Happy 15th Birthday to Where Books Meet Boats

2024 marks several personal life landmarks. In addition to a “zero” birthday, I’m celebrating the 30^th anniversary of starting my life with Paul—and 20 years since I sailed in the Olympics!

This month is also the 15^th anniversary of my blog, so even though I agree with Mark Schaefer that nobody cares, I took a stroll back through the archives to highlight some of my favorite posts. Cue the wayback machine to…

2009

The second edition of Oliver’s Surprise comes out, leading to The Best Question a Fourth Grader Ever Asked Me.

2010

Cape Cod Surprise comes off the ways, and I write my 101st blog post.

2011

The first time I try to answer: Where do I get my ideas?

2012

I publish a novel it took 18 years to finish. And compare story writing to parenting, only one of which I know anything about.

2013

A “real” job proves a major distraction to both novels and blogs, but it gives me a larger platform—and a wider perspective! 

2014

We lose three people I still think about almost every day: Robert O. Bigelow, Hugh Elliot, and Bob “Buddha” Billingham. I muse on High Summer, and a book discussion reveals where fiction meets fact.

2015

The year I win my first 2 writing awards for Olympic Broach and Simple Boating, manage to Kill the Blog, and return to self-employment. I also fantasize about Just Writing, and re-commit to a blog every single Thursday.

2016

I start working on the story that didn’t go away, take my first writing research trip, and realize I Speak Sailing

2017

The Safety at Sea manual teaches the value of a deadline, my first Sailing World byline in a decade, and your first tour of Cooperation Island.

2018

The year I become a World Champion and sign with a literary agent! (after hiring a developmental editor)

2019

A publishing contract for Ferry to Cooperation Island, my first Seahorse Profile, and 10 years of blogging

2020

Ferry to Cooperation Island has a barefoot book launch.

2021

Sportsmanship and heroes, the importance of thanking your teammate (again) , and gifts from FERRY. Plus a strange island feels familiar, and we say goodbye to my illustrator-sister-in-law.

2022

My first non-fiction book, 100 Years of Gold Stars, crosses the finish line.

2023

I reveal a new non-fiction project and lose my voice—just when I needed it most. We also lose my Mom, though I still hear her voice in my head.

Thank you

When I started blogging in 2009, social media was brand new. Ebooks were going to replace print. And freelancers were just starting to gain traction as friendly rather than feral. Blogs have been through several evolutions since then, but your continued interest in my weekly musings have encouraged me to keep at it—and both my writing and my distinctive voice have improved as a result. So thanks to all of you, especially those who’ve been subscribers for all 15 years!

2024

is almost half over, and I’ve already had a few zero-worthy celebrations. Looking ahead, there will be plenty of book and sailing news. Do you know someone who’d enjoy my weekly musings? Please encourage them to subscribe, because I still feel like I’m just getting started in this quest to link books with boats.