Thursday 6 August 2015

SHIRLEY JUMP - Author of AND THEN FOREVER


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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