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Of Home Renovations, Work Disasters, and Book Signings…

In a previous post, I discussed the recent home renovation project that consumed most of June for me. I painted a large portion of my second floor through the middle of the month and the renovation was completed as of June 29 with the installation of new carpet! Now, approximately 80% of our second floor has new carpeting.

Since then, I have been busy reassembling our dining room and library with little or no time at all for writing. In fact—and to my chagrin—my SF novel-in-progress took a back seat for the entire month, but that wasn’t entirely unexpected to be honest.

New Carpet-Library

New Carpet-Hallway  New Carpet-Stairs

Empty Bookcases

Bookcases Filling Up

To make matters worse, a severe storm struck my area on July 1, causing a partial roof collapse at my workplace, accompanied by flooding and a natural gas line rupture to the generator that provides power to a portion of our IT equipment in the event of a main power failure—which also occurred.

As a member of our IT Infrastructure team, I was called in to assist with disaster recovery implementation, an activity that required participation not only from my own immediate team, but various members of our corporate parent’s IT group as well as vendors of the two or three of the major hardware and software platforms we rely on.

After a continuous 50-hour conference call, during which I slept no more than 4-6 hours, our systems were restored and business was able to resume. Unfortunately, the disaster occurred on my birthday, forcing me to cancel all plans with my wife and family. A final critical issue remained outstanding into Monday that I was not able to resolve until July 4…so that holiday was also lost.

It has been a brutal four weeks, friends. I am exhausted to the point of burn out and as of this writing, we are still working through new and unexpected problems, while I’m still working to put my house back in order.

On a high note, the Bethlehem Writers Group announced the winners of their 2017 short story contest and I am proud to have taken an Honorable Mention (as I mentioned before!) with my story “So Hungry…,” which will be published in the fall edition of the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable online magazine.

Also, I look forward to my book signing at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, DE on Thursday, July 13 from 11AM to 1PM. The titles available for purchase at the signing include my paranormal mystery novels, Testing the Prisoner and By Your Side as well as the speculative fiction anthologies Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity and Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity, and of course, Beach Nights!

Lastly, I will be meeting with Firebringer Press publisher Steven H. Wilson next week to discuss the release of my paranormal mystery novella, Like Mother, Like Daughters later this year.

Once the mayhem subsides, I hope to return to work on my SF novel in progress and resume some semblance of a normal routine.

Enjoy your summer!

 

Book Signing at the Beach!

Taking a few hours out of my summer vacation to sign books at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, DE on July 13 from 11AM to 1PM.

The titles I’ll have on hand include:

By Your Side by Phil Giunta Testing the Prisoner by Phil Giunta

Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity 

 

Browseabout Books is located just a block and a half up from the boardwalk at 133 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Beach Nights & Cool Sand

More than half of the authors published in Beach Nights gathered in Browseabout Books between 2-4PM today to celebrate the release of this fourth annual Rehoboth Beach Reads anthology by Cat and Mouse Press.

Beach Nights Paperbacks

To say the turnout was impressive would be an understatement. Many books were signed, much cake and wine consumed, and it was a joy to finally meet editor and publisher Nancy Sakaduski and several of my fellow contributing authors. My heartfelt gratitude to Nancy for all of her hard work on the Rehoboth Beach Reads contest from editing to publishing to arranging the book launch and everything in between!

Special thanks also to writer pal Susanna Reilly for making the trip from PA to show her support and to her dad for buying lunch at the Purple Parrot!

Beach Nights Display at Browseabout Books.
Beach Nights display at Browseabout Books.
Beach Nights Cake
Beach Nights cake
Several Beach Nights authors furiously signing books for loyal readers.
Several Beach Nights authors furiously signing books for loyal readers.

 

Writer pal Susanna Reilly at the Beach Nights book launch.
Writer pal Susanna Reilly at the Beach Nights book launch.

 

These beach anthologies are certainly popular!
These beach anthologies are certainly popular!

 

It's a crowded house at the Beach Nights book launch!
It’s a crowded house at the Beach Nights book launch!

 

Beach Nights editor and publisher, Nancy Sakaduski of Cat and Mouse Press.
Beach Nights editor and publisher, Nancy Sakaduski of Cat and Mouse Press.

 

Kathleen Martens, First Place winner in the Beach Nights short story contest.
Kathleen Martens, author of “Flight of the Song Bird” and first place winner in the Beach Nights short story contest.

 

Emory Au, artist for the Rehoboth Beach anthologies.
Emory Au, cover artist for the Rehoboth Beach anthologies from Cat and Mouse Press.

 

Weldon Burge, author of "Melvin and the Haunted Mansion."
Weldon Burge, author of “Melvin and the Haunted Mansion.”

