Slideshow St. Martin

Here is a slideshow of some of our favorite beaches and places in St. Martin...including Happy Bay of course.



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To order the novel:  http://happybaynovel.com/

Book excerpt: Aftermath of Sandy's horrific first night in St. Martin

Yvette raised her hand indicating Sandy stop talking. “You have not even unpacked yet. You are not going anywhere. That…how you say...Pipsqueak knows better than to go against me.” She was poised and confident. Sandy believed her conviction was based in fact.

Yvette stood up and stepped carefully around the sticky floor tiles. “Return to your bed. Skip your first shift. Please leave the room at eight though, to provide the maids some extra time for this mess.” She paused and stroked Sandy’s hair before she left. “I am sorry I did not warn you of him Solange.” She let herself out, closing the door gently behind her.

The first traces of dawn cast a purple tint to the space between her terrace curtains. Sandy opened them and the sliding door they covered, and listened to the ocean’s rhythmic background roar. She didn’t feel sleepy enough to go back to bed, deciding instead to unpack and begin to make some semblance of her new home. Bundling up the sweat pants and condom to get them out of her sight was a priority.

When the clock radio came on, she let it be, listening to the happy sounds of steel drums and joyful voices. Sandy paused in the midst of her work to stand on the terrace and take in the sunrise, the likes of which she had never seen before. The slow-climbing orb sprayed an array of reds and oranges in countless hues on the underbelly of storm clouds. They periodically let loose a brief shower of large droplets, always preceded by a swell of tropical breeze. The sun caressed her face, touched by an occasional windblown drop of rain. She closed her eyes and took in the scent of the rain washed wind and flora. She wondered if Don had any idea where she was. She wondered if he even cared.

http://happybaynovel.com/

A Conversation with God

This is not book related. It is just something I felt I needed to do in a time of great sadness.

A close friend passed away suddenly yesterday. He was an integral part of the extended family that is the Turning Pointe Dance Studio, where both of my daughters trained alongside his own. He was one of the “Dance Dads”; a small group of males that never seemed to mind sitting for hours in the studio’s lobby waiting for lessons to end. He was also the chief engineer and carpenter when it was time to build the props, the unofficial stage manager, hustling those props in to place between numbers behind the curtain, and always one of the lead dancers during the highlight of each year’s recital: “The Dad’s Dance”.

Brad was one of those rare people you encounter in life who give tirelessly of themselves with absolutely no thought of reward, other than the reward of giving itself. A class act with an ever-present baseball cap.

His passing was a completely unexpected shock to the core of our being. I can see the effect it has had on all of us. But it must have come as quite a shock to him as well.

This is how I imagine his passing went for him:

A Conversation with God

When Brad went to work on Tuesday, it was to be a day like any other day. He must have felt as if he had fallen asleep, because his desk and office were suddenly gone, and he was standing in a room full of brilliant white light with a man he felt he knew, but could not readily recognize. Ever the polite one, Brad asked the man, “I’m sorry, have we met before?”

The man said, “You have known me all of your life, but I do not blame you for not recognizing me. This is the first time you have really seen my face.”

Brad looked around. “You’re God, aren’t you.” The man nodded and smiled.

Brad looked around again. ”This can’t be good. I’m still a young man. I still have a lot to do. I have a wife who needs me. I have two children who need me. I have work to do. The recital is only a few short weeks away. They are all going to need me. I haven’t even started learning the Dad’s dance yet.”

God said, “I am truly sorry my son. This is your time.”

Brad was incredulous, “But you’re God! You didn’t have to take me now. Don’t you know how this will affect people?”

God said, “I wish I could control people’s destiny. I wish I could end wars, alleviate suffering, keep tragedy at bay. But all I can really do is watch from above and hope that people remember I am with them always to offer comfort and bring them joy.”

He continued, “I wanted to be the first one to greet you. Others are waiting, and they are anxious to see you again.”

Brad responded with a quizzical expression, “But why would I get the special treatment? I’m just another working Joe.”

