A NEW SEASON, BOOK, AND ISLAND EXPERIENCE

When the autumnal equinox happened this week, you could feel the changing of seasons here in the Lowcountry. A cool breeze pushed out the humid air, for at least the day.

Autumn's arrival bids farewell to the season of week-long family vacations and much-needed road trips. Were you able to getaway for a bit? My summer was slammed with book tour, a broken hand, family visits and another book to write.  But I did manage to escape to this picturesque place. 

Dewees Island, SC  (photo courtesy: Judy Fairchild)

This is Dewees Island, South Carolina; a Lowcountry barrier island that's only a twenty-minute ferry ride away from my home on the Isle of Palms.  This is where I got to work on the early chapters of my next novel, A LOWCOUNTRY WEDDING.

During this short respite, I began each day at dawn with coffee in hand on the screened porch overlooking the vast marshland.  I could spot terns, egrets and osprey hunting for their morning meals in the golden and green cordgrass.  Each evening, I enjoyed the swelling music of cicadas and the rising moon.

My porch view of Dewees Island

This was a rare escape for me last month, and I treasured my time there.  The house where I stayed is the same one the lucky winners of my Summer's End Sweepstakes stayed at back in May.  Kathy and Chip Webb of North Carolina were our lucky grand prize winners, and they wrote about their island escape. 

Meet the winners: Kathy & Chip Webb's Dewees Island getaway

Here's what they said:  

Chip's View:  The Dewees Island Ferry is a portal from one reality to another. We arrived at dusk, taking the ferry across the dolphin-laced waters to the Island. The Marshview Cottage is a restful retreat.  The great room opens to a screened porch overlooking the marsh. The marsh changes with the tides and the passing of the day, offering visual delights from sunrise to sunset. Morning coffee, the warmth of the morning sun, and a copy of “The Water is Wide” (by Pat Conroy) from the bookshelf resulted in an incomparable start to a day, Dewees Island style. The second morning, Kathy and I took the golf cart to one of the beach access trails. To experience the beach at Dewees Island is to walk a beach as did the original inhabitants and to be awed by unspoiled nature.    

Kathy’s View:  After three days of Island living, I love Dewees Island. It is an amazing living classroom for children and adults  I learned so much about the creatures and plants that inhabit this little piece of heaven. After exploring the Island, I did not realize what the residents had until I walked out on to the beach and walked for miles, picking up live starfish and whole sand dollars. I loved every minute of it: the quiet, the beauty. It was like living in a Mary Alice Monroe book!

Maybe their words will inspire you to experience the island for yourself one day.  If you're looking to disconnect from the busyness of daily life and reconnect with nature, Dewees Island is unmatched.  I can't think of a better place to be, no matter the season. 

Where's the best place you have stayed that immersed you in the natural world? 
  

Here's the Dewees Island marshview cottage.  Isn't the porch view incredible?   

  To learn more about Dewees Island, South Carolina, click here.  

A LOWCOUNTRY WEDDING BOOK COVER REVEAL!!!

It's thrilling for me to see the cover of one of my novels for the first time.  The charge never gets old. I think it's gorgeous, thanks to the talented team at Gallery Books.  To me, the dock symbolizes the lowcountry, and more, is important given the significance of the dock at Sea Breeze in the trilogy. 
That bride could even be Harper.  What do you think?

A book cover reveal makes the writing process come into sharper focus, especially when you're still crafting chapters!  Even though there is a lot left to do before next year's book release, the journey of writing A LOWCOUNTRY WEDDING is meaningful.  I'm excited to share it with you May 2016!

Thank you, wonderful readers, for making The Lowcountry Summer Series a bestselling success and for wanting to read more about the Muir sisters--Eudora, Carson and Harper--and their charming grandmother Mamaw, and of course Delphine.  All will be included as The Lowcountry Summer Series continues.  

Save the date my friends for May 3, 2016 because you're invited to enjoy A LOWCOUNTRY WEDDING.