 

Robin Glanden, author of "The Portrait" and "The Attitude of Gratitude List."
Robin Glanden, author of “The Portrait” and “The Attitude of Gratitude List.”

After the signing was over, I took the time to kick off my flip-flops and hit the beach for about 20 minutes before making the journey home with yet more fond memories of this wonderful town that has become my second home.

Rehoboth Beach in November
Rehoboth Beach in November

 

Rehoboth Beach in November
Rehoboth Beach in November

 

The Lone Chair on the Beach
The Lone Chair

 

Wandering seagull
Wandering seagull

 

Cold November sand
Cold November sand

 

The View From On High: The WWII Towers of Delaware

 

Beach NightsIn case you missed my other five or six posts about the Rehoboth Beach Reads short story contest, my paranormal tale, “Tower 16” took second place and will be published in the anthology, Beach Nights, coming in November from Cat and Mouse Press.

In fact, the book launch is scheduled for November 13, 2-4PM, at Browseabout Books on Rehoboth Avenue.

My story focuses on lonely WWII veteran and Rehoboth Beach resident Reggie Prell and his doting granddaughter, Hannah, who is visiting him during summer vacation with her parents. In between regaling Hannah with stories of his army career, Reggie is confronted by the ghosts of his brothers-in-arms, all of whom have passed away over the years leaving Reggie the lone surviving member of his battery. Realizing that his end is near, Reggie reveals to Hannah the legend of Tower 16—which only materializes to claim the souls of those who served in the fire control towers along Delaware’s coast. Will Tower 16 come for Reggie next?

I was told by the editor of the anthology that my story actually made one of the judges cry. I know it certainly moved me as I wrote it.

So What Is This Tower You Keep Referring To?

I’ve been fascinated by the WWII fire control towers along Delaware’s coast for years and always wanted to write a story about them, but it was not until the Beach Nights contest was announced that an idea finally came to me.

After all, tell a paranormal fiction writer that you’re looking for stories that take place at night and whaddaya expect to get?

My connection to Rehoboth Beach seems to sDelaware Beaches Plaquestrengthen each year. I was married there, and as I write this, I am back in town with my wife as we celebrate our anniversary.

For the past four summers, she and I have rented a house for a week every July with friends, and we take the occasional day trip here as our schedules permit.

When at all possible, I also try to include a visit to Tower 7 in Cape Henlopen. It is the only tower open to the public at present, but there is a growing movement to restore and open some of the others.

This past July, I had the pleasure of visiting Tower 3 near Dewey Beach, which I’d spotted earlier in the day during a parasailing excursion.

 

Of course, trips to the beach wouldn’t be complete wiTower T-Shirt and Plaquesthout stimulating the local economy. This time, I finally bought a few tower-themed goodies from the local shops, including a t-shirt and two wooden plaques as pictured here.

Below are several pictures taken not only of the tower in Cape Henlopen, but images of the ocean, the bay, and surrounding park taken by me  from the very top of the tower.

 

The Purpose of the TowersFire Control Tower2_Long

The Fire Control Towers were constructed by the US Army in the early days of WWII to protect the Delaware Bay from potential incursion by German vessels.

There were 11 total concrete towers built between Cape Henlopen and Bethany Beach. Across the bay in New Jersey, two were built in Cape May and still exist, while the pair in Wildwood have been demolished.

Further north in Delaware, five metal towers were raised in Fort Saulsbury, but only one remains at Big Stone Beach as shown below. Photo credit: http://www.fortsaulsburyde.com

Fort Saulsbury Tower

The towers were mostly constructed in pairs in order to triangulate the position of enemy ships. The information would then be transmitted back to the gun crews.

Cape Henlopen was also the location of Fort Miles army base. Today, the base remains as a tourist attraction with many of the large caliber guns on display alongside the buildings as shown below.

Fort Miles Mobile Gun2 Fort Miles Rail Gun Fort Miles Massive Gun Fort Miles from Tower

Below: From the top of Tower 7, views of Delaware Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and Tower 12 in Cape Henlopen State Park.

Ocean from Henlopen Tower3 Ocean from Henlopen Tower2
Fire Control TowerCape May Ferry

Below: Tower 7 in Cape Henlopen State Park on a perfect summer day.

Fire Control Tower 7

References:

Fort Saulsbury, DE website

Fort Miles, DE website

 

Books at the Beach!

Shameless plug here, but if you’re headed to Rehoboth Beach for the holidays and looking for a great read or gifts for the readers on your list, stop into Browseabout Books on Rehoboth Avenue. Not only is it a fantastic shop, but they’re carrying a few of my titles. which makes them even cooler (at least in my book–yes, that was a bad pun).

 

By Your Side at Browseabout Books Testing the Prisoner and Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity at Browseabout