“That is where you are wrong,” God answered, “You have spent your life in tireless service to others. You never turned your back on someone in need. You gave of yourself with no thought of reward. That is how I would live if I walked the earth again.”

“Well, if you say so,” Brad was a little embarrassed by the compliments. “But I want to see my wife and kids. I want to at least tell them goodbye.”

God was patient. “You can still talk to them, but they will not hear you. You can still watch over them, but they will not see you. You will not live in your house anymore, but you will live in their hearts for the rest of their days. And they will join you here as well. It will seem like years for them, decades really. But for you and I, it will only seem like a few moments.”

Brad scratched his head. “This is lot to handle all at once. So, you’re saying a few moments. I’m not quite sure how long that is up here. And it still sounds like I have to do some waiting. So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

God said, “I have prepared a room for you. It will be ready in a few moments as well.” He handed Brad a baseball cap, and placed another one on his own head.

“So in the meantime, we’re going fishing. I know a great spot. I will take you there now.”

(Brad loved to fish)

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“Nakationers” explained. Book excerpt from Happy Bay:

“But isn’t it strange being around naked people all day?” Sandy asked him,

“It was a little strange at first,” he confessed, “At first I thought they all must be crazy. Why would you want to walk around like that all day and all of the night too?” He leaned closer. “And most of them would look much better with their clothes on. But the more I saw them and the more I talked to them, I began to think they are the only visitors here who have it right.”

“How is that?” Sandy was intrigued.

“When I worked on the Dutch side,” he replied referring to the other side of the island, “All I would see is people running to get in their cars, to rush to this place and then to that place. To eat their food, then get up and leave as fast as they can to go to yet another place. That is not a vacation. That is living the same life they left, just in another place for one week. But these people…” he paused to acknowledge a couple waving to him, “leave everything behind. Not just the clothes. They get up when they want, they go for the walk, they eat with leisure. They take the nap, they swim in the ocean. They lay in the sun, never looking at the clock. When the sun goes down they come in here to eat and drink and dance. The only thing they worry about is the day coming when they have to leave. Now that to me is a vacation.”

He picked up a slice of baguette bread they had been sharing along with fresh pineapple slices. “I see the look on your face when you are floating in the ocean. Do you not feel it too?”

“I guess I do,” Sandy was thoughtful, “But I don’t like people watching me.”

“Ah, but that is just your youth,” Michael continued after swallowing, “You do not want just anyone to see you as you were born. You are young and beautiful, but do not feel beautiful. Or perhaps you feel too beautiful to be seen this way. But these people…” he gestured towards the returning walkers in the distance, “Feel beautiful inside and out. It does not matter what others think. If only for a week, they feel completely free and full of beauty.”

Michael rose from his seat. “I’m afraid it is time to begin my day. It is always a pleasure to speak with you Solange. Until tomorrow then?” Sandy thanked him for breakfast and turned to leave. When she reached the single step down to the beach, she turned back.

“Michael?” He looked up from placing their dishes on a tray. “What about me?” He tilted his head with confusion. “Better with or without the clothes?” she teased.

Michael shook his finger at her. “I made a promise to my wife on our wedding night I would look only into the eyes of the pretty girls…and even then not for very long.”

“Good answer,” she replied and headed back towards L’Hôtel sur la Mer, nodding and exchanging morning pleasantries with the people she passed along the way. She had gotten used to seeing them this way. They all looked so proud and happy. Michael was right.

Click here to order Happy Bay

An Unknowing Feminist

A Facebook friend of mine posted an article about the Equal Rights Amendment yesterday, and it got me thinking about the Feminist Movement, or more specifically the “second wave” of that movement.

I was still pretty young in the 1960’s, but I watched the television news stories and read the magazine articles about women gathering to burn their bras and refusing to shave their armpits in a vigorous effort to obtain equality in a male dominated society.

Things were a lot different back then. Nearly every home had a mom whose primary role was to care for her husband and children. A working woman was an oddity. Movies featured women going to college for the sole purpose of finding a husband, and the Hollywood happy ending had them achieving that goal.

