WRITERS AFLOAT: An Interview with Amy Biddle, Sailor and Author of "The Atheist's Prayer"

Welcome to "Waterblogged: Writers Afloat" -- interviews with sailors who write and writers who sail. Read how my talented and interesting guests have managed to blend writing, sailing, family, work, and their passion for life at sea into fascinating stories, best-selling books, and successful writing careers.

Today's Writer Afloat is Amy Biddle. Her debut novel, The Atheist's Prayer, is scheduled for release by Perfect Edge Books on February 28^th, and available for pre-order now on Amazon! Amy is also a book reviewer at Underground Book Reviews (http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com/)

 

Author Amy R. Biddle hard at work!

The Atheist's Prayer, available for pre-order NOW!

 

Welcome, Amy and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with me. 

 

LYNNE: What came first, writing or sailing?

AMY: Writing, no contest. I’ve been writing since before I learned the alphabet. I used to read stories aloud from my scribbles. As for sailing, I’ve always loved the ocean but I grew up in the mountains and didn’t get many chances to get on the water until I was in high school.

LYNNE:  Tell us a little bit about how you came to both your sailing and writing life.

AMY:  When I was in high school, I enrolled in a semester-long alternative education program on a traditional, wooden schooner and it changed my life. I never thought I’d make a career out of it, but somehow I just couldn’t escape the pull of the ocean. I ended up going to college at Massachusetts Maritime Academy to get a license to work on big ships. My career has brought me to all corners of the globe, and has also afforded me the time to pursue my writing goals.

LYNNE:  When and where do you prefer to write?

AMY:  I travel so much there isn’t a particular when or where. My laptop goes with me wherever I go. In order to really get into a story, I need a few hours of alone time. I find a coffee shop, hole myself up in my room, or get comfortable in a hammock.

Most of The Atheist’s Prayer was written on boats. It started as a short story when I was working on a schooner and the rest of it I wrote on a research vessel. When I’m not traveling or working, I have an apartment in Cambridge, and I work at a desk in my room.

 

LYNNE:  Do you follow a schedule for writing? How do you juggle sailing, work, book reviews, and writing?

AMY:  For six months out of the year I spend every day on the bridge of a ship. Sometimes it’s hectic, and sometimes it’s excruciatingly slow. When I’m on watch I dream up crazy characters and impossible plot twists, then scribble notes on scraps of paper which eventually accumulate at the bottom of my dresser drawer. I used to spend a lot of time writing new material when I was at sea, but since I’ve gotten involved with Underground Book Reviews I can barely keep up with my reviews. Luckily, the two other co-founders, Brian and Katie, are able to pick up my slack when I’m at work.

The other six months out of the year I have all the free time in the world. If it weren’t for that time off, the first version of The Atheist’s Prayer would be sitting in draft form somewhere, unedited and forgotten.

 

LYNNE:  What's the most difficult part of being a writer afloat? The most rewarding?

AMY:  The biggest difficulty for me was breaking into the literary world without an English major or a single piece of published work. Underground Book Reviews helped immensely with that, but it was still a struggle.

Writing is my reward. When I’m on the ship, writing is my escape. When I’m off the ship, it’s my life. And of course, there’s community. Meeting other writers is a thrill. The people I work with at Underground Book Reviews helped me write The Atheist’s Prayer and have supported me through thick and thin. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their help.

LYNNE:  Tell us about The Atheist's Prayer and when and where readers can buy it.

AMY:  The Atheist’s Prayer is about an alcoholic mall Santa and a coke-dealing stripper who get tangled up with a fairy-worshiping suicide cult. It’s dark, and it’s funny, and I like to think that there’s some meaning underneath the crass humor.

It’s being published by Perfect Edge Books, an imprint of John Hunt Publishing. The authors at Perfect Edge are a fantastic bunch, and in fact two of them will be reading with me for an event at the Harvard Coop in Cambridge, MA on March 27th.

 

LYNNE:  What else have you written or are you working on now?

AMY:  I’ve been writing some short stories, but I’m not ready to start a new novel until after The Atheist’s Prayer comes out. I’m putting all my efforts into the book release and Underground Book Reviews. But the ideas for my next novel are always brewing…

 

LYNNE:  Do you have a favorite character that you've written, and why?

AMY:  I put a little bit of myself into every character I write, and I make sure none of them are perfect. I love them all in their own right. It might be easy for readers to choose a favorite, but not me.

 

LYNNE:  Who is your favorite author and why?

