On Pensacola Beach - Waiting for Hurricane(?) Karen with Jim Cantore

Me and TWC's Jim Cantore at Pensacola Beach.

Now I have been a fan of The Weather Channel's meteorologist, Jim Cantore, for many years. Jim is pretty much a fixture when it comes to tropical storms and hurricanes. He has an uncanny sense of where those dreaded hurricanes are going to make landfall. Some even dare to say that Jim Cantore is a magnet for hurricanes.

This morning at Pensacola Beach. Waiting for Karen.

Well, when I turned on The Weather Channel this morning, there was Jim Cantore reporting from Pensacola Beach. So how could I resist? I live just over the bridge from the beach, so I had to drive over there to meet Jim and to take some beach photos.

This morning at the east side of the Pensacola Beach pier.

I have to say that Jim was very gracious and even had one of his camera crew take a couple photos of us with my camera. (If you're reading this post Jim, thank you so very much.)




Storm clouds above the Pensacola Beach pier.

I handed Jim my card and told him that I'm a local author, I have a blog and I follow him on Twitter. Well, my card has the cover of my book, Outback Love. So Jim said, "Outback Love?" And I mentioned that I'm a romance writer. Jim responded with, "I could use some romance in my life." Couldn't we all?

Surfers this morning on Pensacola Beach.

I told Jim that it was great getting to meet him, but that if he was at Pensacola Beach it meant that Karen is probably heading our way. So meeting Jim Cantore is sort of a good and bad thing. Nice to meet him, but we really don't want a hurricane coming our way.

Awesome storm clouds over Pensacola Beach this morning.

Well, I walked the beach and snapped a bunch of pre-Karen photos. The surf was up and the sun was peeking through the clouds and sparkling on the water. The clouds were gorgeous, as always when a tropical storm or hurricane is in the Gulf.

A view of Pensacola Beach from beneath the pier.

Several surfers were out, but the waves were breaking in such a way that the rides were short. I talked to one of the surfers who said he hoped the waves would be better this afternoon.

The far west end of Pensacola Beach.

Overall, the storm clouds were awesome this morning. At the time of these photos, Tropical Storm Karen was approximately 270 miles SSW of  Pensacola Beach. The actual point of landfall is still unknown.

Seagulls waiting for Tropical Storm/Hurricane Karen.

In spite of the fact that it was really cool getting to meet Jim Cantore this morning, we Floridians would rather have Tropical Storm Karen fizzle out in the Gulf and never reach hurricane strength.

Jim, you're welcome to visit our beach any ol' time, just please don't bring a hurricane with you.

Hurricane Season Again? Greetings from Pensacola Beach!

Red Flag Warning on Pensacola Beach today.

I could have sworn we just got through the last Hurricane Season and here it is again? Well, I figured that was a good reason to make a quick trip to the beach this afternoon to snap some photos of the wild surf.

Today's heavy surf on Pensacola Beach.

Red Flags were out warning beach goers to stay out of the dangerous surf. In spite of the warnings a few surfers were trying to catch some waves.

Me trying not to get blown over by the strong winds.

I've seen rougher surf through the years, but the wind was blowing hard enough that I wondered if I'd become airborne. I could easily believe that Hurricane Season starts tomorrow.

Beach goers at the edge of the surf.

Some hardy souls were walking along the edge of the surf. Lots of salt spray in the air, which gave it a hazy quality close to the surf.

Lifeguards were out in force today.

On the other hand, looking away from the waves the sky was a bright blue with hardly a cloud in sight. Lifeguards were out in force all along the beach.

A view of beach goers, seagulls and the Ferris Wheel.

I took a few photos of the Ferris Wheel which is supposedly relocating to Atlanta's Centennial Park in the near future. Apparently, not enough people are riding the Ferris Wheel to make it cost effective to keep it on Pensacola Beach.

I didn't spend much time on the beach this afternoon. I'm not really into getting blasted with wet sand. I prefer the tranquil beach days with a soft gulf breeze and gentle surf.

What Are We Reading This Summer?

