Hello from hotter than (expletive) Richmond, Virginia!
As I write this, I’m sitting in my blissfully air-conditioned home while outside the sun blisters the landscape. My phone app tells me it’s a balmy 95 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside but feels like 105. (I know, friends who live in the southwest or other parts of the world are snickering at my wimpy inability to withstand extreme temperatures, but it’s HOT.)
As grateful as I am for my climate-controlled environment, I wish I were at the beach.
Not that it would be necessarily cooler at the beach, especially if you’re walking barefoot across sand that’s been cooking all day, but the water, the atmosphere, the ambiance, and the activity around you make it bearable. (I’ll skip the pesky sand-in-everything bit.)
Maybe that’s why a beach setting is one of my favorites, both as a reader and a writer. Plus, for a crime writer, the beach and assorted waterways offer so many opportunities for dastardly deeds!
In my latest short story, “Ripped by Love,” a woman grieves her husband who died after being caught in a riptide off he Virginia Beach waterfront. Although I don’t re-enact the scene in the story, I’ve spent enough hours in the Atlantic to have a very healthy respect for its nuances and dangers, especially if helped along by a scheming human.
“Ripped by Love” is one of 19 stories of revenge and love gone wrong. Order from the publisher here or at major book retailers.
Abbie had never liked her sister’s too-slick husband, Roger, despite Claire’s deep love for him. But when Abbie discovered a secret too awful to ignore, Abbie vowed to do anything to protect her sister.
Happy reading!
Leah