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.

A quick surf through cyberspace will turn up numerous celebrations of National Lighthouse Day. I am celebrating by kicking off my month-long campaign to launch my latest romantic lighthouse mystery, CAPE SEDUCTION!

But back to NLD. What’s it all about, actually? Well, back in 1988, Senator John H. Chafee (Rhode Island) sponsored a joint resolution that was introduced to Congress on April 28^th, designating the day of August 7, 1989 as “National Lighthouse Day.” The enactment of the resolution would coincide with the 200^th anniversary of the signing of the Lighthouse Act and the commissioning of the first Federal lighthouse in the United States. Read more about it at my Legendary Lighthouses Blog.

Traditionally, those lighthouses open to the public plan special events and celebrations every August 7^th. This year is especially fun because the 7^th falls on Saturday, a day when lighthouse visitation is already high. One particular lighthouse, however, will remain shuttered today, as it does for most of the other 364 days a year:  St. George Reef, the inspiration for CAPE SEDUCTION. Which brings me to my campaign!

CAPE SEDUCTION officially launches in September. So, between now and September 10^th, I’ll be conducting a contest! I haven’t done one in awhile, so it’s time. Here are the answers to your questions:

WHAT DO I DO?

• Visit the excerpt page for CAPE SEDUCTION on my website.
• Post a Comment. Must be relevant to the excerpt, please!
• By posting, you agree to let me Tweet your wonderful comment or post it to Facebook.

WHEN DO I DO IT?

• Between August 7 and September 10, 2010, during which time I’ll be on my annual BOOK BLOG TOUR! (More on this next time.)

HOW DO I WIN?

• I will make a random drawing and announce the winner at my last BLOG TOUR STOP, which is LIFE AS A PUBLISHER with Karen Syed!

WHAT DO I WIN?

• Winner’s choice: $25 Gift Card from Barnes and Noble or
• Flash Drive loaded with 5 Echelon Press novels of your choice! (A $40 value!)

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU (ME)?

• The hope that the excerpt will inspire you to BUY CAPE SEDUCTION! You enlightened ebook readers can get it for $2.99, and those tactile-feely-paper-lovers are welcome to it for $13.99 from Amazon! Check Omnilit for various ebook formats of both lighthouse mysteries, CAPE SEDUCTION and POINT SURRENDER.)

As always, thanks for visiting my blog today. I know how valuable your reading time is.

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

St. George Reef Lighthouse, 1957, Courtesy John Gibbons

St. George Reef Lighthouse has some interesting stats. It’s largely considered the most expensive American lighthouse ever built—$700,000.00—and the most dangerous as well.  This direct quote from SENTINAL OF THE SEAS by Dennis M. Powers says it all:  “St. George Reef was the peak of a submerged volcanic mountain six miles off the northern extreme coast of California. Rough weather with howling winds and crushing waves could create mists that obliterated the peaks with great risks for mariners. In 1792 the British explorer George Vancouver had dubbed the reef-strewn area “Dragon Rocks,” and over time the reef became known as St. George Reef, in the hopes “that the dragon might one day be slain.” This is a must-have book for lighthouse enthusiasts.

My novel takes place partly in 1948. I had to know if it would be plausible for a person, a woman in particular, to live alone in a place such as St. George Reef Lighthouse back then. What challenges would she face? Was there electricity? Telephone? Radio? For these answers I turned to former keeper John Gibbons, who explained that the station generated its own electricity, both for the living quarters and the light beacon. Large diesel fuel tanks, located outside on the catch deck, were refilled every six months. These tanks were used to fill smaller tanks located in the engine room, which fueled massive generators, keeping the batteries charged. All part of an intricate system for keeping the lights going. Steam engines powered the foghorns.

Gibby mentioned that a bunch of the guys pooled their money for a small television, only to discover that there was no reception at sea. He also described for me the treacherous procedure for gaining access to the rock; small launches would arrive and endeavor to position themselves at the appropriate spot—amid rollicking waves—to be plucked from the sea by the lighthouse’s 50 foot boom. As the waves crested, lifting the boat to its highest level, the mariners had to quickly snag the boom hook with a huge O ring. They typically had 20 to 45 seconds. If they missed, they were at risk of being dashed against the rocks. At best, it took countless, dangerous minutes to reposition for the next wave. Once connected, the boom would swing the launch to a concrete boat deck. The process was repeated in reverse to return the boat to the waters which was even more dangerous. In 1951, a rogue wave slammed into the launch just as it was reaching the water. Three men died.

Do you recognize this photo? If so, contact me!

The keepers at SGRL were clearly at the mercy of the weather.

Savage storms and typhoon force winds battered the rock, sometimes for weeks on end. Despite a schedule that provided for ten-day stints at the lighthouse, the men couldn’t count on getting off the rock when high waves blew in and swept against the tower. During the winter of 1955, Coast Guardsmen were shut in for four weeks. Christmas dinner consisted of a can of Spam and crackers!

In the end, I decided that my heroine could, indeed, survive at St. George, but it would be harrowing and dangerous. Just the kind of drama that makes a mystery story a page-turner!

CAPE SEDUCTION by Anne Carter is under contract with Echelon Press, LLC., and scheduled for publication this winter.

Can You Imagine...?

I don’t remember the first time I saw or heard about St. George Reef Lighthouse. I was likely looking at Battery Point Lighthouse on-line, since we have a funny family memory of staying at the Curly Redwood Lodge in Crescent City many years ago. It was a foggy night, and, well, the foghorn at Battery Point was very efficient. Not only at warning the ships at sea, but at keeping us awake all night long. To this day, my husband mimics the horn with a deep, throaty hum whenever I talk about lighthouses. Which is often.

So Battery Point leads us to St. George Reef. Off shore, six miles off the nearest point of land, the lighthouse sits perched on a wave-washed rock it shares with a large family of seals. As seen in the famous photos of French lighthouse “Phare de la Jument” by Jean Guichard, St. George has seen some magnificent waves it its day as well. As I looked at photo after photo, and read about the tumultuous history of this extraordinary beacon, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be out there, all alone, abandoned in that water-locked tower.

Thus began the imagery for my romantic mystery, CAPE SEDUCTION, set for publication this winter. Once research began, I ran across a wonderful resource, SENTINEL OF THE SEAS by Dennis M. Powers, which is the history of St. George Reef Lighthouse. Powers did extensive digging, came up with great stories and photos retelling the life of this mysterious light station. As my novel required lots of details about the interior workings and accommodations, I contacted Mr. Powers for more information. He kindly referred me to one of the last U.S. Coast Guardsmen to man the lighthouse. John “Gibby” Gibbons was delighted to hear from me, and spent a long time on the telephone describing the engine room, the galley and sleeping quarters. He answered all my questions, then asked for my address. He later sent me a wonderful photo of SGRL take from a helicopter in the 1950’s, and several snapshots from his years in residence. I am incredibly grateful to this generous man.

There’s more to tell, but I am out of room for today. Stay tuned on subsequent Mondays for upcoming installments about this and other  fascinating lighthouses!