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Ophelia London | Why I Can’t Stop Writing About the Beach
June 19, 2014
As a California native, I grew up on the beach. But not the typical beaches you
might picture when you think of California. No palm trees, no oiled-up weight
lifters, no boardwalk and no laying out for a tan. You see, I grew up in Eureka,
happily situated between San Francisco and the Oregon border. The average summer
temperature is around 65. The average winter temperature is around 55. We like
to call that the temperate zone. As a current resident of Texas, I can’t tell
you how much I miss that weather! The beaches I grew up on had one consistent attribute: gray. Gray skies,
gray water, gray sand. But it was glorious. My early experiences with going to
the beach were in sweatshirts, rolled up jeans and bare feet, soaked to the
knees with seaweed between my toes and an ensuing earache. But surfing and
swimming…never! There are sharks in those waters, dude. And jellyfish and weirdo
slimy, gray sea life that bump against your legs and try to pull you down.
Plus, Jaws was, and still is, one of my favorite movies. Needless to say,
I have rather polarizing beachy issues. This might be why—to this day—I have an irrational fear of the ocean, but I also
experience overwhelming pulls toward the sea that wake me up at night. Do you
see the quandary here, guys? Despite all that, or maybe because of that, I take
beach vacations very often, the Florida panhandle, specifically. Of course, I
always have to do some major psyching up before I go into the water. It’s best
if I don’t think at all…don’t wonder about what’s under my feet once I can’t
touch bottom anymore. *shiver* Most of all, I love to write about the beach. Happy beaches, where the sun is
always shining and surfer boys lounge around like Moondoggie and the Big
Kahoona. (see Gidget. Like, literally: go watch Gidget now.)
Beaches where there are no sharks and no undertow and no fear of the seaweed
that resembles an octopus coiling around my neck. No, “my” beaches are where you
have a picnic with no wind, where you read The Scarlet Pimpernel for the
first time (true story) and especially where you fall in love (future true story). Last year, I broke my Florida-beaches-only streak and booked my first trip to
Hawaii. Aloha! It was one of the coolest experiences ever. And after
being there approximately ten seconds, I knew I had to write a story that takes
place on that golden sand. Just a few months later, I’d penned MAKING WAVES, my
love letter to the beaches of Oahu. After crossing Hawaii off my To Do list, I might as well just go for it and hit
Santorini next. I’m all about goal-setting and “research” trips for my next
novel. I owe that much to my readers, don’t you think? What about you? Where is your favorite beach? Read more about MAKING WAVES, and comment
below to be entered to win a copy of Ophelia London's FALLING FOR HER
SOLDIER
Comments
19 comments posted.
Re: Ophelia London | Why I Can’t Stop Writing About the Beach
For several years I lived near San Francisco and I was always surprised at how cold it was near the Pacific Ocean. My favorite beaches are in Hawaii. Love the sand and warm weather!
(Bonnie H 10:03pm June 17, 2014)
I burn so easily I'm rarely at the beach, but I'm not far from Lake Michigan. I love all the Gidget movies. LOL
(Marcy Shuler 12:41pm June 18, 2014)
i am very light so i burn real easy i dont get out much
because of that
(Denise Smith 1:22am June 18, 2014)
I love the beach and do not have a favorite one. Any beach is
good for me. I have been to many in the USA and 2 in the
Bahamas and 2 in Mexico. I have people get me sand from
beaches all over the world and have some from many different
countries. If it has sand and the ocean then I am SO good.
(Tina Ullrich 1:28am June 18, 2014)
My favorite beach is in a little town called Port Austin.
It actually sits on two beaches - the edge of Lake Huron,
and the mouth of Saginaw Bay. The view is breathtaking, and
I love watching the Blue Heron in a certain spot there,
which are one of my favorite birds. There's also a
lighthouse out there on the bay. The water goes on forever,
and you can even watch the freighters go by, if you so
desire. If shopping is your thing, you can drive into town.
I just love being out there for the peace and tranquility.
(Peggy Roberson 8:37am June 18, 2014)
I love Hilton Head. It is the most relaxing vacation spot. But I have to admit I also loved Hawaii.
(Pam Howell 9:28am June 18, 2014)
Love this cover and look forward to reading this book! Thanks for a great giveaway!!!
(Bonnie Capuano 10:03am June 18, 2014)
I'm kind of a beach bunny, LOVE the beach! I'd have to say that Wildwood, NJ is my favorite non swimming beach (Metal Detecting) & Sugar Beach in Bermuda is my favorite swimming beach.
Mindy :)
[email protected]
(Mina Gerhart 2:29pm June 18, 2014)
My favorite beach I ever visited was in Jackson Beach, FL. We stopped to wade in the water and discovered it was so pretty with oodles of beautiful seashells. We filled a bag in no time with them. It was quiet with no one else around, and we enjoyed ourselves. The water was so clear and clean.
(Linda Luinstra 6:16pm June 18, 2014)
Well I went the island of Antigua for my honeymoon and that was awesome ;). I also really liked Hilton Head, SC and Chincoteague, VA.
(Sue Galuska 10:07am June 19, 2014)
There are loads of beautiful beaches close to where I live in
Norfolk, GB. They look great, are very clean and have won
awards. That's the beach, not the sea which is a bit murky and
pretty cold.
(Jen Barnard 4:43pm June 19, 2014)
I have enjoyed several beaches and especially loved the time spent in the Outer Banks of North Carolina!
(Britney Adams 5:14pm June 19, 2014)
I love Puget Sound!
(Denise Austin 6:09pm June 19, 2014)
The beaches hold a special place in my heart too.I grew up around the Watsonville / Santa Cruz area but now I live in the Midwest. I would love to bring that area here to Missouri but will have to rely on your books to relive that feeling. :-)
(Teresa Miller 9:26pm June 19, 2014)
My favorite beaches are the ones on TV. I have sunscreen issues (never
enough). Hawaii had some pretty cool beaches & lots of wind.
(Laura Gullickson 9:36pm June 19, 2014)
daytona
(Debbi Shaw 10:30pm June 19, 2014)
When I was at the isle of Caprice, Italy, I fell in love with the beach. The sand was so white and the water was so blue that I didn't want to continue the tour of the island.
(Kai Wong 1:45am June 20, 2014)
Hawaii and its beautiful beaches are pretty hard to beat! The Outer Banks
is another favorite.
(Melanie Backus 6:56am June 20, 2014)
I love any beach. However, Navarre (Florida) was my favorite beach back in the day before anyone knew about it. So peaceful, perfect to relax and recharge.
(Debbie Kelly 1:13pm June 20, 2014)
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