My work at Soundings Magazine is done. The economic malaise has hurt every segment of the marine industry, and marine publications are no exception. Soundings, although it is what I consider the best boating publication in the nation, is not immune. For me, the consequence was a permanent layoff
Still, my relationship with editor Bill Sisson remains strong, and I will no doubt contribute to the magazine on a freelance basis. But first, Monica, Robin and I have to deal with the current situation. So I'm looking for a source of income to replace what I've lost at Soundings.
In the course of reporting stories for Soundings, I was fortunate to meet a sailor who is also a very successful author of youth novels and other literary books. I'll call him Gary of the West, because he normally shuns publicity. Eventually, his name will become known when my profile of him appears in Soundings.
In any case, Gary became familiar with my writing and thought enough of it to encourage me to take up his sort of work. As a result, I have begun writing my first youth novel. Like working for a boating magazine, writing a youth novel is great fun. Monica in time will decide that it is not work at all because I love what I'm doing.
I already know what my second youth novel will be about. I will probably start that one next winter. It is about a grandfather who sails singlehanded to Bermuda in a race and there takes aboard his 14-year-old grandson as crew for the return leg. During that voyage, the grandfather's health fails, and it is up to the grandson to bring them both back alive, if he can.
As you may have surmised, there will be a bit of autobiography in the story.
I am hoping, of course, to make money on the youth novels so I can continue to afford sharing time with Monica aboard Robin.
At the same time, I will be attempting to find publishers for the two non-fiction books I've already written -- An Irresponsible Adult and Swimming in the Shadow of Death. Please look below for more information on these books and how to order them.
I had finished An Irresponsible Adult following the 2007 Bermuda One-Two race, which serves as the dramatic thread for that memoir/reflection. It was a thin book of about 75,000 words. Now, following the 2009 Bermuda One-Two, I intend to update the book with the story of the singlehanded leg in which Robin finished not next-to-last but second in class and third in fleet on corrected time. I thought it was a good book before. Now I think it will be an even stronger story which I hope you will buy and enjoy.
I'll be checking in here from time to time to let you know what is happening aboard Robin. Please stay tuned.