Just around the corner…

Happy May! 

It’s May 1st (or May the Firth, whichever your prefer), which means the release of Dance the Tide is just around the corner—in fact, it releases six weeks from TODAY! It’s undergone a major overhaul since it was posted on a couple of fan fiction websites years ago, and I’m eager to put the new and (I hope) improved version into readers’ hands. The editing process is nearly over, and I will begin posting a few teaser chapters here in a couple of weeks.

Here are some other things happening around the release:

June 6 – cover reveal at Austenesque Reviews. I’m so excited to show off the cover; it’s a beauty. The paperback will be available for purchase this day as well, and the eBook pre-sale begins.

June 12 – eBook release

The dates for the (short but sweet) blog tour are listed below. Each stop will include either an excerpt or a deleted scene and an eBook giveaway!

June 13 – my own blog here!

June 15 – Babblings of a Bookworm

June 17 – From Pemberley to Milton

June 20 – Austenesque Reviews

I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts that location is a key component in my stories. As someone who has only written contemporary Pride & Prejudice-inspired stories, I’ve tried to place my characters in interesting settings that are unique in some way, and will grab readers’ attention. Sanctuary takes place in Portland, Maine and on quaint Great Diamond Island—complete with golf carts. An Unexpected Harvest mostly takes place in the heart of western Massachusetts, where mountains and farmland come together and life slows down a bit, but it it also spends time in the hustle and bustle of Boston.

Dance the Tide is about twelve years old, and represents my very first foray into the world of writing. I remember thinking back then that I needed to put the characters in a special place, one that I had a connection to and could easily write about. And then I realized…what better place than where I live? Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is its own little slice of heaven. The quaint villages and towns and the beautiful coast with its many beaches all contribute to the ideal setting for a love story.

I decided to give Elizabeth Bennet a tiny beach house in Falmouth. It overlooks Vineyard Sound and Nobska Lighthouse, and in the distance, about three miles offshore, is Martha’s Vineyard Island. Elizabeth is a beach girl at heart, and I knew it was the perfect spot for her.

I placed Fitzwilliam Darcy about twelve miles away from Elizabeth, in the affluent community of New Seabury. The majority of the waterfront homes here are quite large and posh, and perfectly represent what could be a modern-day Pemberley. But of course, Darcy also owns a brownstone in Boston, as his business is headquartered there.

Elizabeth’s career has her spending a lot of time in Woods Hole, a small village southwest of Falmouth. She rides her bike to work quite a bit—apropos to her personality—which allowed me to incorporate the Shining Sea Bike Path into the story. It’s one of my favorite places to visit, and features some of the most beautiful scenery and diverse wildlife in Falmouth. And Woods Hole isn’t just a charming little village filled with unique shops and fabulous restaurants; it’s also a significant hub for scientific research and marine study. I took some creative license and placed the estuarine research reserve where Elizabeth works and plopped it down in the middle of Woods Hole; in reality, it’s about twenty miles away.

The story also gives a glimpse of Martha’s Vineyard Island, where Mrs. Bennet hales from and where her brother and his wife—Ed and Odina Gardiner—still reside. Martha’s Vineyard—known around here as “the Vineyard” or just “the island”—holds a special place in my heart for many reasons, and it’s a favorite destination in the story for Elizabeth and Darcy.

Lastly, Elizabeth spends some time in South Carolina, doing research at ACE Basin—a dream come true for her. Lots of things happen there; I’ll leave it at that!

I hope I’ve sparked your curiosity about the setting for Dance the Tide! If I have, and you would like to see pictures of the area, please click on the Instagram link here, the Facebook link here, or click on either of the widgets at the bottom of the home page. Beginning this week, I will add pictures to my Instagram and Facebook stories every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, giving readers a sort of virtual tour of the area. I hope to focus mostly on Falmouth, Woods Hole, New Seabury, and Martha’s Vineyard, but will also throw in some pictures of Boston and South Carolina. Please join the virtual tour!

Thanks for visiting today, and I hope to see you again soon!

Cat