Welcome to another edition of my Behind the Scenes. The Summer Read Blogshop is in full swing (courtesy of Clare London!) and I thought it would be fun to do a little behind-the-scenes for my stories with a summertime bent. You can visit me here on the blog every Thursday to follow along.
This week we’re talking lighthouses with a behind the scenes look at the inspiration for my novella After the Storm.
Angry and frustrated with his chronic illness, Vincent Poulsen moves into an old lighthouse to live out the few days he has left. After a dangerous collapse, he meets the ghostly Captain Cason, who shares stories of his distant past. In the process, Vincent stumbles over the tragedy that binds the captain to the lighthouse and his haunted memories. Then fate offers them in death a chance to make right what they couldn’t in life….
First Edition published in the anthology Desire Beyond Death by Dreamspinner Press, 2007.
Did you know there are 129 lighthouses within the state of Michigan? While not all of them are open for tours or even accessible by the public, Mr. Munder and I decided to try and visit as many as we could. This might seem strange when you consider my fear of heights and extreme vertigo, but I try to never let logic stand in my way. I’ll actually share a funny story about this in another of my behind the scenes posts still to come, so keep checking back.
So, lighthouses. What do you think of? Sun, fun, and sandy beaches? Or, like me, crashing waves, storms, and towering structures illuminated by lightning strikes? No matter your preference, Michigan has you covered in a unique freshwater way.
What started as a fun way to spend a summer soon turned into a goal spanning multiple years for my family. One we are still working on. It’s hard not to keep going the more we learn about the men and women who built and maintained these lifesaving structures, and the history of lighthouses in general.
Each lighthouse has its own story to tell and I dare you not to get sucked in. Soon, like us, I bet you’ll be joining associations, volunteer groups, and doing your part to keep Michigan’s lighthouses going strong. For a fun introduction you can visit the Michigan Lighthouse Guide.
Then stop by The Summer Read Blogshop and scroll through wave after wave of authors and titles featuring sun, fun, and plenty of hot men. Dive in and find your new favorite.