With our Oahu trip just a month away, our family of five is happily researching island activities. We’re using Goby, a downloadable app for iPods, iPads and iPhones to help plan our itinerary.

We’re also turning to Goby.com as a search tool from our home computer. Goby allows users to find activities, lodging, dining and events anywhere in the U.S. Using the site’s categories – what to do, where and when – we found fun things to do in Oahu.

Manoa Falls – the highest waterfall on Oahu – sounds like a great choice for us. It’s just two miles round trip and takes hikers through a rainforest to the falls. We’ll also visit Pearl Harbor, take a stand-up paddleboarding lesson and book a snorkeling tour. Of course, we plan to get in lots of beach time. I was pleased to find that Goby even provides a long list of beaches with descriptions of each one. Lanikai Beach sounds ideal and we’ll be sure to check it out.

It’s nice to find a search tool that’s so easy to use. And as an app, it goes everywhere with us. Click here to find out more!

January 12, 2011 – Santa Paula, CA – The earliest of California’s 35+ lighthouses have protected its coastal waters for over 160 years, and are thus a big part of the state’s history. According to local So. Cal. author Pam Ripling (who also writes as Anne Carter), these iconic symbols of protection, guidance and times past evoke a variety of thoughts and emotions. In recognition of Blanchard Community Library’s Centennial Celebration of California History, Ms. Ripling will share her knowledge of our West Coast beacons, relating how they came to be and where they are now.

Beginning with an overview of the multitude and variety of light stations constructed statewide, Ripling with focus on a few of her favorites, relating rich historical detail and anecdotal background. Ms. Ripling will also explain how, as a mystery author, she is inspired by lighthouses and works with them as aura-enhanced settings for her novels. Throughout her travels, Ripling has visited many of these lighthouses and will offer an entertaining PowerPoint slideshow to augment her presentation.

Also included in Ms. Ripling’s talk will be a discussion for fiction readers and aspiring authors about the fascinating process of researching her subjects. She will explain why an abandoned lighthouse six miles off the California coast might be the perfect setting for romance…and possibly murder. Using the real-life St. George Reef Lighthouse as her inspiration, Ripling (as Anne Carter) penned her second paranormal lighthouse mystery, CAPE SEDUCTION, (Echelon Press, 288 pp., $13.99), released in the fall of September, 2010.

Extensive research included interviewing one of the last keepers from St. George Reef Lighthouse. While the station in Ripling’s book is entirely fictional, the Coast Guardsman’s memories were invaluable in helping the author create a believable setting for CAPE SEDUCTION. “He described in great detail what it took to keep the lighthouse working—without electricity—in the 1940′s, and what one would have to do to survive locked away in a tower entrapped by treacherous seas.”

Born in the Midwest, Pam Ripling is the author of six published novels, a variety of fictional shorts and non-fiction articles. The married mother of three is a member of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles and her short story Just Like Jay appears in their newest anthology, MURDER IN LA LA LAND.

Ms. Ripling will be signing a limited number of her books for attendees.

Blanchard Community Library is located at 119 North 8th Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060-2709. For more info on the library’s Centennial Celebration, contact District Librarian Daniel Robles at (805) 525-3615.

Nonetheless, I embark on another sort of tour Monday, where I will begin my “trip” with author Sean Hayden! Sean has taken the time to ask me some new and interesting questions, and will share them on his blog at Sean Hayden’s blog.  Do stop by!

Same day, I’m guesting at The Romance Studio, talking about whether books with lotsa sex and lust sell better than those considered “sweet” = plot that suggests intimate relations but doesn’t give the play-by-play. Help me out with your comments.

Don’t forget about the contest! All you have to do is read the CAPE SEDUCTION excerpt and leave me a relative comment—you’ll be in the drawing for FIVE Echelon Press eBooks of your choice, downloaded onto a really cool 2GB flash drive! (Or a $25 gift card to B&N, your choice.) Drawing will be on my last blog tour stop.