Click here for A LOWCOUNTRY WEDDING book description

A Sneak Peek at "The Summer's End"

Wow!  Hundreds of readers have responded already to my Lowcountry Summer Sweepstakes, and we're only one full week into the contest.  Thank you!  This is the biggest giveaway I've been able to do so far, with an amazing grand prize--a vacation to Charleston, ranked the #1 city in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine readers.

This sweepstakes celebrates the countdown to the May 19th official release of my new novel THE SUMMER'S END, the long-awaited final book of The Lowcountry Summer Trilogy.

Today, I'm thrilled to announce that everyone is a winner in this week's contest!  Because of the strong number of pre-orders, I'm releasing a portion of the first chapter of THE SUMMER'S END. This is the first time any of it has been posted publicly and I'm so happy to share it with you.

Click here to read excerpt

Prizes are awarded every Tuesday and you can enter weekly.  All you need to do is pre-order your copy of THE SUMMER'S END.  And then post your purchase number in the comment box of the sweepstakes post on my Facebook page.  Simple!  If you're attending an upcoming book tour event, your RSVP qualifies for the contest too. Just post the event and date you reserved your ticket.  Every entry is eligible for the grand prize--a Lowcountry island getaway in Charleston, South Carolina.  


Grand prize package includes:

• Three-night stay at a three-bedroom, marsh view cottage on Dewees Island
  (Check-in date: Sunday, May 17, 2015; Check-out date: Wednesday, May 20, 2015*)
• Courtesy ferry boat rides to/from Dewees Island
• Personal nature tour on this pristine private island by master naturalist Judy Fairchild
• Private cocktail event hosted by Dewees Real Estate
• Sunset dolphin cruise for two courtesy of Barrier Island Eco Tours
• Two tickets to the official book launch party for The Summer's End at the South Carolina Aquarium

Click here to enter Lowcountry Summer Sweepstakes

Dewees Island is a beautiful barrier island next to the Isle of Palms and just 21 miles from historic downtown Charleston.  Watch this short video to see the natural splendor of Dewees Island. This will be the experience of a lifetime for one lucky winner!

Watch video of Dewees Island

Need a Getaway? Here's Your Chance!

Summer is coming and we have big things planned for the May 19th release of the long-awaited final book in the Lowcountry Summer Trilogy-- The Summer's End.

First up... The Summer's End Sweepstakes.
This is our biggest sweepstakes to date happening now on my Facebook page.
Weekly giveaways, and one lucky winner will enjoy a Lowcountry island getaway here in Charleston, SC.  This grand prize package includes:

• Three-night stay at a three-bedroom, marsh view cottage on Dewees Island
  (Check-in date: Sunday, May 17, 2015; Check-out date: Wednesday, May 20, 2015*)
• Courtesy ferry boat rides to/from Dewees Island
• Personal nature tour on this pristine private island by master naturalist Judy Fairchild
• Private cocktail event hosted by Dewees Real Estate
• Sunset dolphin cruise for two courtesy of Barrier Island Eco Tours
• Two tickets to the official book launch party for The Summer's End at the South Carolina Aquarium

TO WIN: Pre-order my new novel The Summer's End.  Then, enter your name and receipt number in the comment box of the sweepstakes post on my Facebook page.  That's it!

Every week new prizes will be awarded-- you can enter every week with that same receipt number.  All entries are eligible for the grand prize Lowcountry Island Getaway.  If you've already pre-ordered, don't worry-- your purchase qualifies too.  Just enter your receipt number in the comments box of the sweepstakes post on my Facebook page.  

Details are posted on my website www.maryalicemonroe.com and my Facebook page. Summer is just beginning with the May 19th release of The Summer's End!

