It’s been a little rainy out there for the last day or so. ALAS! The first Surf City Summer Market was cancelled due to this horrible weather. Well, like my daddy always said– ‘it’s nice weather for ducks.’
Got my fingers crossed for next week though. THE TOWER is still not in, but I’m hoping for the following Tuesday. I trust my editor–she knows best and so I won’t rush the project.

QUOTE: Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value–Albert Einstein

WRITING TIP; remember all the people who have been good to you and make them your protagonists. That’s how you say thank you.

Parents, we all have them or had them and regardless of good or bad times, we love them and cherish memories. Today, my new friends Julie and Drew, sailed with me in the ICW and deposited the ashes of Julie’s father, Gordon. What a lovely day for a sail. What a lovely day and way to remember someone so much a part of one’s life. DANNY BOY,  his favorite song, was played, we enjoyed a rum gimlet, his favorite drink–and we talked about life and what all it brings. Peace and Joy to you, Gordon and to your family.

Little trip to Morehead City and Beaufort last week was relaxing and rewarding. Stopped in the Maritime Museum (skeleton of sperm whale on display) in Beaufort and saw lots of cool historical stuff. Walked to the boardwalk and gaped in awe as a 90 ft. sloop slid by in the water. The horses were out on the little island across the way.
Life is so full of pleasantries–good fudge, nachos–long iced drink—smiling faces, along with a fantastic view in a very laid back setting.
The glass is always half full!
VERY EXCITED about the Surf City Summer Market starting Tuesday May 23rd. THE TOWER  will not be available that day but should be the following week. The book is still at the editors.  PLEASE come and enjoy all the vendors and their wares. I will have all my books on display and would love to chat.
WRITING TIP: that little quote from Hemingway about ‘start with something true’ works every time. ex.–‘his shirt was blue’–and just go from there. Just start with a true statement about your character. Was he or she tall, short, angry-were they smiling? Was the sky cloudy, clear.?Just start–with something true.
QUOTE: Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.

Always liked this picture. Of course, blue fish, though beautiful, are notorious for latching on to fingers and any other place close by their sharp little teeth. We’ve all heard it a thousand times, beauty is only skin deep, looks can be deceiving, don’t judge a book by its cover, all that glitters is not gold. Yep, there are a thousand little sayings about deception, thus the previous blog about friendship. Oh, how precious friendship is and oh how painful is the realization that one has been deceived by that so called friendship. Seems people are out to get what they can and when they’re done, they throw you away.
At least that’s how one of the characters in THE TOWER feels when she learns the truth. Actions speak louder than words, all the blah blah isn’t worth a nickel when the the plain truth is staring you in the face. OUCH!
THE  TOWER  should be out in time for the Surf City Market, if not the first week, the second. Find out who is getting rolled under the bus. Hope you have read the 2 previous books in the series.
WATERLOGGED  and  BRIDGE TENDER.

Here are some quotes about losing a friend.

Losing a friend is more painful than losing a romantic relationship. Anon

A friend is someone who can see the truth and pain in you even when you can fool everyone else. Anon

We’re not close anymore, but I’ll be there if you need me. Anon

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend–Henry David Thoreau

A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship–Saint Francis de Sales

Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one–Robert E. Lee

True friends stab you in the front–Oscar Wilde

A friend should be one in whose understanding and virtue we can equally confide and whose opinion we can value at once for its justice and its sincerity–Robert Hall

You can always tell a real friend; when you’ve made a fool of yourself he doesn’t feel you’ve done a permanent job–Laurence J. Peter

Ominous, Ominous…geez what a stormy morning and day we have had. Good day to stay inside and read a book or watch movies. One could say it was an ugly day, but isn’t this photo beautiful–hmm–point of view. Can’t get over point of view. POV is such an involved, intricate thing.  I was reminded again of POV as I watched WINTER’S TALE (within the safety and dryness of my abode) a movie starring Russell Crowe (be still my heart) and Colin Ferrel. I had read the book and was wowed! Helprin’s writing is outstanding and makes my imagination shift into overdrive. But the movie-YUCK. Even sweet Crowe could not save it. On the other hand, I watched THE READER, written by Bernard Schlink–OMG! more, I want more. The movie was so well done, and the story made me want to read the book. Don’t you find it is usually the opposite? Anyway–THE READER was such a moving, intricate story; it made me question right and wrong (one of my favorite things to question)
So for the day, it has been beautiful–a beautiful reading and watching experience. And God did make it lovely outside–from my point of view.

This morning crossing the span bridge at North Topsail. No traffic so I stopped at the top. It’s still beautiful.

QUOTE;  Your vision will become clear only when you can look  into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside awakes–Carl Jung.

Writing tip: Try not to be redundant. It’s easy to do when you try to stress a particular view. Sometimes we say the same thing only with different words.

Quote: truth is beauty, beauty truth–John Keats

writing tip: make sure there is consistency in your characters.

This is a photo of what Topsail Island looked like in the 1930s. It sure is a far cry from what it looks like today.Things do change and I guess we have to roll with the flow or live in the past.

Things could have looked a lot different if only another set of eyes had projected the future for our fair island.

quote: It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

writing tip: point of view-different characters will have different points of view. Make them distinguishable.

Somebody has a great big flashlight. ya think? a very beautiful morning on the beach.

The summer markets are coming up in about a month–Surf City Market and Pillage the Village in Topsail Beach. Everything from jewelry to food, veggies, pottery, wood work, photography, wine (some delicious home-made varieties) (the list goes on and on) and of course BOOKS. Yep, I’ll be there–at both markets, sweating in the hot sun, but enjoying meeting all the people who come to visit our island from around the country.

I’m hoping to get up to Beaufort, Morehead and New Bern to some markets there. I’ll keep you posted.

QUOTE: Accident is as much a part of fiction as anything else, symbolic of the grace that, along with will, conspires to put words on the page-Mark Helprin.

writing tip: if you want to be a good writer, you have to set aside pride.