To make this more interesting, you’ll get an additional chance to win for every comment you leave at my tour stops! Whoa! Dude! So here’s the sched:

Monday, Aug 30:  Sean Hayden’s Blog

Monday, Aug 30:  The Romance Studio Blog

Tuesday, Aug 31:  Legendary Lighthouse

Wednesday, Sept 1:  Enjoying the Waves

Thursday, Sept 2:  Beth Fish Reads

Monday, Sept 6:  JFHilborne’s Blog

Tuesday, Sept 7: Mysteries and Margaritas

Wednesday, Sept 8:  A Writer’s Jumble

Thursday, Sept 9:  Lighthouse Musings

Friday, Sept 10:  Echelon Press

So, come on down!!

St. George Reef Lighthouse

High points (and pun slightly intended) were the lighthouses. Sigh. First, Point Cabrillo, just north of Mendocino, California. Darlingest little beacon. No tours (the tower was chained off) and the main floor is now a gift shop. DD and I romped around taking photos and complained because I’d left my wallet with DH, down the road.

Next was Battery Point in Crescent City. We stayed at (where else?) The Lighthouse Inn. Lovely people, and a lobbyful

The Glamorous, Success Author at Battery Point

of lighthouse pictures and artifacts. INCLUDING a huge wall mural of St. George Reef Lighthouse, which figures prominently in my new book, CAPE SEDUCTION! How hauntingly apropos. Staff was lovely. They agreed to display my rack cards!

Battery Point is a beautiful lighthouse, accessed only at low tide. DD and I took a tour. The docents were volunteers who get a month of lighthouse keeping at a time, and the waiting list is LONG. I passed out bookmarks and postcards to two very giddy lighthouse loving ladies.

Last was one of my favorites, Heceta Head Lighthouse in Yachats, Oregon. One of the most photographed beacons in the U.S. Another tour, lots of good info.

The Astonishing Heceta Head

Great gift shop (had my wallet this time!!) Could have stayed here all day. This lighthouse is on the cover of POINT SURRENDER. Heceta Head, by the way, is on tap for a major facelift next year. Needs it, badly.

Couldn’t see them all. Passed several up on the way, hopefully to be visited another time. I’ll be traveling back to my brother’s house in late August, at which time we’ll visit Point No Point Lighthouse. Can’t wait!

St. George Reef inside The Lighthouse Inn!

Evidence of decay. Still beautiful

Friday night we joined fellow Echelon authors Beth Solheim, Mary Welk and Luisa Buehler for dinner, then grabbed LJ Sellers from O’Hare. Weather, to this point, was hot-hot and muggy. But Saturday morning dawned cloudy and cool. We kept one eye on the sky while organizing our ½ booth, staying optimistic as we squeezed into space meant for half as many people. Our tent-mates, “Drawn and Quarterly”, were actually quite accommodating when Karen suggested we cut the booth in half rather than diagonally.

Nick Valentino, Norm Cowie, Karen Syed

I was thrilled with the pre-release copies of CAPE SEDUCTION that arrived in time to show off to book-buying Chicagoans. Best sale of the day:  to an excited reader with LIGHTHOUSE EARRINGS! No brainer, that one! The interest, not the reader, LOL.

However, even the nicest books look a little dowdy when subjected to rainfall. By midday, the temp had dropped and so had the wet stuff from the sky, as our authors scrambled to cover everything with tarps and plastic drop cloths. Most of us had dressed for heat and humidity but not chilly rain. Sales dropped off when the umbrellas came out. We packed up a half hour early while it poured, then walked the block and a half to a wonderful Italian restaurant (Trattoria Caterina) for dinner where talk ranged from new manuscripts and industry news to the wine Norm brought to share…

Sam Morton and Yours Truly

Sunday was better, traffic was higher and sales were up. But by 4 pm, the rain returned, and because it was later in the day, most people just left and vendors began to break down early. The band was still playing across the way, so most of us danced—we were a happy sight to see! Around this time I joined Nick Valentino at the Old Towne Books & Tea table to sign books and chat with readers. Friendly booksellers from Oswego, IL!

