Behind the Series – Puffin Island

After writing three books set in the beautiful lakes and mountains of Vermont (my O’Neil Brothers Series), I was ready for a trip to the beach. A beach holiday has been part of our family tradition since my children were babies. There’s something uplifting about returning to a beach house with buckets, spades and sandy feet and grilling fish you bought fresh from the boat earlier that day. I have plotted many books while sitting on the sand listening to the crash of the surf on the rocks. Even when I’m not at the beach I find it relaxing to dream about the ocean. I devour coastal magazines, have a vase full of shells in my office and from time to time contemplate redecorating the house with nautical stripes and pieces of artfully placed driftwood to try and capture that beach feeling when I’m miles from the sea.

With my love of everything seashore it was inevitable that when I came to put together ideas for my next contemporary romance series, I chose a beach setting. Penobscot Bay, Maine had everything I was looking for. Varied and beautiful scenery, tide pools, bays, lighthouses, beaches, fishing villages and thousands of offshore islands. I knew it would also offer the magical winter scenery I need for my annual Christmas story (watch out for Skylar’s story coming in November 2015!).

If you’re already a loyal reader you’ll know that although the general location in my stories is authentic, the specific place is a product of my imagination. It gives me more creative flexibility and I prefer it that way. I’m always careful to choose somewhere I’d love to spend time myself. I could happily have moved to Snow Crystal, Vermont (and judging from the emails from readers, I would have had company!) and now I feel the same way about Puffin Island, Maine.

Why Puffin Island? I first saw Puffins in the north of England many years ago and they are the most amazing and beautiful seabirds. One detail that fascinated me was the fact that they usually return to breed on the same island they were hatched. Although they are not an endangered species, they are rare now in Maine and there are projects to reintroduce them to the islands.

The theme of returning home was one that I used as a thread throughout the stories. In this case the home is Castaway Cottage, a beachside retreat owned by Brittany. She, Skylar and Emily have been best friends for ten years. They have very different backgrounds and ambitions, but their friendship has been the one unbreakable bond in their lives. For all of them, Puffin Island is a sanctuary and somewhere to retreat when life gets rough.

Emily’s story, First Time in Forever, is first but as with all my books the stories stand alone and can be read in any order. Brittany also makes an appearance in my Harlequin Presents, Playing by the Greek’s Rules.

These stories are about love, friendship and community. I hope you fall in love with the characters and also with the charms of Puffin Island.

Let me know! You can contact me by email or connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Sarah
xx

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