Notes From the Road

It's the second week of the BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES book tour, and so far it has been a memorable and exhilarating adventure. 

One of the most amazing moments happened yesterday afternoon during the "Moveable Feast" literary luncheon in Pawleys Island, hosted by Litchfield Books.  It filled my eyes with tears. 

Before I explain why, let me share a little background first.  Most of my readers know I'm passionate about sea turtle conservation.  My personal work with these majestic creatures inspired not only BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES, but also my New York Times bestsellers THE BEACH HOUSE and SWIMMING LESSONS.  When planning this book tour, I knew it would be a perfect opportunity to not only celebrate the progress that's been made in sea turtle conservation but also share the exciting expansion plans of the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital.  As I've been saying during this book tour, let's move that hospital out of the basement.

We revealed the plan during the book launch party at the aquarium, and the huge crowd responded enthusiastically.  Proceeds from the party's book sales went toward the turtle hospital initiative.  Approximately 225 people attended the celebration, many of them were sea turtle volunteers themselves.  Fans traveled from all over the Carolinas to be there.  I even met a couple from New Hampshire!

Now, back to yesterday's Pawleys Island event.  I had just shared some of those hospital expansion details with the packed house, when the 'Moveable Feast' event coordinator spontaneously decided to pass around a glass jar to collect contributions for the cause.  The gesture alone made my heart swell and I figured they might collect a hundred dollars or so.  That would have been a wonderful donation.  My eyes bulged when told the final tally---$640! I was moved to tears by this group's generosity.  I have THE BEST fans! 

Just days before, Coastal Discovery Museum in Hilton Head Island, SC also raised money for the sea turtle hospital during a private book tour event.  Thank you all for your generous spirit. 

One more note about the South Carolina Aquarium.  The sea turtle rescue program manager, Kelly Thorvalson, and her team will be releasing two loggerheads back into the ocean at the Isle of Palms County Park on Friday, May 18th at 3pm.  I've been a part of these releases many times, and each one is an emotional sight to see.  If you live near Charleston, SC, I hope you'll be able to witness this incredible event.  You can learn more about the sea turtles being released on the Sea Turtle Hospital Blog.

I'm in North Carolina for the next few days and then I'll drive over to Kingsport, Tennessee.  Take a look at my complete book tour schedule and I hope to have the opportunity to say hello to you at one of these events. 

THE LIFE CHANGER

Editor’s Note: "Swimming Lessons" will be re-released in paperback this July.

This week’s guest blogger is Sue Foster, a devoted reader who dedicates her time as a volunteer at the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital.

Summer 2007-- My life changed forever after reading “Swimming Lessons” by Mary Alice Monroe. On page 233, she writes:

“Once smitten with sea turtles, it was a love affair for life.”

How true! I loved reading the previous book, “The Beach House” that tells about the turtle ladies on Isle of Palms monitoring the turtle nests. “Swimming Lessons” introduced me to the sea turtle hospital at the SC Aquarium in Charleston. I was fascinated about the work that was being done with the rehabilitation of the sea turtles. By summer’s end, I had e-mailed the project manager, Kelly Thorvalson, about volunteering part time. Our schedules didn’t match and there were no openings in the hospital.

Fast forward to March 2009. Kelly e-mailed me and wanted to know if I would be interested in doing tours of the turtle hospital because they were expanding the tours. Would I, a retired teacher, be interested in educating people about sea turtles? Best e-mail of my life! I started May 1st.

(Here's a recent group photo of the Sea Turtle Hospital volunteers.  I'm third from the left in the back row.  Thank you, Barb Bergwerf, for sharing this snapshot.)

I finally got to see what excited the novel’s main character, Toy Sooner, in “Swimming Lessons” so much. Sick sea turtles came in, healthy turtles were released. I read what I could about them and asked endless questions of the staff and volunteers. Everyone always takes the time to talk about the turtles and their treatments. If it were not for "Swimming Lessons", I may have never fallen in love with these beautiful animals.

Visitors coming on the tours all love the turtle hospital and the turtles. One young lady from Pennsylvania came on a tour last fall and told me she was in the middle of reading "Swimming Lessons" and had to come. A person from Ohio had a copy of the book with her that she had just read and had to come see what the character Toy loved so. I’m asked all the time what got me to the sea turtle hospital after being a Special Educator for decades. "Swimming Lessons", I tell them.