Despite the weather and the cramped conditions, we did all right. Could’ve done much better, I think, with more space and less wet. Karen Syed has described the situation with the space in her blog at Echelon Press, and you can read my take on it there as well.

For me, one of the highlights is meeting and interacting with the other authors. Old friends Sam Morton, Luisa Buehler, Bob Goldsborough, Marc & son Jim Vun Kannon; new pals Nick & Stacey Valentino, Joel & Cydney Fox (Cydney could sell potatoes to Irishmen!), Beth Solheim, LJ Sellers, Kieryn Nicholas and her fab family, and funny guy Norm Cowie were all a delight to meet. And spending time with Karen is always, ALWAYS a lark.

Will I go back? Right now, I say probably not, but you never know!

Chicago 2007

It’s been three years since I last attended Printers Row in Chicago. It was hot but pleasant. Hoards of people. There I met fellow Echelon Press authors J.R. (Jenny) Turner, Luisa Buehler, Robert Goldsborough, Marc Vun Kannon, Margot Justes, Mary Welk and of course our fearless leader, Karen Syed. This year, we’ll be joined by Norm Cowie, Nick Valentino, Sam Morton, Joel Fox, L.J. Sellers, Beth Solheim, Kieryn Nicholas and Marlis Day.

Here’s the press release for my appearance this year.

I’m not packed. I’m leaving the house at around 6:30 AM tomorrow. Mentally, I have my list:  bookmarks, postcards, banner; stickers, pens, Altoids. My standard signing kit, which includes sunscreen, scissors, granola bars, change, lip balm, more pens. Bookstands—new ones this year.

Technology-wise, I’ll have my laptop. My Blackberry. My nook. My iPod. Numerous AC adapters. I’ll be wired for sound.

Also toting some new things. A very pretty necklace with a USB drive hanging from it. Some mini-coloring books with pictures of lighthouses. A hat. Yes, I am wearing a hat.

And I will be seeing my new release for the first time. CAPE SEDUCTION will “pre-release” in limited quantities at this event. I’m so excited about that! I love this book and can’t wait to see/hear the response. Official release will be in August. Ebook is a few days delayed, but should be online for purchase any day now.

Technology slows things down. Yes, that’s what I said – new formats take longer to prepare. We’ve waited this long, a few more days won’t matter!

Come by booth #FF if you’re in town. If not, hang out and read the excerpts while I’m gone.

Will report in when I return. This is going to be a great weekend, thunderstorms and all!

More about last year, and this.

Taking care. I lost 13 pounds in ’09, and resumed the wearing of contact lenses. How did I manage the weight loss? Stopped eating sweets, stopped eating seconds, started walking more. Dancing with iPod-clone.  2010: Will continue to pay attention.

Oh, Boy. Yes, Boy George (O’Dowd) has had a profoundly bizarre life (IMO), and has in some way inspired the writing of Paulie Bingham. As it turns out, Paulie is a completely different character (so no worries, George.)  But after reading George’s bio TAKE IT LIKE A MAN (not recommended reading for haters or homophobes) and researching other so-called androgynous entertainers of the 80’s, I was compelled to write a story. It’s done, it’s sitting, and I’m on to something else for awhile.

Singapore.  Incredible trip to attend my son’s wedding. Monumental. What a beautiful city/country. I blogged about it earlier, so no repeat info here, except to admonish: don’t eat the durians.

New business. Wasn’t looking for it, but a new account dropped into my lap via a mutual banking acquaintance. Nice company in Bev Hills. Seems to be a good fit. Extra income is very helpful!

Coming up: Won’t call them resolutions. Goals, perhaps.

Get organized. As I mentioned earlier, I am drowning in paperwork. The amount of mail we get is staggering. Because I am involved in so much, I have multitudes of files for my charitable organizations, my accounting clients, my book marketing campaigns, my school work, and just the day-to-day garbajjjjhe that lingers because it doesn’t quite fit anywhere. This has got to stop, because it’s dragging me down emotionally!