AMY:  I have a lot of favorite books, but Kurt Vonnegut is by far my favorite author. He gets you laughing and thinking at the same time. It’s an underrated talent.

 

LYNNE:  What inspires you, both in your writing and in your sailing?

AMY:  I’m inspired by the world around me. Wherever I am- at sea, in the car, at a party, on a hike- I’m thinking about how I’d capture that scene in writing. How do I capture the essence of the experience? A description of a bus stop from the point of view of a weary traveler might be dirty and overcrowded. From the point of view of someone on their way to meet the love of their life it might be bustling with life and excitement. Experience is so subjective. It’s not what you write about, but how you write about it that really makes the impact.

LYNNE:  Last question. Underground Book Reviews is a great showcase for new and emerging authors and gives you a great opportunity to get to know them and their experiences. Based on your reviews, interviews, and your own experience, what advice do you think new/emerging authors most need to hear?

 
AMY:  Passion, inspiration and obsession get a book written. Sweat, pain and perseverance get a book ready for publication. Editing is a bitch, but it’s also necessary. Be hungry for feedback, and be open to criticism. But in the end, remember that you are the master of your world. Consider advice with an open mind but don’t feel obligated to please everyone, because you won’t. Ever.

And learn how to sell yourself. Stand on that street corner and strut your stuff, because no one will notice you otherwise.

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I urge you all to run over to Amazon and order a copy of The Atheist's Prayer. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read that had me laughing out loud. Funny and poignant, The Atheist's Prayer is a fast-paced, comic exploration of belief, disbelief, gullibility, and faith. Biddle seamlessly blends the lunacy of a fairy-worshipping cult with a cast of quirky characters searching for answers, usually in all the wrong places. Written with style and humor, The Atheist's Prayer will pull you in, make you laugh and think, and want more. I'm eagerly awaiting Amy's next novel!

 

You can read more by and about Amy's life as a sailing writer at her blogs and website:

http://www.amyrbiddle.com/

http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com/

 

You can pre-order The Atheist's Prayer HERE.

 

From the SC In-Water Boat Show

I had a great time at the SC In-Water Boat Show, and even managed to sell some books. Almost enough to make up for the really cool light I bought! I've scheduled a reading/book signing with the Daniel Island fishing club and a segment on Lowcountry Live from contacts I made at the show, too.

My display at the SC In-Water Boat Show

Boaters and people who work in and around marinas and the water are always full of great stories and a contagious joie de vivre that reminds me of why I enjoyed my days at Sea Grant so very much! Of course I met lots of fun and interesting new people, so a big thank you to Meaghan and everyone in the SC Marine Association for putting on such a fun event, and to all the vendors who made it pleasant, even in the rain on Friday and cold on Sunday! Ralph and Jim from Superior Diesel, Neil and the Tide Tamer guys (who introduced me to a yummy new drink!), Brenda at Lots of Lights, Candace and her friends at the St. John's Yacht Harbor booth, and Sammy and his son at their salad dressing sales booth, thank you all for a great weekend!

My display at the SC In-Water Boatshow

Red Stag (black cherry flavored bourbon) and Dr. Pepper--yummm!
Thanks, Neil!

One of the cool lights offered by Brenda from "Lots of Lights"
www.LotsofLights.com

More lights. I bought a white-turquoise-green one.

A Great Weekend to Get Out on the Water!!!

Spring has finally sprung here in Charleston, South Carolina. We've had temperatures in the 80s for the past two days, the sun is shining, azaleas, dogwoods, and wisteria are blooming, and the pollen count is through the roof! It's a great time to get out on the water!

The perfect opportunity to do that is coming up on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the SC Marine Associations SC In-Water Boat Show at Daniel Island's Waterfront Park. For more details and the schedule of events, go to:

http://www.scinwaterboatshow.com/index.htm

Want a signed copy of Marina Melee? Come on out--I'll be there!

What's Up with Waterspouts?

What's up with waterspouts? Sometimes it's fish that go up with them, sometimes periwinkles, and sometimes just clay particles that mix with the condensed water in the funnel cloud and then fall as red water, also known as a "rain of blood." But more on that later...

First, let's take a closer look at this spectacular phenomenon.

Fair-weather waterspout

For as long as humans have observed and recorded events on and around large water bodies, the appearance of waterspouts has evoked superstition, fear, and even contributed to the romance of the sea. Sailors have attributed the phenomenon to sea dragons, sea serpents, and evil spirits. Arabian sailors believed them to be manifestations of Jinees--powerful spirits capable of assuming various forms.

