It’s late March and it’s snowing again.
I am soooooo ready for the beach.
And if you are, too, I can get you there – vicariously.
My new YA romance from Swoon, Snark and Stage Fright, begins when my newly-minted couple, Georgia and Michael, visit his family’s vacation house on Cape Cod. (If you don’t know Georgia and Michael, they appear first in the e-novella series Snark and Circumstance – see below)
Here’s a teaser of a beach scene from Stage Fright:
Ever since I was a little kid, the beach has always been my favorite place. My parents say that when I went to my first beach as a toddler, I ran headlong into the waves like Neptune was calling me. (They’ve never mentioned running after me, which is kind of worrisome. I guess they figured I knew what I was doing). And many decades later, no matter what is going on in my life, going to the beach makes me feel better. Today on family vacations, as soon as we get within sniffing distance of the shore, I stick my head out the car window like a golden retriever and inhale. Ahhhhhh. Everything is suddenly 75% better and I haven’t even felt the sand yet.
Here are my top favorite beaches, in no particular order:
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Sorry, Snookie. As a kid growing up in southeastern Pennsylvania, my family went to the Delaware shore, and Rehoboth Beach is where I made my first mad-dog dash into the waves. It’s probably the only boardwalk I like, too. For me, the beach is about sand and gulls and water, not crowds of people looking for cheap t-shirts and taffy.
Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
I haven’t been to Cape Cod that often, despite having lived in Massachusetts for over ten years now. But I like Wellfleet a lot because it’s wild and has these great sand dunes and a bar/restaurant that plays the Clash really loud.
Ardtoe Beach, Scotland
As far as I know, this isn’t a big tourist attraction, but that’s part of why I liked it so much when I was lucky enough to visit it two summers ago. It’s craggy, the water is cold but clean, and you can climb and run around the sand with friendly dogs. Climb up high enough and you can look out to the islands, including Mull, I think.
Carlsbad State Beach
The water is so green and you can see dolphins. A great place to set up a blanket and some water and snacks and watch the waves come in. Because it’s SoCal, everyone is tanned and fit and you feel a little healthier by proxy. Carlsbad is also a fun town for poking around used books stores and eating tacos.
Children’s Pool, La Jolla, California
Down the road from Carlsbad, just north of San Diego, is a beach that was set aside for kids but was taken over by seals. They’re willing to share, though, and you can get pretty close to them. My son and I were hanging out on a rock and a little pup came up to chill with us; his mom kept an eye on him from the water. I can’t say the smell of that beach is anything I would want to bottle, but if you want a real life and respectful sea life encounter, skip Sea World and head here, or to the sea lion beach just a few blocks away.
Assateague Island, Virginia
I was a never a horse person, but I’d been fascinated by stories of the wild horses on Assateague Island, so years ago I planned a family vacation to Chincoteague and we’ve gone back several times. It’s a quiet, unassuming, nothing-fancy kind of beach town, which is ideal, I think. It gets a little crazy during Pony Penning Days but the rest of the year it’s so relaxing and naturally beautiful.
If you’re missing the beach as much as I am by now, fear not – I will bring the beach to you, in the form of a BUCKET OF BEACH FUN! Leave a comment about your favorite beach or beach book and we’ll pick a random winner.
And if you want to check out the Snark enovellas or Snark and Stage Fright, they’re available on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_10?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=snark%20and%20circumstance&sprefix=snark+and+%2Caps%2C182), Barnes and Noble, (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/snarkcircumstance?store=allproducts&keyword=snark+and+circumstance), and Kobo.
Despite its not-so-stellar reputation, I love the Mississippi Gulf Coast. My favorite spot in in Long Beach at the Gulf Park Campus of University of Southern Mississippi and the FRIENDSHIP OAK located there. This massive tree survived both Hurricane Camille and Hurricane Katrina.
ReplyDeleteThanks do much for having me, Apryl!
ReplyDeleteI've lived in North East Florida my whole life and though I visited other beaches I still love FL's. We only lived about 30 minutes from Fernandina Beach, more commonly know as Amelia Island and it's a beautiful quaint small town with a world renowned resort. I really love going to the Gulf coast to Anna Marie Island, Sanibel Island and the Sarasota area. It's gorgeous. I'm still less than and hour from Amelia Island but Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra beach is closer to me now. Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeletecotttonpickincute@gmail.com