I remember dating a young woman in the 1980’s who was studying to become an anesthesiologist because that was her best bet for marrying a Doctor. She dumped me for a med student, and although they fought constantly, she probably ended up marrying him. So the notion was still alive even then.

These days, women go to college out of necessity. The days of a one-income household are pretty much extinct for middle class Americans. They grudgingly enter the work force with the full knowledge that they will be paid less than an equally qualified male, and most will answer to a male at some level. Many choose a career in Human Resources. In that capacity, they may not be able to control the company, but at least they can control who gets in.

Reality television has taken a bite out of the feminist movement in the present day. Women are becoming famous for being young, beautiful, vapid, and willing to strip on demand (or drunken, obnoxious, and cruelly judgmental on the other side of the spectrum).

Sandy Bennett in Happy Bay has faint knowledge of the ERA, but she knows deep within her heart that her role of trophy wife is intrinsically wrong. Displaced at a relatively young age, and with a best friend that enjoys the old fashioned role of caretaker, she finds herself at a crossroad of an unfulfilled existence and an uncertain future, Choosing the latter, she embarks on a journey to self-discovery where she finds danger in her confrontations with males that pigeonhole her into the role of a submissive sex object.

Sandy has some awareness of her physical beauty, but she is not content with simply being beautiful. She longs for love, but finds only companionship. She rails against the stereotype that accompanies beauty and strives for success on her own terms, without complete awareness of either until the book’s ending.

That is why I like to think of Sandy as an unknowing feminist. She is not content with simply being beautiful and the benefits that it can bring. And she finds that reliance on a man is not necessary for self-fulfillment.  She enjoys body freedom with little reservation.  She overcomes the stereotype to achieve greatness on her own terms. And she does so with the assistance of others whose genders are irrelevant.

And although she still yearns for true love, she understands that finding it is part of the journey and not simply the destination.

Click here to order your copy of Happy Bay.

Interview excerpt

Interview excerpt with the author

What inspired you to write Happy Bay?

“Our first trip to St. Martin was in 1999, and we visited Happy Bay on the second of what would become eleven visits to the Friendly Island. I was struck by the serenity of this particular beach, along with the daunting challenge of getting there.

In 2001, we stayed at an Orient Beach resort, where we met a waitress in a nearby pizza place who spoke impeccably in both French and English. Indeed, she could have easily fit in working a Côte D'Azur café or a truck stop outside of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Post 9/11, the travel industry suffered a mighty blow, and we found an incredible deal at the now defunct Mont Vernon hotel. I was intrigued with the layout of the place, and began photographing its architectural features on our second and third stays. In 2004, they began to allow nude sunbathing, and the story began to take form.

My wife is my muse for most of the female characters found in Happy Bay. She possesses both the natural beauty of Sandy, and the fiery temper and occasional wild side of her nemesis Cindy. Many of the chapters contain actual instances from our lives together; especially ones that took place on St. Martin. Of course, many other scenes are completely fictional.

I began writing the story in 2004 during a layoff from my day job, and would periodically set it aside to let it percolate until a flood of ideas and inspiration marked its completion and publication.

I am very proud of this work. It brings so many emotions to mind, and I believe it contains something for everyone. I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I did writing Happy Bay.”

http://happybaynovel.com/

Reviews are coming in, and they're all good! Have your copy yet?

“Highly recommend!” - PS

“Adventurous and sexy...keeps you guessing! Great read, I ordered on Amazon for my Kindle and never put it down until I finished! I want to go to Happy Bay now...the author depicted the ambiance of St Martin so well, I closed my eyes and I was there!! Can't wait for the next book.” – Dixie 13

“A very entertaining read. Fast paced without  a lot of superfluous dialect. Is there a sequel????” – NS

“Something for everyone!” - RW

"Really enjoyed Happy Bay. Loved that it was a quick read and pretty hard to put down. Outstanding job !" - GC

 "Great book. Quick and easy read. I myself have been to St. Martin many times and the author captures the spirit of the "Friendly Island". All of the characters in the book will fit into someone each reader knows, and you will find yourself having a hard time putting the book down for want of knowing how things turn out. I'm also sure everyone will have someone who fills the picture of the main character Sandy.

