Haunted by the OBX, Legend and Lore

Years ago, when my children were young, I insisted we take a family vacation. It was summer break and I'd just finished a stressful year of teaching middle schoolers. Bonus, the ocean was calling.

Have you ever been haunted by something? Felt the pull so strong you had to give into it? That was me.

I chose Nags Head in the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina because the name of the town had always intrigued me. I stumbled across an ad for a rental company in an issue of Southern Living magazine and called for details. Soon, we were set, and off we went.

I was, at once, held spellbound by the area, the people, the food, this history, and the laid-back atmosphere. This was our first trip of many. The kids and I went one summer when they were teenagers. Recently divorced, money was tight, but we were determined. We had a yard sale to pay for a motel room en route, and pooled all our dollars for other expenses. It was a quick, cheap trip but one of my most memorable. We ate sandwiches out of a cooler all week, swam in the ocean and the motel pool, and just chilled.

Over the years, we've stayed up and down the OBX from Corolla to Ocracoke Island and most places in between. Twice I went solo, which was fun, but I missed my people. Other trips included extended family. We would rent a big, ocean front beach house, and play all week.

And yes, this haunting of the ocean, this lure to the sea, has been a source of writer inspiration for me and has influenced my stories and my muse. One cannot visit these barrier islands and not leave with a sense of the past, of pirates, of the colonies, of escape and intrigue, and perhaps even treasure hunting….

I’ve set one romantic suspense novel, A Perfect Escape, in the barrier islands, and a time-travel trilogy, The Forever Trilogy. My upcoming women's fiction series is set in a fictional town on the Outer Banks called Tuckaway Bay. Watch this space for more information about the first book launch.

The Forever Trilogy is centered around pirate lore. If you like history, pirates, suspense, time travel, paranormal elements, soul mates, and happily-ever-after endings, you might like these books.

Both books are available at my online bookstore as well as all your favorite book retailers.

Read more about A Perfect Escape.

Read more about The Forever Trilogy.