I’d Land on an Island

This week we were asked:

If you had an unlimited amount of funds and time to visit any place in the world to do research for a book, where would you go? Do you have a project in mind?

Absolutely!

Most of you may  know that I got this gig as the Friday Fox from the founding Fox, Jillian Chantel. Bless her heart, I think she liked the way I came in and commented all the time! I had poetry and non-fiction articles published, I won a very nice award for song lyrics, but, even though this blog began as a group of romance writers, I was not sure I could do a romance.

 

That was until Jillian posted a photo which she had taken on a trip to the Caribbean and as soon as I saw it, a story came flooding into my head.  A short time after that, another former Fox, (Micki Gibson), got me involved with a writing challenge. I used it to get started on the photo-inspired story and I won, but I have still not gotten all of the novel down in type.

I still “write” this story in my head and I make notes. I am glad that I have taken so long because I know that the things which I have since thought of adding, (or omitting), are better for the story.

Since the story came to be from a Caribbean wall, that is where the story is based. However, I have regrettably never been to the Islands.

I love the ocean! Although I have been living landlocked for far too long, I can describing it is not a problem.

(And I saw it last summer again. It hadn’t changed!)
I have a friend whose family once owned a large portion of a resort island in the Caribbean, (and still has a piece of it), and so I based much of the two small islands in the story on parts of it. The incredible amount of beautiful, clear, digital photos from her and the Internet have given me comprehensive ideas of the terrain on ‘my’ islands, plus, I have seen her family’s personal videos of the place. It is almost as good as being there…ALMOST.

I know food, and have done some research on the foods of the different sections of the Caribbean.  Not that I want it to be a big ‘foodie’ story, despite some people’s advice that I make it one.

However much information I have, I would LOVE to go to the Caribbean and  experience the Islands  firsthand.

I would really, really, really love to.

Would I go with no time or monetary restraints?

Darn tootin’!
Even with some!

Now, if only, along with the time and money that I needn’t worry about, I’d have “unlimited energy”.

Anyone care to join me on my would-be fact-finding excursion to St Barth’s?

[BTW: Do you know anything about large sailboats, or know someone I can ask about them? That is the only place where I really need more information and am having a bit of trouble finding it. I don’t want to fake ideas; I have complained about too many other writers not doing their research and I want my characters to be on a fair-sized, old sailing vessel.]