Unfortunately I had not heard of Happy Bay but I wasted no time in digging out my map and finding it. I am due to vacation in St. Martin very soon and after the authors description I 'm sure to make it one of my stops." - DDS55

"For those of us who spend a great deal of time in St Martin, this is a wonderful read. You'll find yourself walking the beach at Orient, hiking from Friars Bay to Happy Bay, having a snack at Papagayos. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Trilogy." - SXM CHUCK

“Folks if you want a good read and a great story, very original, very surprising, you should check out this book....it's not at all what I expected. This is a must read. You'll laugh, cry, get mad, and want to share it with others.” - JB

“Just finished it. Great Job!” - SB

“Just finished reading Happy Bay. It's a great book and I recommend it to everyone! Only $3.49 on kindle :-)” - AS

Click here to order now!

“Highly recommend!” - PS

“Hig“Highly recommend!” - PS

“Adventurous and sexy...keeps you guessing! Great read, I ordered on Amazon for my Kindle and never put it down until I finished! I want to go to Happy Bay now...the author depicted the ambiance of St Martin so well, I closed my eyes and I was there!! Can't wait for the next book.” – Dixie 13

“A very entertaining read. Fast paced without  a lot of superfluous dialect. Is there a sequel????” – NS

“Something for everyone!” - RW

"Really enjoyed Happy Bay. Loved that it was a quick read and pretty hard to put down. Outstanding job !" - GC

"Great book. Quick and easy read. I myself have been to St. Martin many times and the author captures the spirit of the "Friendly Island". All of the characters in the book will fit into someone each reader knows, and you will find yourself having a hard time putting the book down for want of knowing how things turn out. I'm also sure everyone will have someone who fills the picture of the main character Sandy.

Unfortunately I had not heard of Happy Bay but I wasted no time in digging out my map and finding it. I am due to vacation in St. Martin very soon and after the authors description I 'm sure to make it one of my stops." - DDS55

"For those of us who spend a great deal of time in St Martin, this is a wonderful read. You'll find yourself walking the beach at Orient, hiking from Friars Bay to Happy Bay, having a snack at Papagayos. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Trilogy." - SXM CHUCK

“Folks if you want a good read and a great story, very original, very surprising, you should check out this book....it's not at all what I expected. This is a must read. You'll laugh, cry, get mad, and want to share it with others.” - JB

“Just finished it. Great Job!” - SB

“Just finished reading Happy Bay. It's a great book and I recommend it to everyone! Only $3.49 on kindle :-)” - AShly recommend!” - PS

“Adventurous and sexy...keeps you guessing! Great read, I ordered on Amazon for my Kindle and never put it down until I finished! I want to go to Happy Bay now...the author depicted the ambiance of St Martin so well, I closed my eyes and I was there!! Can't wait for the next book.” – Dixie 13

“A very entertaining read. Fast paced without  a lot of superfluous dialect. Is there a sequel????” – NS

“Something for everyone!” - RW

"Really enjoyed Happy Bay. Loved that it was a quick read and pretty hard to put down. Outstanding job !" - GC 

"Great book. Quick and easy read. I myself have been to St. Martin many times and the author captures the spirit of the "Friendly Island". All of the characters in the book will fit into someone each reader knows, and you will find yourself having a hard time putting the book down for want of knowing how things turn out. I'm also sure everyone will have someone who fills the picture of the main character Sandy.
Unfortunately I had not heard of Happy Bay but I wasted no time in digging out my map and finding it. I am due to vacation in St. Martin very soon and after the authors description I 'm sure to make it one of my stops." - DDS55 

"For those of us who spend a great deal of time in St Martin, this is a wonderful read. You'll find yourself walking the beach at Orient, hiking from Friars Bay to Happy Bay, having a snack at Papagayos. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Trilogy." - SXM CHUCK 