My Summer Reads

What are you reading this summer? For readers, this is a very important question. Summer is supposed to be a time when we relax. Vacation time. Beach time. If nothing else, summer is a state of mind. However you chose to look at it, summer is different from the rest of the year. The weather is hotter, often scorching hot. In tropical climbs like Florida, summer brings tropical storms and dreaded hurricanes.

For those of us who live in Florida, summer is six months long (winter is two weeks at most). So what dates do I use for a Florida summer? I'll stick with the summer tourist season, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. So before I go off on another tangent, let's get down to the real reason for this post, What are we reading this summer?

Now first off I can hear my mother asking, "We? Do you have a mouse in your pocket?" She used to drive me nuts with that question as a kid.  Funny, all these many years later, she hasn't asked me that question lately. Okay, I told you, I have a tendency to go off in different directions.

What are we reading this summer? I really want to know. I, for one, have read some great books, many of them Indies and I've reread some old favorites. So I'm going to share them with you, just in case you care to know. On the other hand, I really want to know what you're reading too. Have you found some exciting/thrilling/enchanting/memorable reads?

As a writer/reader I don't have as much time to read as I'd like. Things like plugging away on my work(s) in progress, marketing my books that are already published, editing (yeah, I hate that part), blogging (I love that) and Tweeting (just plain fun). Reading fits in there somewhere. "So many books, so little time."

So now we're down to the "I'll show you mine and you show me yours." Sheesh! We're talking books silly. I'll tell you what I've been reading this summer and what I hope to read before the season is over and you'll (hopefully) do the same via the comments below. This is also a time where you can shamelessly mention your own books too (as suggested summer reads) and even include your blog addy and Twitter ID. Readers need to know what great books are out there.

Here's a list of all my reads since Memorial Day weekend. I heartily recommend every single one of them. This is the order in which I read them.

Golden Boy by R. G. Lawrence
Judgement Tramp by J. D. Currie
Eye of the Storm by Denise Moncrief (short story)
Hurricane  (A Novel of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane) by Janice Thompson
Drinking with Dead Women Writers by Elaine Ambrose & A. K. Turner
Hurricane, A Short Story by R. Narvaez
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Stay Close, Novac! by Jan Romes
Sullivan's War: Prologue - Sergeant Riley's Account by Michael K. Rose
Sullivan's War: Book 1 - All Good Men Serve the Devil by Michael K. Rose
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

I'm currently reading (almost finished) the following:

Short Stories by Michael K. Rose
Wool (Omnibus Ed.) by Hugh Howey (soon to be an awesome movie)

Whew! Now that I've listed them all, that's more books than I'd realized. I'm a night owl and have a difficult time falling asleep, so I do most of my reading at night. Though sometimes I take a break for much of a day and just read. That's how I relax and how I rejuvenate my brain.

Now here's my wish list of the books I hope/plan to read by summer's end (not necessarily in the following order):

Tales from the Spanish Mustang by Benjamin X. Wretlind
Summer with Fidel by R. G. Lawrence
Sullivan's War: The Complete Adventure by Michael K. Rose
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury (read previously in my college years)
Mark of the Loon by Molly Greene
Treasure Me by Christine Nolfi
Bluewater Vengeance by C. L. R. Dougherty
Land of the Noonday Sun by Carmen DeSousa
Haunting Refrain by Ellis Vidler
Kiss Me by Jan Romes
The River Between (The River Series, Bk 1) by Jacquelyn Cook (I have the whole series)
Bradbury Stories by Ray Bradbury (may take me all year to read the 100 short stories)

Note - This is just my short-list for summer reading and is bound to change with the addition of other books I discover along the way. Reading, after all, is a wonderful journey of exploration and enjoyment. I'm always asking myself, "What should I read next?" That's the joy of it, not knowing which path you'll take next.

I'm now the proud owner of two Kindles: my old Kindle Keyboard (still running after 2+ years) and my new Kindle Fire (a birthday present last week from my husband). I have more eBooks than I can count on my Kindles and archived in the cloud. With the exception of the Ray Bradbury books, all I'm reading these days are Indie books on my Kindles. Once again I attest that "Indies Rock!"

