I was delighted to visit the American Yacht Club located on Long Island Sound in Rye, New York, to talk about Holding Fast. My husband John and I lived in Connecticut, just north of Rye, for twenty-odd years and I have been gone for almost as long.
While the room was being set up, I sipped iced tea on the patio. The velvety green lawn, fresh sea smells, light breezes, blue water sparkling in the late afternoon sun, the hazy Long Island shoreline dotted with white houses, and pretty boats heading out for evening sails... was so familiar. I had forgotten how much I loved Long Island Sound.
When we lived there, we sometimes took quick afternoon sails in similarly mild, sunny weather. John called it ghosting–slowly easing along, sails ruffling softly, no sudden gusts or moves. I liked that term, allowing the wind to carry us, not battling with it.
I had a great time with the sailing audience, and really enjoyed their questions about sailing and the writing process. I realized how much the book had changed from early drafts when I was determined to portray us as conquering heroes sailing the high seas to later drafts when I dealt more honestly with my conflicting feelings, and our flaws.
Read more about the boat in my memoir Holding Fast which outlines the sailing journey I took with my husband and daughter.
https://www.amazon.com/Holding-Fast-Memoir-Sailing-Love-ebook/dp/B0BBSMBT2G