Why Tuesday is My Favorite Day of the Week
Shirley Jump
Thank you
for having me! I’m thrilled to be able to talk about my new romance novel and
my absolutely favorite day of the week, plus share some of my favorite pictures
with you!
I live in
Florida, which was what made setting AND THEN FOREVER in a beach community
(fictional Fortune’s Island, off the coast of Massachusetts) such an easy yes
for me. I love, love, love the ocean, and missed it dearly when I moved from
Massachusetts to Indiana years ago. Then I moved to a small town in Florida,
which means I can be at the beach in just a few minutes (my house is six miles
away). I have water in either direction—Safety Harbor to the east, Clearwater
Beach to the west. On Tuesdays, I get to see the sunrise in Safety Harbor
before my morning run, then watch the sunset on Clearwater Beach after my
evening open water swim. For both those activities, I’m with friends, and very
often in the evening, we’re at a beachside restaurant, listening to a local
musician while we watch the sun disappear into the horizon. That’s why Tuesdays
are most definitely my favorite day of the week!
For me,
watching those sunrises and sunsets really makes me feel connected to the
world, and centered. The sunrises and sunsets are so calming, and every single
one is as unique as a snowflake. Often, us residents are crowding right next to
the tourists to take photos because we’re just as awed by the sunset as anyone
else. And I just love the beach—everything about it, from the powerful force of
the ocean to the surprises that wash up on the sand, to the sea creatures that
are so amazing and intriguing. If I could live literally in the middle of the
beach, I would. Instead, I settle for being on the water almost every single
day. I never, ever get tired of watching the ocean or hearing its soft,
whoosh-whoosh song in the background.
I use the
ocean a lot in AND THEN FOREVER, because it’s such a powerful force in my own
world. It’s always there, in the background, mercurial and beautiful and
mysterious, sort of like my characters who are exploring a second chance at
romance. Darcy is sarcastic and gutsy, while Kincaid is quieter and more
studious. I think they represent both sides of what the ocean can be—on a
stormy night, it’s as dangerous and tempting as the woman you have been
forbidden to see, and during a calm, sunny day, it can be as steady and
soul-filling as being with the one man who completes your every thought. I love
the world created on Fortune’s Island, one where hopefully every sunrise and
sunset is just as stunning for the reader as they are for me!
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