Annette M. Irby – Romantic Destination – Part 1 of 2

Shannon here: Annette M. Irby takes us on a tour of  Whidbey Island, the setting for her latest Contemporary Romance, Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington. comment or answer the question at the end of any post dated March 5th – 8th to enter the drawing for an e-book copy. Deadline: March 16th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Annette: 

Let’s Visit Whidbey Island with Annette M. Irby, Part One

I wrote a location-based series called the Washington Island Romance series, and book three is about to release. (In fact, the paperback version is ready for orders on Amazon right now. E-book releases March 1.)  In case this is new to you, novel series can be based on continuing one set of characters’ journeys through a few books, or they can be about one group of people, with each book bringing to life a different pair (for romance), or they can be location based. I chose location based because the Pacific Northwest, and especially Puget Sound, inspire me. Let me share what I mean.

I grew up in the Midwest, far from the ocean. The first time I saw the Atlantic, I was four years old. This huge body of water was stunning to me. I’d seen lakes and creeks, but never grand, salty waves. Fast-forward almost two decades and I visited Washington State for the first time. Have you been? Between Puget Sound, which is also called the Salish Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, the many islands, and the hills, Western Washington is glorious. Again, like when I was four, awe covered me and I fell in love. If you’ve lived anywhere long enough, you might begin to get used to the surroundings. So far, decades later, I

(Credit: Pixaby.com)

haven’t grown tired of the beauty of Puget Sound. I wanted to share that with my readers.

Now, let’s zero in on Whidbey Island. You have two options for accessing this love place—you can drive north of the island and then head south and cross a bridge, or you can take a ferry. Either option offers a beautiful view and adventurous experience. Crossing Puget Sound by ferry, you might see whales in the sea or porpoises or seals or sea lions. You’ll most likely see seagulls riding the warm drafts put out by the ship’s funnel. The diesel fuel smell doesn’t bother them, apparently. 😉

(Credit: Pixaby.com)

If you approach the island by land, you’ll cross Deception Pass Bridge. This can be challenging if you’re afraid of heights, because it’s 177 feet above the pass below. Winds barrel through there, making the experience even more exciting. You can park and walk across or simply drive while looking straight ahead. 😉 The advantage here is you can access the island without worrying about making a ferry boat, which can fill up.

For my book, Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington, I included a visit or two to Deception Pass. I hope readers feel as though they’re gazing at the huge conifers that decorate the cliffside and State Park. The green-blue shades of the water have always fascinated me. You can get an idea of the setting from the cover of the book.

I’ll be back to Shannon’s blog in a few days. Next time: some of my experiences on Whidbey Island. Thanks for dropping by!

Annette M. Irby has been writing since her teen years when she sat pounding out stories on a vintage typewriter just for fun. Since then, she’s joined Christian writing groups and launched blogs so she could share the joy of writing. At one time, she served in acquisitions for a small press, and she runs her own editing business. She likes to say she’s addicted to color as flowers and seascapes inspire her. In her off hours, she enjoys gardening, photography, and music. She lives with her husband and family in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more and connect:

Annette’s Twitter                   Anette’s Facebook                     Annette’s Website

Annette’s Blog                        Annette’s Editing Website

About the book – Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington:

Could what drove them apart be what draws them back together?

Liberty Winfield lives with loss every day. She’d rather leave her history behind her, but when faced with moving back to her hometown, the past becomes unavoidable. She takes a job at the florist shop owned by her ex-boyfriend’s family from a decade ago. Now he’s unavoidable.

Clay Garrison knows the pain of ruing his mistakes. Most of his regrets center around Liberty. If he could undo his poor choices, he would. Liberty is back. He has one more chance to make things right. She doesn’t believe anyone could love her unconditionally, so he sets out to prove her wrong. He must also try to right the biggest wrong of their past, knowing that in doing so, he could lose her forever.

Will addressing the past together help them find love?

Can’t wait for the drawing or afraid you won’t win? Get your copy now:

Finding Love on Whidbey Island Washington – Amazon-e-book               Amazon – Print

Question for Readers: Do you long to travel to the ocean, mountains, or somewhere else? What draws you to a certain terrain? How do your travel dreams compare to where you live? 

Come back March 8th for part two with Annette!