The reality behind the myths and mysteries is twofold: some waterspouts are tornadic, formed from the same factors that result in terrestrial tornados, and others are fair-weather spouts.

Tornadic waterspouts drop down from thunderstorms, squall lines, or the leading edge of advancing cold fronts. Like the typical twisters seen in movies and on episodes of Storm Chasers, tornadic spouts have dark, sinister funnels spawned from large, turbulent "parent clouds."  These are seen most frequently at middle latitudes, off the lee shores of large landmasses where cold continental air sweeps over warmer water. Tornadic waterpouts are often bona fide land tornados that go to sea or cross large inland bodies of water. Tornadic spouts can form over water and come ashore as true tornados, and alike true tornados, they can abate and come back more than once.

Fair-weather waterspouts arise solely over water. They develop at sea level and climb skyward when humid, superheated air circulates convectionally with cooler overhead air. Fair-weather spouts tend to be smaller and of shorter duration than the tornadic variety and are considered relatively harmless. These prevail in equatorial regions, although they do occur in all latitudes during the transition seasons of spring and fall.

In the northern hemisphere, tornadic waterspouts rotate cyclonically (counter clockwise) with wind speeds of up to 130 mph. They can be quite long-lived, lasting on average 15-30-minutes. Their advancing speeds tend to be rather slow (less than 5 mph). Conversely, fair-weather spouts travel faster over a given distance, moving at speeds up to 30 mph, but their rotative speed is much lower. They also dissipate quite quickly, rarely lasting as long as 20-minutes. Fair-weather spouts may rotate in either direction, depending on the nature of the convection currents that form them.

Both types of waterspouts are quasi-seasonal at best. They're seen more frequently in temperate latitudes between May and October, and more in the deep tropics from October through March. Exceptions abound throughout the year in any locale.

String of waterspouts forming over Charlotte Amalie Harbor,
St. Thomas, USVI (2007).

Tornadic waterspouts are more dangerous and destructive since they form from storm clouds. The same dangerous conditions found with severe thunderstorms---strong winds, large seas, hail, and lightening--are commonly found around tornadic spouts. While tornadic spouts are the more dangerous of the two types of spouts, care should be taken when encountering either one of these natural phenomena.

Cool Waterspout Facts

• The Great Waterspout of 1896 formed off Martha's Vineyard on August 19th of that year. Photographs and first-hand accounts from veteran mariners verified the spout was 144 feet thick and 3600 feet high. The spout formed not once, but three times within 45 minutes.

The Great Waterspout of 1896. (Photo from NOAA Image Library.)

• A Tampa, Florida waterspout (June 13, 1952) caused over $75,000 in property damage when it came ashore with 100 mph winds. 

• On September 5, 1935, a tornado/waterspout formed near Norfolk, Virginia and rampaged across Tidewater and Hampton Roads, where it flung railroad cars off their tracks before moving out to sea over the Chesapeake Bay.     

• Waterspouts can form over freshwater in rivers and lakes, as well as saltwater bodies. Several have formed on the Hudson River over the last 100 years.

• The longest recorded waterspout occurred off Eden, Australia on May 16, 1898. Theodolite measurements verified its height at 5,014 feet (although it was only 10' in diameter).

• The widest waterspout on record was 700' wide, formed at Blunt's Reef, California on November 14, 1914.

• Waterspouts have resulted in "rains" of fish, frogs, lizards, tadpoles, and periwinkles, most likely due to waterspouts coming ashore over low-lying marshlands and swamps.

• Some waterspouts have resulted in a "rain of blood" when the spout churns up a nearby stretch of red mud or clay, mixing the particles with the spouts condensed water droplets that fall when the spout dissipates.

 Sources

All At Sea. http://www.allatsea.net/caribbean/water-spout-are-they-dangerous/

Hendrickson, Robert. 1984. The Ocean Almanac. Doubleday Press. 446 pp.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. www.noaa.gov

How hard can it be to run a marina?

If you've ever thought about running away from the rat race and enjoying the easy life in some tropical paradise, have I got the book for you...

Marina Melee

George H. Marshall III has it all, and he wants to get away from it: women, a busy social calendar, and his so-called career in the family oil business. Determined to prove to his parents that he is more than a spoiled, womanizing, over-aged adolescent, George buys Porto da Vida Marina on a small island in the Caribbean. What could be an easier road to business success than running a marina on a tropical island?

