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Thursday, January 09, 2014

Come visit Dolphin Bay! - Kandy Shepherd


One thing I really love about being an author is creating settings for my books. The most fun are settings that spring from my imagination but are heavily influenced by real life places I have visited.

The beautiful south coast New South Wales, Australia, is the setting for The Summer They Never Forgot

 For my fictional small coastal town of Dolphin Bay, the setting of my February 04 release, The Summer They Never Forgot, I was influenced by the beautiful south coast of New South Wales, Australia, about four hours south of Sydney.

I wish I was there right now!

 I have spent many happy vacations there and plundered memories of quaint towns, pristine beaches and unspoiled bushland to create Dolphin Bay. One early review of the book says the setting “is described so beautifully, readers will almost feel the sand between their toes”.

The town of Penguin has penguins everywhere, my fictional Dolphin Bay has dolphins

 The people of my fictional Dolphin Bay celebrate the dolphins that come to frolic in their waters in images and representations of dolphins all over town, from decals to trash cans.

On a recent visit to Penguin the penguins were dressed for Christmas!

 Here, I was influenced by the delightful small, beachside town of Penguin in the southern Australian island state of Tasmania. There are penguins everywhere in Penguin! I personally love dolphins so did for my Dolphin Bay what the good folk of Penguin do for their town.

I loved the dolphin outdoor shower at the Blue Dolphin Inn

 When eighteen months ago I stayed at the wonderful Blue Dolphin Inn in Cambria, California, and saw how cleverly they used dolphins in their décor, I knew I was on the right track!

More beautiful  dolphins at the Blue Dolphin Inn

 Of course in The Summer They Never Forgot the dolphins aren’t what have stayed in my heroine Sandy Adam’s memories of Dolphin Bay—her thoughts center around handsome surfer Ben Morgan, the first love she’d never been able to forget. When Sandy and Ben are reunited after twelve years will they get a second chance at a forever love?



The Summer They Never Forgot, will be released on February 04, 2014 in the US, the UK and Australia. (Yes, I'm counting the days!)

Do you have a special vacation place that lingers in your memory?  Anything quirky about a place that you particularly like? Please leave a comment—I’d love to hear about it!

I have two signed copies of The Summer They Never Forgot to give away. Please include your email address in your comment if you want to be included in the draw.

"Will you please unpack the books and give me the box," my kitty Ivy seems to say.

 Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.



Kandy’s contemporary women's fiction e-book, Reinventing Rose, is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and other e-book retailers. 

Her romances include the Amazon bestseller The Castaway Bride, Something About Joe, and the award-winners Love is a Four-Legged Word and Home Is Where the Bark Is.


Visit Kandy at her website

28 comments:

Fiona Lowe said...

Kandy, I love the sound of Dolphin Bay and I can't wait for your February release!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Thanks Fiona - I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to read the book!

Anna Campbell said...

Kandy, thank you so much for sending me an advance copy of this wonderful story. I've got about 50 pages to go and I'm just adoring it. Just beautiful and so real. And they're right about that setting just leaping off the page (like a dolphin out of the water!). Bravo, you!

Laney4 said...

Reminds me of Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, where there are dinosaurs everywhere!
seytype [at] hotmail [dot] com

Unknown said...

I so loved this story - the pic bring the pages to life. Please dont include me I have read this book and havea copy loved it !!!! WOnderful story Kandy x

Kandy Shepherd said...

Anna ,thank you for your kind words. I'm delighted you are enjoying the story so much! And I love your simile about the dolphin leaping out of the water!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Laney, I Googled Drumheller and saw what you meant about the dinosaurs. Wow! It looks like an amazing place. I'd love to see it sometime -- ideally with a dinosaur-mad child in tow, they'd think it was heaven!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Hi Katrina, how lovely to see you here. I'm so glad you loved the story -- I find it a nail-biting time waiting for reaction from readers. My critique partners can like it, my editors can like it, but when my readers like it, that's when I heave a sigh of relief!

petite said...

Loved your wonderful photos. When we visit a beach in N.J. I am transported to another era since it reminds me of the 1950's. Relaxing, beautiful, and special. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

traveler said...

Such a great post which resounded with me. Spending holidays during my younger days with family at a lake up north always was memorable and unforgettable. Your pics are great.

Annie West said...

Kandy, I just had to say that because I've snaffled an early copy of this book, I've just started reading it and it's fantastic! Yay! So enjoying it. Perfect holiday fare too. Love the Dolphin theme too.

Karen H said...

Same song, second verse! Your blog doesn't like me. Ate my first post! Anyway, I love the pictures you posted. I think I should spend my winters in Australia and my summers here in the USA. The Australian beaches always seem to be so serene and empty of people and hotels and beach homes.

kareninnc at gmail dot com

Kandy Shepherd said...

So glad you enjoyed the photos, petite. The ones of sand and beach were taken by my lovely god-daughter which makes them special to me. I should imagine the beaches in the 1950s must have been idyllic!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Thank you traveler, I'm so glad the photos struck a chord with you. Family holidays near the water seem particularly special, don't they?

Kandy Shepherd said...

Thanks, Annie, for letting me know you're enjoying the book! Glad you like the dolphins, they are such gorgeous creatures I really enjoyed making them part of the story.

Kandy Shepherd said...

Grrr, darn Blogger! I've had a few people contact me to say their comments were eaten... So glad yours finally got through, Karen. Wouldn't it be wonderful to spend half the year in each Hemisphere and avoid the depths of winter every year? I'd love it too!
The reason I like the south coast of New South Wales so much is that it is so unspoiled, there are other areas of Australia where the hotels and multi-floor apartments have taken over - though they have their charm, too, of course!

girlygirlhoosier52 said...

Sounds as lovely as it looks!! Congrats!!!

Linda Henderson said...

I would have to say Eureka Springs Arkansas. Both my daughters were married there and we love going there to visit. They have beautiful scenery and lovely shops with crafts and souvenirs. It's my go to place to visit.

Jo's Daughter said...

We never go on vaction, the last time we went somewhere for more than a day was 20 years ago. I was a child and don't remember. For me vacation or traveling is achieved through books. They transport me to wild, exotic or busy, warm places. Sometimes to towns covered in snow and with wonderful people too. Reading is what gives me a break and makes me relaxed. Not the same but as I don't recall different I think it's wonderful.

Jo's Daughter said...

Oops, my email = devapajo AT gmail (dot) com

Laurie G said...

The quirkiest place to vacation was Key West, FL. The atmosphere is very laid back. Anything goes! I loved the sunsets at the pier and the colorful people who preformed or watched. It's a very eclectic crowd.

johns lake at usa dot com

Linda Henderson said...

Forgot my email.

seriousreader at live dot com

Kandy Shepherd said...

Thanks girly girl!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Books are wonderful for transporting us to different worlds, aren't they Joe's daughter!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Key West sounds gorgeous, Laurie, and definitely a place I'd like to visit!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Eureka Springs sounds like a wonderful place, Linda, just the kind of place I like to visit!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Thanks everyone, for your comments. The winners of the signed copies of THE SUMMER THEY NEVER FORGOT are Laney4 and Linda Henderson.
I'll have another copy to give away next month!
Kandy

Laney4 said...

Just sent my email, Kandy. Thanks so much!
Congrats to Linda on her big win too!