I am a land dweller, I admit it. I love the mountains, love the plains (I always imagine myself on horseback with a feather in my hair and an eagle soaring overhead.) But the ocean? Well, that’s a different story. My sister, I’ve concluded, is half fish. She loves the water, loves sailing and swimming and sand stuck in inappropriate places.
That said, what do I do? I write a sci-fi/paranormal romance (BLUE ABYSS) where the heroine is kidnapped, sent through time, and genetically altered to breathe water. In the Bermuda Triangle! She hangs out with sharks and kills really scary alien bad guys in underwater caves. I had to research the creatures, the dive gear, the caves and the ocean itself. It’s HUGE. It’s cool. And it’s intimidating as hell. Nothing like a mountain or the Pacific to remind us how small we are. So, here’s my top ten reasons the ocean scares the you know what out of me.
1 – Sharks. (Weak, I know. But I saw Jaws. Need I say more?)
2 – I can’t breathe water. (I need to go up to Celestina’s space ship and talk to her about that.)
3 – Tsunami (Scary.)
4 – Riptides
5 – Hurricanes
6 – The Bermuda Triangle
7 – It’s DEEP, never get to the bottom deep. Who knows what’s down there?!
8 – Giant monster squid that rocket up from the deep and eat stuff three times my size.
9 – Sea-sickness (Yes, I get it on every boat, big or small – nausea nightmare!)
10 – Pirates. Yes, we still have them!
There you have it, a glimpse into my inner wimp. But Mari, my heroine in BLUE ABYSS loves the water, and everything about it. She’s an amazing deep cave diver and explorer. When I write her, I can pretend to be brave and see all that amazing underwater phenomenon. And I can be totally in love with Raiden, her smoking hot, crash-landed in the ocean, alien hero. He’s got his own set of special skills, but I have to keep that a secret for now. Blue Abyss is coming soon. Until then…until I’m sure Mari killed ALL the monsters…maybe I’ll just keep my feet firmly planted in the ground.
Cheers to all the water lovers out there! Sail some great sailing for me.
Michele Callahan
http://michelecallahan.com
So glad to have you here Michele. I’m like both of you. I love the water. Love snorkeling, loved scuba. But I wouldn’t trade my mountains for anything. Thanks for being my guest today.
Oh, Michele, I had to laugh. I’m part fish. I passed it onto one daughter. I called her a duck. We had a neighborhood pool where the girls hung out most of the summer. One just liked to look pretty and would jump in long enough to cool off. The other was always in the water. I’d drive by and see two feet sticking out of the water. That was her and I knew she was safe.
I’ll warn you, do not move to Tidewater, VA! The humidity is so high here you almost need gills. (I think the tourist bureau would like to kill me!) 90-100% humidity, and it’s not raining!
Hurricanes are not so scary. We know they are coming. We have time to prepare. They can do damage but a well built house is pretty safe. You expect some damage. Come visit me the next time one is coming! Bring batteries and be prepared to “camp” without electricity for a few days. Compared to earthquakes and tornadoes, hurricanes are mild.
Your books sounds wonderful! And I’m not a fan of paranormal, but I think I’m going to have to read this one.
I like everything about the mountains, the ocean and everything in between. Our earth is amazing. I love to snorkle, but I have a healthy respect for everything in the ocean. It’s sad how our ocean is being polluted.
I was probably born part fish. I’ve been in the water since I was able to walk and passed that onto my children. But the other half of me is all land lover. There’s something about the wind whipping through the trees, the feel of that horse underneath your legs, and the sight of the sun as it fades at the end of the day. Maybe because I’m only half and half, I don’t do the big scary stuff (yep, sharks, fish, etc). But water does soothe my soul.
I love your list and the book sounds amazing. All the best!
Hi, Michele.
I’m with Cindy. I love both my mountains and the water. Maybe it’s because I’m an east coast transplant. Well, at least I was born there and have fond, FOND memories of going to the Jersey Shore…back when it was okay to admit that. 🙂 Somehow, the thought of going to that shore now doesn’t appeal. But then, we also lived on the Pacific coast. Cold. I do love beaches and water and am part fish. But guess that’s “Vacation Me”. Given an opportunity to live in Maui, my next favorite place in the world, I’m not sure I could. It would mean leaving my Rocky Mountains.
But, give me an opportunity to explore the stars with my husband in tow? I’m soooo there! Can’t wait to meet your hero in Blue Abyss!!