Lightening the load. Speaking of those charitable orgs, I need to quietly step away from some. Not looking forward to doing that, it’s not easy, but something’s gotta give!

Tasting life…and wine. The 4^th annual Relay For Life Wine Tasting is coming to my backyard on May 8^th. Am putting together a committee to ramp this thing up a bit this year. Despite the less-than-stellar economy, it might be our best year yet.

There’s more, a lot more, but I tire of windy blogs.  Back later.

(now I can’t think of the word) screenwriting jam session, I was hooked at the start. Problem is, the producers want to render Peter Appleton’s (Carrey) script unrecognizable with ludicrous alterations. Appleton storms out, has a car accident, loses his memory and ends up in small coastal town in Nor Cal. From there, a poignant, heart-warming story unfolds, centering around the resurrection of a local movie theater. Romance blossoms, and Appleton takes his lovely to Point Cabrillo Lighthouse.

Pt. Cabrillo in the rain

Oh! This is sweet.

I happened onto a wonderful production journal for this movie, and the shooting at the lighthouse is fun to read. Sorry, no production photos, but you can imagine it well. Most fans of this genre (romantic dramedy) will love this film, whether they like Carrey or not. It’s a feel-good, with great scenery (obviously!), and a variety of wonderful California shooting locations:  Union Station, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Griffith Park, Fort Bragg, Trinidad State Beach, Santa Monica Pier and the gorgeous little town of Mendocino (and yes, cast & crew did a bit of wine tasting while in the area).

Parts were even filmed right here in my hometown, at the Golden Oak Ranch, owned by Disney and rented out to other production companies.  (See news about Golden Oak’s huge upcoming expansion here.)

If you’re interested in the production journal, get it here; lots of details about the filming and general fun shenanigans that go on during a location shoot. All of great interest to me, of course. Besides Carrey, “The Majestic” stars Laurie Holden, Martin Landau, James Whitmore, David Ogden Stiers, Hal Holbrook and voice cameos by famous film directors Carl and Robert Reiner, Garry Marshall, Paul Mazursky, and Sidney Pollack. A hoot!

Isn’t Point Cabrillo just the cutest lighthouse? If you find yourself traveling to Northern California, this is one not to miss. The docents and caretakers have many programs and opportunities for visitors, and the website has a calendar of events. This is not a lighthouse that shutters itself from lighthouse lovers!

I confess to not re-viewing this film lately. I couldn’t wait to see it when it came out, ten years ago, for two reasons. One, I was a huge Kevin Costner fan at the time, and two, I’d read the book by Nicholas Sparks (also available for Kindle, Sandy!). I bought the book in the airport as we were getting ready to board a vacation flight to Colorado. I read it in one day. I was disappointed in the book; the story was great, but the mechanics were poor. Not well edited, IMO. Head-hopping so often I couldn’t tell who was thinking what. Simple, but annoying habits like repeated use of the same adjectives. Sentence structure was uninspired. I mention this because it was that day that I got out my old, dusty manuscripts and decided I would one day be published. Thanks, Nick.

Aside from my then-schoolgirl-type-crush on Costner, I’ve had a life-long love affair with Paul Newman. I could watch him do a paper towel commercial and drop into a full swoon. Not that he ever did such a thing. He (and Costner, to some extent) was the inspiration for the character of Dane Pierce in STARCROSSED HEARTS. If you want to see Paul in one of his (IMO) sexiest early roles, see WINNING.

But I digress. Seguin Island Lighthouse is located in what is one of the foggiest places in the world, according to those wonderful Lighthouse Friends. It is Maine’s second lighthouse, and was authorized by George Washington. That’s old. The Fresnel lens is 13 feet high, and still operating, thanks to the Friends of Seguin Island, who also see to the volunteer keepers year after year.

For die-hard romantics and hanky twisters, the film is worth seeing. And you, lucky readers, got two movie recommendations for the price of one!