Here it is - my latest book released earlier this year - a love story buried in the annals of history depicting the Vietnam War - Paradise Revisited – A Vietnam Era Love Story (https://mybook.to/PARADISE).
The inspiration for this story comes from actual history, April 1968 at the height of the Vietnam War, in fact the middle of the Tet Offensive. Soldiers were allowed a week or so of what was called R&R (Rest and Recuperation), many of them choosing Hawaii where they would meet their wives or girlfriends. It was a strange time that captivated me. I've been to Hawaii many times for many reasons and every time I land, I think of all these couples who grabbed a week together and then hoped and prayed for the best. It was there that the War became real for me. I spoke to actual people involved, people touched by war, those who lost loved ones. That period of time haunted me and so I wrote about it and saved the piece away. One day recently, my publisher asked me for a short story. They were launching anthologies. I pulled out the story, dusted it off and sent it in. They loved it so much that they decided to publish it as a standalone book as well as include it in an anthology. So that’s the “rest of the story”, as they say.
Well, my "Meet the Author" event in April was fantastic -- very well attended and terrific questions. As usual, there were many questions about my background, my work, and why and when I started writing. So many were interested in where my ideas for the novels come from, how I develop such deep characters and beautiful intriguing settings. We discussed "Treacherous Waters" and where the seed for that story came from. By the way, I'm writing a sequel to that one...more Sabrina and Nick as well as the Black Witch and Christopher. I'm also working on a sequel to the Oyster Point Mysteries. Will a character meet an untimely death? Hmmmm...don't know yet.
So that's where my writing stands right now. These last few months had been very hard for me losing loved ones from my youth...college mates and roommates...those who live in my single memories. I lost three of them in two weeks...the last one being the hardest. We shared an apartment with a bunch of girls...the best time ever. When some friends moved in for the summer, she and I shared a bedroom for a while, but shared more than that bedroom - we shared dreams, loves, heartbreaks, secrets. Through the years, we continued to laugh about those times, convertibles where doors were frozen in the morning when we tried to get to work, cooking new recipes, Bruins games, painting the kitchen bright yellow - her favorite color...life was good. So I've buried myself these last few months in my writing as I always do when I try to cope, mourn.
I hope you are writing and enjoying life...it goes by so fast!
Till,
Judi