Click here to pre-order your copy of The Summer's End today  

*Grand prize winner will be announced April 28th on Facebook and www.maryalicemonroe.com.  Winner must claim prize in 48 hours after the announcement.  If grand prize winner cannot redeem weekend prize during the May 17-20, 2015 dates aforementioned, Dewees Real Estate will make every effort possible to accommodate the winner with an alternative getaway date but the selected cottage on the island cannot be guaranteed.
*Grand prize winner is responsible for transportation to and from Charleston, SC.
*Winner must legal resident of the United States of America.  Winner must be 18 years or older.

MY SUMMER CRUSH

GUEST BLOG

Kerry E. Reichs

I’ve had my share of crushes before, but it was only this year that my heart was stolen so completely that I became a stalker.  It was the adorable occupants of 3A.  I couldn’t stop thinking about them.  I found excuses to cruise by their place every morning and every evening.  I scrutinized the minutiae of their existence.  Had anything changed since yesterday?  Had they had any visitors? Who were these other women hanging around?

No, 3A wasn’t an apartment of virile young men.  It was a loggerhead sea turtle nest located on Isle of Palms beach between third and fourth streets, and I was in love.  I’d been floating on the fringes of Charleston’s “turtle society” for two years, introduced by friend and fellow writer Mary Alice Monroe.  I arose at the crack of dawn to attend every inventory, my sleepy son in tow.  I met the wonderful turtle team, formidable wielders of the Red Bucket, whose dedication and passion for these creatures is selfless.  And most of all, I fell in love with the turtles.  There is nothing more adorable than a hatchling sea turtle; nothing more inspiring than its determined trek across a fraught beach; nothing more heartening than the moment they catch a wave.

I loved every encounter, but I craved the zenith of turtle monitoring. I wanted the boil – hatchlings pouring out of a nest like a pot bubbling over.  Then along came 3A.  A convenient ten-minute walk down the beach from my house, this became MY nest. I’d find excuses to wander by (“It rained a drop . . . better check the nest!”). I sent unsolicited “updates” and photos to team members.  I pestered them about the schedule.  One day, my stalking was rewarded.  The sand showed the first signs of emergence, kicking off a series of evenings camped beside the nest.

                                                 (concave in sand = activity)

                                                (ghost crab predation!)

  The team indulged me.  The first few nights, nothing.  Then a handful. 

  Then came Friday.

This was the night.  I was sure of it.  I was provisioned like Lewis and Clark: I had my four year old, his DVD player, a beach blanket, chairs, bug spray, snacks, kindle, water.  I was there for the long haul.  I sat in the company of the team, chatting merrily. So much that we were startled to see a turtle crawling by.  We hopped to action, shepherding seven “scouts” safely to the sea. The sun had just set.  After that, stillness.  Indications of emergence ceased.  All the hot action was going down on Sullivan’s, a nest poised to go.  3A was a sleeper.  The rest of the team headed home or to Sullivan’s. There would be no action here tonight.  I decided to keep company with my nest a little longer, popped a new DVD on for my son, and settled into my kindle.  At 11:30, I flashed the red light over at the nest, intending to gather my things. And saw the hole.  Which became a diminutive turtle head.  Then two. Then three.  Small beaks poking from the sand.  Waiting. 

I grabbed my son and we watched the magic happen, just the two of us. Under the remnants of a supermoon, we saw a tiny army assembling under the sand. Finally, the leader crested, and turtles poured from the nest in his wake, wave after wave.  It was enchanting.  We were breathless when the flow stopped, then raced down the beach with the light to play false moon, luring the hatchlings to the sea.  I was a proud mama when the last dove out of sight.

I didn’t think it could get more magical than that, but I was wrong.  Friday had been a “half boil” of about sixty, with another sixty eggs remaining. The team continued to monitor the nest, none so zealous as I.  The next day I popped up at 6AM to scrutinize the sand; loitered at sunset; and returned around midnight, prime turtle “boiling point”.  And repeat, the following day.  And repeat.  For three days, I sat on that nest like I’d laid the eggs myself. 

