Ah, the
seaside! Such a lovely place. We are fortunate to live within driving distance
of many beautiful, sandy beaches along the British coast. Our favourite family
destination is Talacre Beach in North Wales. It is dog friendly all year round,
there is a quirky old lighthouse that always fires my imagination, and the
beach is surrounded by sand dunes to explore. Every time we visit I come home
feeling refreshed and invigorated. Wading into the shallow waves along the
shore, feeling the cold sea water wash over my feet, I drink in the natural
healing powers of the ocean. And then I walk across the soft sand, allowing it
to warm my feet and tickle my toes. Bliss!
It is no
surprise that most of my novels are set in seaside locations. TheRedcliffe novels, for example, are set in a fictitious holiday town in
Cornwall. The location was inspired many years ago when we used to holiday down
there at a friends’ hotel. I spent many hours wandering along the beach,
exploring the working harbour, and climbing higher up to look out over the bay,
all the while picturing my werewolves and vampires hunting around the area.
More
recently I turned my attentions to a classic Victorian seaside holiday
destination. Blackpool is a town with a chequered past, to say the least. It
was established by the Victorians as a place to visit the sea, take in the
fresh air, and revive the senses after long, hard days spent working in the
industrial factories of the North of England. Nowadays, Blackpool draws in
crowds of families, and it is a popular destination for hen parties and stag
parties (I had my hen weekend there, years ago!). Read The Vampire of Blackpool
for my take on contemporary English Gothic, and see what you think.
Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started…
(be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!)