On May 1st of this year, we released 7 turtles. I had the privilege of releasing a baby green sea turtle back into the ocean. The sea turtle hospital has released 51 turtles! I will always be indebted to Kelly Thorvalson for giving me this remarkable opportunity and Mary Alice Monroe for showing me the path to the sea turtle hospital. Lastly, a special shout out for Dr. Shane Boyland (vet), Christi Hughes (biologist), and all of the dedicated volunteer staff.

IT'S GOOD TO BE 10

Do you remember how special it felt to turn ten years old? The anticipation as you counted the days until you could say farewell to single digit years?

I do-- and I am happy to wish the South Carolina Aquarium a "Happy 10th Birthday"!  In honor of it turning the big 1-0, here is my list of Top Ten Reasons I Love the South Carolina Aquarium.

    10. It has grown to be a leader in the conservation movement in the Palmetto State.

   

    9. It's the crown jewel of the Charleston Harbor and the city’s most-visited attraction. (you can’t get a better view of the harbor)

    8. The aquarium repaid it founding debt last year and faces an exciting new decade!

    7.  Attendance and membership keep going up, up, up!

    6. The Aquarium does a great job promoting education and conservation to kids of all ages.

    5. The cool albino alligator exhibit--one of only 50 albino gators in the world!

    4. The Sea Turtle Rescue Program has rehabilitated more than 50 sea turtles and released them home to the sea! (Be sure to get a tour)

    3. The Sustainable Seafood Initiative. More than 70 restaurant partners throughout the state. Great wine pairings and fabulous meals. (Make a reservation. Your palette won’t be disappointed!)

    2. The amazing 4-D Theater! South Carolina’s first and only about to open for wildlife experiences on the big screen. Move over Avatar!

And the #1 reason I love the SC Aquarium?

    1. The Aquarium’s staff and volunteers. Best of the best! They make the visit exciting for us all—and they are making a difference!

I could go on and on about my love for the aquarium and I’m proud to serve on its board.  Did you know the aquarium is the setting for my novel SWIMMING LESSONS? All the turtle experiences mentioned throughout the novel are actual sea turtle cases from the hospital. (If you haven’t read it, the paperback release is scheduled for July.)

Happy 10th birthday to the South Carolina Aquarium! I wish you another ten years of amazing successes!

 

SWIMMING LESSONS: True Tales at the Sea Turtle Hospital

There is no denying my deep affinity for sea turtles, particularly the threatened loggerhead. This ancient creature of the deep blue swam its way into the pages of two of my novels, THE BEACH HOUSE and the sequel SWIMMING LESSONS.

SWIMMING LESSONS is being re-released as mass market this July with a fresh seaside front cover. My hope is a new wave of readers will find themselves taking interest in the loggerhead as well as the sea turtle hospitals that care for the sick and injured.

In SWIMMING LESSONS, my protagonist Toy Sooner, a single mother raising her young daughter on Isle of Palms, is also caring for injured sea turtles at the Sea Turtle Hospital located at Charleston's South Carolina Aquarium. Each turtle Toy handles at the facility are reflective of actual case histories there.

Biologist Kelly Thorvalson, who is the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program Coordinator, blogs about the amazing turtle cases the staff and volunteers handle. Their mission is to help sea turtles survive in our ocean by healing the ill and injured for their return to the wild. It is through her dedication, and that of the volunteers, aquarium staff, and a long line of generous donors, that the SC Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital has grown into the amazing facility it is today.

After reading, or re-reading, SWIMMING LESSONS when it makes its return to bookstores in July, I encourage you to plan a trip to the SC Aquarium. We have two fabulous new exhibits—an extremely rare albino alligator and a 3D theater that lets you feel the splash of water and more as you watch a film. Also, the penguin exhibit has been extended. And don’t forget to take for a tour of the Sea Turtle Hospital. I hope the pages of my novel come alive when you see with your own eyes the spectacular sea creature that inspired me to write my turtle novels. I hope they capture your heart just as they did mine!