 It was an unusual nest.  Turtles ventured out in small clutches. The team fretted.  I hovered.  Sunday night – turtles on the beach.  We all raced at the 911 call, but it was a troop of only eight.  Monday no action was expected, but a humdinger of a storm.  I was stuck on a call with Comcast.  Knowing I’d be on hold forever, I trotted down to the nest, phone pressed to my ear, wind whipping.  Team members were in situ.  The signs were there. Comcast became unimportant.  I dropped to the beach, and chatted. Lightening danced across the sky to the west.  Our time on the beach would be abridged.  We were debating how much, when I saw shadows on the sand. An endearing mini-mob of loggerheads crowding out of the nest. The last wave. By this night, the tide was miles away, so we gathered our new friends into the trademark Red Bucket.

 The turtles were three-deep, teeming to go.  When the last was collected, they passed the bucket to me.  I, team newbie, was handed the Red Bucket.  It was a reverent moment.  We hastened to the water’s edge, where I carefully released my charges.  I was proud and relieved as each dove into the next phase of its journey.

 

The next morning at inventory, the team recovered a dawdler.  My son and I gathered with the usual crowd to bid our last ward farewell.  The lone occupant of 3A scrambled toward the ocean, turning at the waterline to crawl over my son’s foot in farewell, before disappearing with a flap of his flipper. 

It was bittersweet as the little guy disappeared from sight.  Tomorrow I’ll find another nest to fuss over, but for now there’s a little hole where 3A used to be. I’ll always remember my first.  See you in thirty years, my friends. After this taste of being on the Turtle Team, I know I’ll be here waiting for you.

                                       

It's Called Communication

   

    “I’m sorry I haven’t called in so long.”

    “I can’t believe how long it’s been, but I follow you on Facebook.”

    “I meant to write but…”

I confess.  I’m guilty of saying those statements more times than I care to admit.  Aren’t we all?  The busyness of everyday life makes it so easy to lose touch with those special people in our lives.  My typical excuse is work.  Sincere, but...  Be it writing, researching, deadlines, travel, revisions...the list goes on.  And I’m sure yours does too. 

The issue of communication is one many families are facing today and I wanted to explore it in my latest novel, THE SUMMER GIRLS.  In preparation for writing this book, I extensively researched the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, animals noted for their phenomenal ability to communicate and connect.

A dolphin’s elaborate communication system has yet to be fully understood.  Dolphins employ an intricate system of clicks, whistles, squeaks, and the powerful echolocation (sonar).  Recent research revealed how a mother dolphins gives her calf a " signature whistle" at birth.  This is equivalent to our names, an important discovery that points to their high intelligence and social sophistication.  Communication begins at the onset of life in a dolphin family!

In THE SUMMER GIRLS I created three characters--Carson, Eudora and Harper, half sisters who spent their childhood summers together with their Mamaw at Sea Breeze on Sullivan’s Island.  But like so many of us,  the bonds of sisterhood crumbled as they became adults and moved to distant parts of the country. At the story's onset, they are virtual strangers. 

Carson is a loner; she can't maintain a relationship, not even with a condo.   Dora is divorcing her husband and struggling to communicate with her nine-year-old son, Nate, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. And Harper connects to the internet but not face to face. Rather, she prefers to watch the world from a safe distance.  Each has a major communication flaw that the reader can relate to.  And their reunion doesn’t go as Mamaw planned.  Heated conversations and inflammatory remarks quickly dig up old family lies and disheartening truths.  

What can Mamaw do to help them?  What can any of us do to encourage communication in our families in the modern age?  What can the dolphins teach us?

Watch this short clip to hear more from me about the major theme of communication in THE SUMMER GIRLS.  

           

Vacationing Here Soon? Here's What I Recommend...

I not only write about the Lowcountry, I’m a long-time resident. So when you vacation here, you’re enjoying the same picturesque views, breathing the same intoxicating air, and living in the same natural landscape with creatures that inspire my novels, including my newest bestseller, THE SUMMER GIRLS.  