Please take a few moments of your time to comment below. What enjoyable/notable books have you read so far this summer? What do you hope to read before summer is out? Do you have a book(s) of your own you'd like to recommend for a summer read? We readers want to know these things, so please jump in with the books you think we'd love to read this summer. Thanks so much! I'm looking forward to your summer reads.

Hurricane Season and Hurricane Fiction

A stormy day at Pensacola Beach.

June 1st is the start of Hurricane Season. Here on the Gulf Coast we take this time of year seriously. Hurricanes are no laughing matter when they reach our coast. Nature's might is horrifying and awesome at the same time.

I have a love/hate relationship with hurricanes. I'm overwhelmed by their beauty, yet hate their destructive power. As a writer and artist I'm transfixed in the face of a storm, any storm, even a hurricane. I find myself searching for words and colors that describe the magnificent demon that dares to destroy all in its violent path.

As a school age child I first learned about hurricanes when I read A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes. From that moment on I had this great yearning to be in a hurricane, to experience that mighty destructive force first-hand. Now remember, I was just a kid and kids only think about the excitement, the thrill, and not the fact that hurricanes maim, kill, destroy. All I thought about was the power of the wind.

My interest in hurricanes is what first made me want to move to Florida, years before I actually moved here. Hurricanes and Florida have a long history and I thought that if I moved here I'd most likely experience a hurricane somewhere down the line. That was in my young, invincible days. As an adult I'd like to think that I'm older and wiser now. Well, I'm definitely "older," but still not sure about the "wiser" part. Now, though I still have a fascination with hurricanes, I'd just as soon they stay far away from Florida and the Gulf Coast.

My husband and I first moved to Florida back in 1982. Gee, was it that long ago? Both of our parents had retired to Florida, so it was a logical choice. Plus, my husband was born and raised in southern Alabama, so the Florida Panhandle was close to home for him. Anyway, this area had been ravaged back in 1979 by Hurricane Frederick. Though its landfall was Dauphin Island, Mobile, AL, the Florida Panhandle had a significant amount of damage. (Hurricane Frederick, Sept. 13, 1979)

On our first vacation to New Orleans, my husband drove us through beautiful Biloxi and Pass Christian, Mississippi where Hurricane Camille in 1969 devastated the area. (Hurricane Camille, Cat.5, Aug. 17-19, 1969)

A few years later, in 1985, Hurricanes Elena, Juan and Kate wrecked havoc on the Gulf Coast. (Hurricane Elena, Sept. 2, 1985, landfall near Biloxi, MS) (Hurricane Juan, Cat.1, Oct. 31, 1985, landfall near Pensacola, FL) (Hurricane Kate, late Nov. 1985, landfall near Port St. Joe, FL)

In 1995 Hurricane Opal hit the Florida Panhandle in the area of Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach. In 2004 Hurricane Ivan, which made landfall in Gulf Shores, AL, pretty much destroyed Pensacola Beach. In 2005 Hurricane Dennis made landfall in Pensacola. It was followed by Hurricane Katrina which devastated all of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and flooded New Orleans. (Hurricane Opal, Cat.3, Oct. 4, 1995) (Hurricane Ivan, Cat.3, Sept. 16, 2004) (Hurricane Dennis, Cat.4, July 10, 2005) (Hurricane Katrina, Cat.5, Aug. 29, 2005)

Now once again we're facing another Hurricane Season. Those of us who live in hurricane prone areas diligently watch the weather forecasts. We eye the spaghetti pattern predictions of possible landfalls. We worry about highs and lows and weather patterns. We keep an eye on those tropical depressions birthed from the coast of Africa and watch them cross the Atlantic, heading west. The Caribbean? The Gulf of Mexico? The East Coast? Florida? The Florida Panhandle? No matter where a hurricane makes landfall, it leaves a path of destruction. We pretty much hope and pray the tropical storms and hurricanes do loop-de-loops through the Atlantic and leave the rest of us alone.

Now as I said in the title of this post, this has to do with Hurricane Season and Hurricane Fiction. Where does the fiction part come into play? Like I said, I have a fascination with hurricanes, so over the years I've found myself drawn to hurricane fiction. I'll pretty much read any work of fiction that has a hurricane as a major character.

