Author Cruise on the St. Johns River

All eyes were on Marcia as she read her Prologue.

I had a fun afternoon on Saturday taking an “Author Cruise” with local writer Marcia Meara.  Marcia is the author of two romantic suspense series––Wake-Robin Ridge, set in the North Carolina mountains, and Riverbend, set in a fictional Florida town on the St. Johns River.  She came on this cruise to talk about writing, life dreams, and her novels. 

Marcia shared that although she had a lifelong dream of being a writer, the opportunity never came. It wasn't until she retired from full-time work that she listened to a friend who said, "You've always wanted to write, so do it."  And she did. 

Marcia's talk ended with a reading of the Prologue to her latest book (still to be published), Harbinger, the third in the Wake-Robin series. Wow, I didn't see that last sentence coming!

My favorite of her two series, however, is the  Riverbend series because I’ve boated on the St. Johns River for years and think it’s Central Florida’s greatest treasure.  The main character in the first book, Swamp Ghosts, is Maggie Devlin, beautiful, but bruised by life.  She owns and operates a river tour boat just like the one we traveled on.  In fact, Maggie and her photographer lover, Gunner, were inspired by Captain Jeanne Bell and her husband Doug Little, also a photographer, who own and operate St. Johns River Eco-Tours. 

It’s fun to see the scenes in a book in a special way because you’ve been to the place.  Here are some pictures I took as we explored inlets just like the ones Maggie and Gunner explored in Swamp Ghosts.  Especially exciting for me was getting my first picture of a limpkin and seeing the barred owls.

Are any books special to you because you live or have visited where they take place?

Limpkin

Barred Owl

"It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn't ever feel like talking loud . . . "

–– Mark Twain, Huck's comment in Huckleberry Finn