Thank you to Traveler of Charleston for inviting me to be a guest blogger today.  Whether you're local or from off, the free quarterly publication is a great resource before planning your next adventure.  Heading to Isle of Palms or Sullivan's Island soon?  Check out my personal recommendations here: Lowcountry Author Shares Her Charleston Beach Vacation Tips.

Why Dolphins, Why Now

 

MAM and Jax sharing a laugh at Dolphin Research Center

I get asked that a lot.  It’s a great question, considering that every novel I’ve published in the last decade is rooted in the natural environment of my surroundings, which we here in Charleston, South Carolina call the Lowcountry.  Sea turtles, birds of prey, butterflies, wild shrimp—the list goes on.  These natural elements aren’t the story themselves, but the inspiration.  I draw my story themes from what I learn from my volunteering.  My story world is authentic and the animals are so interwoven with my characters’ lives that they themselves become characters.  By the end of the book, you find yourself rooting for them—for their survival in both the story world and the real world.  

I’ve always loved dolphins.  Who doesn’t?  It must be that beguiling smile! Of all the species I’ve ever worked with—and I’ve worked with many—no other animal is self-aware or as intelligent as the dolphin.  If you are fortunate to get close enough to look a dolphin in the eye, you know you’re being just as closely regarded, even studied.   Because I live by the Atlantic Ocean, I'm fortunate to see dolphins leap from the waves, swim in pods on the creeks, and chase boats near the harbor.  I had been yearning to write a novel about a dolphin for quite some time. I have many species I want to write about, a long list.  I wait for some sign from the universe, some tapping on my intuition, a whispering that tells me "choose this one now." 

One day, during a special meeting for the board members of the South Carolina Aquarium, I got ‘the sign’ when guest Philippe Cousteau urged me to write a book set against the issues threatening dolphins today.  I had just seen the film, The Cove, and Dr. Pat Fair from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) had informed us that almost half of the dolphins living in Charleston's estuarine waters were sick.   Shocking!  So I cannonballed off that proverbial dock into the world of wild dolphins and after three years of research surfaced with not one story but three! 

This was a first for me—intentionally writing a trilogy.  The Beach House series was written over a span of years as my work with the sea turtles expanded.  I jokingly say it was a trilogy ten years in the making.   In The Lowcountry Summer Trilogy, I am setting out to write a trilogy of books in which all of my characters are touched by the harrowing journey of one charismatic dolphin, Delphine.  It's the story of three granddaughters, one seaside summer, and one dolphin.   Sweet Delphine is the thread that connects all the books.  The first installment—THE SUMMER GIRLS—comes out June 25^th.  

In THE SUMMER GIRLS, the behavior of the dolphin and the interactions shared between Delphine and the women were inspired from my work with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, Florida and research with NOAA in Charleston, South Carolina.  What the women do, out of love for the dolphin, is in fact dangerous to the species’ well-being. 

I've always felt that the signs and TV ads that inform the public DO NOT FEED THE DOLPHINS don't amount to a hill of beans when one is staring at that beguiling face in a boat or from the dock.  Everyone thinks, "Aw, I want to make contact.  I want to share a moment with this creature.  What harm can one fish, or sandwich, this one small something do?"  Now, imagine thousands of people thinking this...  This is my character, Carson's journey.  Through her eyes, I bring you to that very real moment and allow you to experience with her the natural consequences.  It's so much more powerful to experience the raw emotions and passions.  As a storyteller, I rely on the old adage: Show don't tell.

My hope is that when you finish the final page of THE SUMMER GIRLS, you’ll find yourself excited to see what will happen next to the sisters—Carson, Eudora and Harper--and to Delphine.  And through the characters’ intimate and emotional relationship with a wild dolphin, you’ll feel an even deeper love for the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin and see that you can make a difference. 

Want more?  Watch this brief interview about what compelled me to write about dolphins. 

You can also read an excerpt of THE SUMMER GIRLS at www.maryalicemonroe.com or my Author Facebook Page.  

What is it about dolphins that you love so much?  Share your story in the comments section.