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Jacqueline C. Thomas - Romance Novelist

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I Finally Made it to Half Moon Bay!

February 10, 2022 by jackiecthomas Leave a Comment

The View from David’s balcony…….

A few years back I wrote about the importance of place. I was reading my first work, Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown while I happened to be visiting New Orleans. In my years of travels I’ve been able been lucky to experience the feeling and cultures of other cities and towns.

When I wrote my first novel, Sailing in Silicon Valley, I wrote about a place I’d never been to. I asked friends and family about the area and pieced what I could from the internet. As I did multiple re-writes I swore each time, that the next time it would be in Half Moon Bay, California, where a good part of the book is set. For a lot of reason, that didn’t happen.

So at the urdging of those around me I finally booked a trip to Jackie’s first book land. I rented an incredible Air B&B further down the coast, and set off for the land all things David and Naomi. Years back I’d traveled to the Napa by myself but it had been quite a while since I’d traveled alone. My week away was to decompress and relax after the two most stressful years of my life thus far.

I also wanted to make the most of being where my first book was set. I arrived late on a Sunday evening and as I drove south from the airport in San Francisco, I cut over to Highway 1 to cruise along the Pacific, and right through Half Moon Bay. I was driving where the characters in my book would drive. (Side note here: Yes, I know my characters are not real, but ask any other author about their characters and they’ll go on like they’re family members. It’s an author thing!) As I crested tall hills the sunlight was the most beautiful golden yellow color, and suddenly there was the Pacific Ocean. I had finally made it to Half Moon Bay!

As I drove, I tried to take in every little detail, and stay on the road at the same time. I was mesmerized to be somewhere I’d written about, researched, and discussed constantly as I wrote. Originally, I’d tried to stay in Half Moon Bay but it didn’t work out and I ended staying about an hour south of there at my own (rented) beach house on the coast.

I fell asleep each night to the sound of the ocean as my characters would have, and I walked on the beach like they would have. What an experience!

Falling asleep to moonlight over the ocean and waking to the waves at dawn.

I took one whole day and drove around Silicon Valley. I went to Apple because I think that is most like the company in the book. I had a fancy coffee in their gift shop, and then wandered around Stanford for a bit. I had a decadent lunch in Palo Alto. The whole thing was like living pages in the book and it was incredible.

Very Silicon Valley…. At Apple HQ

I’d love to gush on about how it recharged me as a writer, and I started or finished a new work, but the truth is… I wrote a little and nothing of consequence. But this trip wasn’t about that, it was about resting and recharging. I did however read an incredible romantic comedy, on the balcony overlooking the ocean. It was so good I read it in one day! The book is called The Optimist by Sophie Kipner. I seriously could not put it down. It is laugh out loud funny, and I usually am not a big romantic comedy reader but this one was a treat!

Reading snack with a view…. yes please!

I am currently querying, and looking for representation for Sailing in Silicon Valley. Not matter what happens, this book will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my very first novel. It will now hold a special place because it was the catalyst for this incredible experience. Seriously, if you have the opportunity to experience something like this, do it! I only wish I would have went while I was still re-writing.

Filed Under: Querying, Sailing in Silicon Valley, Uncategorized, What I am Reading, Writing, Writing Space

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