“Folks if you want a good read and a great story, very original, very surprising, you should check out this book....it's not at all what I expected. This is a must read. You'll laugh, cry, get mad, and want to share it with others.” - JB

“Just finished it. Great Job!” - SB

“Just finished reading Happy Bay. It's a great book and I recommend it to everyone! Only $3.49 on kindle :-)” - AS

“Adventurous and sexy...keeps you guessing! Great read, I ordered on Amazon for my Kindle and never put it down until I finished! I want to go to Happy Bay now...the author depicted the ambiance of St Martin so well, I closed my eyes and I was there!! Can't wait for the next book.” – Dixie 13

“A very entertaining read. Fast paced without  a lot of superfluous dialect. Is there a sequel????” – NS

“Something for everyone!” - RW

"Really enjoyed Happy Bay. Loved that it was a quick read and pretty hard to put down. Outstanding job !" - GC 

"Great book. Quick and easy read. I myself have been to St. Martin many times and the author captures the spirit of the "Friendly Island". All of the characters in the book will fit into someone each reader knows, and you will find yourself having a hard time putting the book down for want of knowing how things turn out. I'm also sure everyone will have someone who fills the picture of the main character Sandy.
Unfortunately I had not heard of Happy Bay but I wasted no time in digging out my map and finding it. I am due to vacation in St. Martin very soon and after the authors description I 'm sure to make it one of my stops." - DDS55 

"For those of us who spend a great deal of time in St Martin, this is a wonderful read. You'll find yourself walking the beach at Orient, hiking from Friars Bay to Happy Bay, having a snack at Papagayos. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Trilogy." - SXM CHUCK 

“Folks if you want a good read and a great story, very original, very surprising, you should check out this book....it's not at all what I expected. This is a must read. You'll laugh, cry, get mad, and want to share it with others.” - JB

“Just finished it. Great Job!” - SB

“Just finished reading Happy Bay. It's a great book and I recommend it to everyone! Only $3.49 on kindle :-)” - AS

If it were a movie, I'm thinking Justin Timberlake in the role of Jimmy and Amber Heard in the role of Sandy. Who did you picture playing the parts when you read the book?


Click here to order!

Click to order yours!

Amazon has the Kindle version of "Happy Bay" for $3.49 this week. B&N Softcover only $11.59. Nook, iPad, and Sony eReader versions also available at my one-stop storefront. Stop on by and take a look around.
http://happybaynovel.com/

The Kindle version moved up in the rankings by 67,000 over the weekend. Getting good reviews as well. Got yours yet? Visit my storefront with links to the major booksellers:

http://happybaynovel.com/

New slideshow video up on my YouTube channel!
http://www.youtube.com/user/HappyBaythenovel

What do a rock singer, a washed up college football star, a free spirited socialite, a drug-addled career woman, a feisty bartendress, and a clothing-optional beach security guard all have in common?

The answer is Sandy Bennett; a lonely young woman from a small town who holds a distinct unawareness of her devastating beauty and creative potential.

Her ordinary existence will change dramatically when she is transplanted to a place like no other in her experience.

There are many words that describe Sandy: Funny, smart, talented, beautiful, serene, sensual, unabashed, and adventurous…no wonder people of all walks of life are drawn to her.

Many of these words also describe Happy Bay on the Caribbean island of St. Martin.

Furthermore, if you have ever wondered what possesses people to take a “Nakation”, you will fully understand their motivations after reading her story.

Follow Sandy’s romantic and inspiring journey as she finds herself on Happy Bay.

E-book only $3.99! B&N softcover $11.59!

http://www.happybaynovel.com/

Whether you own a Kindle, Nook, iPad, or prefer reading the old fashioned way, you can find what is best for your needs by visiting my one-stop shop website for ordering information for "Happy Bay".
Adventure/romance in a tropical setting. Something for everyone!

http://happybaynovel.com/

Happy Bay now available from Barnes and Noble, both softcover and E-book versions!
B&N Website (click)