TOPAZ WATERS & MEMORIES

 

My latest novel A BALMY WINTER ON TOPAZ WATERS (available on Amazon) was based much upon my personal experiences. I lived in Hobe Sound briefly as a child in first grade. So, there was absolutely no lust, adultery, or backstabbing then. However, I observed a lot of this later in life. My own parents became part of such a triangle.

I set this story in Hobe Sound because during the 1950’s it was one of the most scenic and beautiful places I’d ever seen. This was long before the crowds and concrete.

The gorgeous acreage on the Intracoastal Waterway that I describe in my novel was exactly like the one my family rented. Nowadays you’d have to be a millionaire to rent a similar property, but things were different back then. Even the vibrant floral lane was exactly that!

And the family-owned donut shop in the novel existed as well! It sold the most delicious donuts I’ve ever tasted before or since.

Another reason I set the story during the late 1950’s was due to the fact it was on the verge of the cultural shift that arrived in the 1960’s.

Bikini bathing suits were considered scandalous as well as trashy. When the main character Ellen Lanfred discovers one in a daughter’s suitcase during a brief visit, she freaks out! Her ex-husband refused to sell these in their chain of department stores. He considered them indecent.

This youngest daughter Kimberly is plucky and rebellious. She’s also a coed who has blossomed into quite a beauty. And with her sister she’s on her way to Fort Lauderdale for spring break. Mother Ellen won’t confide in Kimberly of her young lover for fear she’ll steal him. So, she goes to great lengths to prevent their meeting.

Also a major character in the story suffers from dementia. Along with cancer, this unfortunately is another area I’m too familiar. My stepmother had this condition. For a long while, my father was in denial. Eventually, her behavior became so bizarre he had no choice but to face reality. Each off-the-wall thing I describe in my novel this character did, I witnessed personally!

Every book I author is written with my whole heart and contains a little piece of my soul.