As mishap piles on disaster, George realizes his new life in paradise isn't all about sitting under palm trees sipping umbrella drinks. Between his wayward staff, the governor's hot-to-trot wife, a lift truck possessed by jumbies, and a host of other island disasters-natural and human-George finds that living the easy life is hard work.

If you'd  like an autographed copy of Marina Melee to give as a gift, or to treat yourself to a tropical adventure, I'll be signing copies at West Marine on Savannah Highway in Charleston, SC on Saturday, December 8, 2012 from 10 a.m.-2:00 p.m., and at the Center for Women's Annual Lowcountry Women Authors Book Signing at the Citadel Holliday Alumni House (69 Hagood Ave.) on Sunday, December 9, 2012 from 2:00-5:00 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

West Marine in West Ashley
Charleston, SC

Sailing Lore and Legends: It's Unlucky to Kill a Porpoise. The story of Pelorus Jack

Sailing history is filled with superstition and lore. It's unlucky to start a cruise on: a Friday (the day Christ was crucified), the first Monday in April (the day Cain slew Abel), the second Monday in August (the day Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed), December 31 (the day Judas Iscariot hanged himself). Black travel bags are unlucky but black cats are good luck and bring sailors home from the sea. Women aboard a ship make the sea angry, but naked women can calm the seas.

My favorite sailing superstition is that porpoises swimming around a ship are a good sign, and it's unlucky to kill one.

Need proof of the veracity of this bit of superstition? Look no further than the story of Pelorus Jack in New Zealand. Jack was the first dolphin to ever be protected by law.

In 1888 a Risso dolphin--a species uncommon to New Zealand waters--came to the attention of sailors on the ship Brindle as they made their way from Wellington to Nelson and back. This trip required a traverse through a dangerous bit of water between NZ's North and South Islands, a narrow channel filled with rocks hiding just beneath the surface, currents of up to 8 knots, and the remains of hundreds of vessels that didn't make it through. Sailors aboard the Brindle spotted the dolphin ahead of them, but it wasn't playing in the ship's wake as they expected. It appeared to be leading them through the channel!

The dolphin met the ship at the mouth of the channel on their return trip, too, and guided them safely back to the harbor. The sailors aboard the Brindle named the dolphin Pelorus Jack.

For 24 years, Pelorus Jack met ships from the entrance of Pelorus Sound and led them to French Pass, then picked them up again as they came out of the pass on their return journey to lead them safely back to the harbor. He was so reliable that many captains refused to go forward until he appeared. Clearly, this dolphin brought luck to all the vessels he brought safely home from their voyage. His reputation and fame grew, and people came from around the world to see him, including Mark Twain!

But, sadly, people are people and it wasn't just those who were amazed and awed that flocked to see the dolphin that seemed intent on helping sailors. In 1904, a passenger aboard a ship named Penguin fired a shot at the dolphin. Jack swam away, leaving a trail of blood in the water. Thankfully, he survived and reappeared two weeks later and proved he was as smart as he seemed: he never again led the Penguin through the channel.

Public outcry over the shooting incident led to passage of a law protecting Pelorus Jack and making it illegal to shoot a dolphin in New Zealand waters.

Pelorus Jack guided his last ship to the channel on April 12, 1912. He disappeared after that, probably dying of old age. New Zealand declared a day of national mourning to honor him, a candy bar was named after him, and songs have been written about this dolphin that brought luck to the sailors and led them safely home.

As the perfect post script to Pelorus Jack's story, five years after the passenger shot at the dolphin, the Penguin sank on the rocks in French Pass. It was the only ship lost in the channel during all the years Jack led ships through.

Closer to home, this past year, the South Carolina legislature refused to pass a law lowering the speed vessels can travel in the Charleston harbor--a law proposed because of an alarming increase in the number of fatal collisions between commercial ships and marine mammals. When a fourth-grade school class submitted a proposal to make the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin the state marine mammal, the legislature refused. One of our illustrious elected officials defended his vote against it by saying, "If we did that, we'd have to lower the vessel speed in the harbor to protect them, and that would be bad for commerce."

Maybe the SC legislature needs to hear about Pelorus Jack, the sailing superstition that it's bad luck to kill a porpoise, and the fate of the Penguin?


SOURCES:

The Bathroom Readers' Institute (2007). Uncle John's Under the Slimy Sea. Bathroom Readers' Press, Ashland, OR. 144 pp.

The Encyclopedia of New Zealand at http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/dolphins/5/2

Hendrickson, Robert (1984). The Ocean Almanac. Doubleday Books, New York, NY. 446 pp.


* Photo of Pelorus Jack downloaded from Wikipedia.com