Tuesday, November 28, 2017


Lovely day on the beach today. The weather has been phenomenal. Love it when the birds are congregated like so--makes me wonder if they are plotting something (ala Hitchcock) or simply having a hen party.
QUOTE: "Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit." e.e. cummings
WRITING TIP-curiosity is where it's at, man--keeps the ink flowing, the gray matter glowing. 

Monday, November 27, 2017

Not sure what pier this was,either Barnacle Bill's or Surf City, but it was taken in the sixties. Went into a shop the other day and their tee shirts said TOPSAIL ISLAND FOUNDED 1963. Where in the hell did they get their info. Mentioned the mistake and was ignored--oh well, Topsail Island was founded way before that and Surf City was founded in 1949. LIES...IT'S ALL LIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PROPAGANDA FOR THE MASSES! Take a deep breath, Carol. This too shall pass.
Enjoy the photo, enjoy the sunshine--lovely for November--huh?
QUOTE; I can never change my past, it's already happened anyway. All I can do is make the best of today, let go, and keep moving on.
WRITING TIP: Don't let go, keep it bottled up--it will come in handy at a later date. Everything is fodder for writing.

Friday, November 17, 2017

  QUOTE: "The cream of enjoyment in this life is always impromptu. The chance walk;
the  unexpected visit; the unpremeditated journey; the unsought conversation or acquaintance"- Fanny Fern

Monday, November 13, 2017

Joey, Detective Dog, waiting anxiously for the perpetrator of the latest round of crimes in Surf City. Yes, he knows THE MERMAID DID IT and is on the look out for Carol Ann Ross's (4th in the series) book (due out next summer). It might be a long wait, but he's always on guard.

Saturday, November 11, 2017

the bank of clouds as I came across the span bridge this morning was breath taking. Love this kind of weather--my church is in prime mode on days like this. Thank you God.
QUOTE: "My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me"- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
WRITING TIP: Listen

Monday, November 6, 2017

My what a foggy day today is. There's a kind of  comfort though, in the mist that wraps around you--it's as if the sea is kissing you.

QUOTE:Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way"-- E.L. Doctorow


Saturday, November 4, 2017

Early morning (of course, the early mornings are getting later and later this time of year), nonetheless--early morning on the sound. Beauty always softens the heart, makes you want to love and be loved. 
QUOTE: "Not everyone will have the heart you have. Not everyone will appreciate you and what you do for them. It won't be easy having a kind heart in a cruel world. Be prepared."
WRITING TIP: Angst--how do you portray angst in your writing?  Do you write in a line telling the reader or do you portray your character's actions and reactions?


Wednesday, November 1, 2017

JUST ADD WATER-yes, the main character in my new book is a surfer girl. Been fun researching her since surfing was never a sport I picked up. I was always too chicken--especially after I saw the boys surfing and 8 foot sharks swimming alongside them. But Kallie is a tenacious gal. She'll surprise you with just how tenacious she is. JUST ADD WATER will be out sometime in January.

QUOTE: But more wonderful than the lore of old men and the lore of books, is the secret lore of the ocean-H.P. Lovecraft

WRITING TIP: Research everything! If you don't you run the risk of looking ignorant.