Several years ago, I wrote a novella entitled “Surf Song,” which is part of this collection. When the publisher gave us the guidelines, she simply said a Christian romance set at a beach.
I’ve spent time on lots of beaches. California (San Diego and Malibu), Mexico (Cozumel), the Gulf of Mexico (Alabama and the panhandle of Florida), Charleston, Wilmington (North Carolina), and my favorite, The Outer Banks of North Carolina. The setting for my book was a no-brainer. It had to be The Outer Banks.
Our first and only visit to The Outer Banks was in 2018, and to be honest, our expectations were low. It turned out to be the best beach vacation we’d ever had. Why? Because our idea of fun at the beach is not sitting on the beach all day. We spent time at the beach but also visited a lighthouse, visited the site of the Wright brothers first flight, toured the Lost Colony site and went on a full-size replica of one of the ships, went on a dolphin cruise, and played miniature golf on a rare all-grass with no gimmicks golf course. No crowds on the beach. No condos marring the views. It was perfect. Manteo, Southern Shores, Duck, Corolla…we loved the area.
For the novella, I created a fictitious inn called “Surf Song.” The main character, Holly, was thrown into sudden fame as a teen-ager when she won a singing contest. With her older sister serving as her manager and the two of them dealing with their widowed father’s excessive drinking, the three moved to Nashville because of her singing career. Now in her late twenties, she wants to escape the life she has been living, no longer desiring the fame she once craved. A songwriter at heart, she drives to The Outer Banks to stay in a small inn. Coloring her hair and cutting it short is her only disguise, and for a time she is secure in her anonymity.
She couldn’t foresee her attraction to the inn’s owner or how the time away from Nashville would affect her.
If you’re intrigued, you would also enjoy the other three novellas set in beach communities along the Atlantic. Clean, light reads with happy endings. A great way to start the beach season. Available on Amazon as an ebook and a paperback!
Life As I know it 