On the off-chance that some of you out there have this same fascination with hurricanes, I've decided to list some of that great hurricane fiction. I've divided my lists up between Favorite Hurricane Fiction, Hurricane Fiction TBR on my Kindle, Hurricane Fiction on my Amazon Wish List, YA Hurricane Fiction and More Hurricane Fiction. There are some great reads in all these lists, so I hope you'll give some of them a try.

Favorite Hurricane Fiction:

A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
Eyewall by H.W. "Buzz" Bernard
Hurricane by Karen Harper
Wading Home: A Novel of New Orleans by Rosalyn Story
Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate
Dungda de Islan' by C.L.R. Dougherty (non-fiction)
Hurricane, A Novel of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane by Janice Thompson
Hurricane, A Short Story by R. Narvaez 

Hurricane Fiction TBR on my Kindle:

Eye of the Storm by Denise Moncrief
Dancing in a Hurricane by Laura Breck
Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth Jones
Anti-requiem: New Orleans Stories by Louis Maistros
Rooftop Diva, A Novel of Triumph After Katrina by D.T. Pollard
The Storm Killer by Mike Jastrzebski

Hurricane Fiction on my Amazon Wish List:

Summer Storms by Rebecca Lyn
The Hurricane by Hugh Howey
The Hurricane Lover by Joni Rodgers
Outcome, A Novel (There's more than a hurricane coming) by Barbara Ebel
Hurricane by Jenna Lynne Duncan
Hurricanes & Hangovers by Dear Miss Mermaid
Eye to Eye with a Hurricane by Audrey Phillips
Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen
Against the Wind by Virginia Kelly
Onslaught by Teri Thackston
When Seagulls Fly Inland by Ann Davis
The Storm is Coming: An Anthology by Various, Ed. by Sarah Holroyd
The Tin Roof Blowdown (Dave Robicheaux Mystery) by James Lee Burke

YA Hurricane Fiction:

A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi
Stolen by the Sea by Anna Myers
Back Creek by Leslie Goetsch
A Death on the Wolf  by G.M. Frazier
Oliver's Surprise (A Boy, a Schooner and the Great Hurricane of 1938) by Carol Newman Cronin
Cape Cod Surprise (Oliver Matches Wits with Hurricane Carol) by Carol Newman Cronin

More Hurricane Fiction:

In Hazard by Richard Hughes
Stormy Murder by Marthanne Shubert
Sugar Doll's Hurricane Blues by Kalua Lauber
Carolina Hurricane by Shannon Dauphin
Of Winds and Rage by F. Mark Granato
Down in the Flood by Kenneth Abel
Hurricane Warning by Ginger Simpson

I'm sure I've missed a lot of great hurricane fiction, so please feel free to comment below and mention other hurricane books (fiction and non-fiction) that you'd like to recommend. Also, at the bottom right column of my blog is a list of Hurricane Links for those who want more information about hurricanes.

Updated on 6/5/12 (see below)

Hurricane Non-Fiction (books that look interesting)

Hurricane Watch: Forecasting the Deadliest Storms on Earth by Dr. Bob Sheets & Jack Williams
Isaac's Storm (A Man, A Time & the Deadliest Hurricane in History) by Erik Larson
Infinite Monster (Hurricane Ike 2008, Galveston) by Rhiannon Meyers & Leigh Jones
Hurricane Audrey (The Deadly Storm of 1957) by Cathy C. Post
Island in a Storm (Aug. 10, 1856) by Abby Sallenger
Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938 by R.A. Scotti
Hurricanes of the Gulf of Mexico by Barry D. Keim & Robert A. Muller
The Great Hurricane 1938 by Cherie Burns
Hurricane Camille: Monster Storm of the Gulf Coast by Philip D. Hearn
A Weekend in September by John Edward Weems
Last Train to Paradise by Les Standiford
Black Cloud (The Deadly Hurricane of 1928) by Eliot Kleinberg
The Great Deluge (Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and...) Douglas G. Brinkley
Katrina, A Journey of Hope by Anthony Veltri
Hemingway's Hurricane by Phil Scott