it when I can go. I particularly love Port Aransas. In many ways, it reminds me of Chincoteague.
Deanna S says
We have some very pretty area lakes.. I can be at a very nice lake in 15 minutes :)
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Jessica Browning says
I’ve been to different parts of the Atlantic coast in Florida but a year and a half ago my family took a trip to Garden City Beach, SC, which is just a little south of Myrtle Beach, and I fell in love with the area and can’t wait to go back. I’ve also spent time on Florida’s Gulf Coast and love the fact that you can see beautiful sunsets there.
Nancy K says
We took our spring vacation with our grandchildren to The Outer Banks of North Carolina. This was our first time to The Outer Banks and we loved it. We stayed in Nags Head and loved the laid back feel. Not sure if it would be the same in the summer with more tourists there. Spring time in Nags Head and The Outer Banks was so nice!
We are land locked here in West Virginia so it is a nice drive to any beach. I grew up in Maryland where the beach was only an hour or so away if traffic wasn’t too bad. Ocean City was further away but we tried to get there at least once a summer. I love to get to the beach at least once a year. We are in the mountains which I really love but I need my ocean fix once a year.
Lynette Sowell says
Nice — I forgot to count that I’m about 25 minutes from two lakes here in Texas. But I much prefer the beach! :)
Lynette Sowell says
Nancy, I’ve never been to the Outer Banks but have always wanted to visit the Carolina beaches….
I am hoping to get to the beach either this summer or the fall. :)
Lynette Sowell says
I love the Florida Gulf Coast of Sarasota — Siesta Key beach is beautiful. :)
Trixi O. says
We just so happen to live on the Oregon coast within a 5 minute walk to the beach (or 2 by car)! So I’d say by far my favorite body of water :-) However, I grew up in Illinois along the Mississippi River. Every summer I’d go fishing there with my dad or the Rock River or we’d go visit my uncle out in the country and he had a private pond on his property stocked with bullhead catfish. My dad’s sister lived in Michigan where she had a cabin along Lake Erie. Some years, we’d go visit and swim in that water or even feed the ducks sitting on the pier. I’d say the majority of my life I’ve lived within just a few miles of some body of water. I don’t think I’d like to be landlocked at all!! Maybe I was born to be a fish…haha!! Someday, I’d love to visit Florida or go to Hawaii to see the crystal clear ocean and white sand beaches. I’ve seen some beautiful pictures of both places and I know I’d enjoy it very much :-) There’s certainly a LOT of different places to visit that’s near water, and I would love to visit as many places as I can!
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Lynette, I’m looking forward to reading your novella in SPLASH! The Australian east coast beaches are my favourite body of water to visit :)