Lisa Carter's Blog, page 12

I Love Sea Turtles

One of God’s most amazing creations—

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

On the beach

Protective cage for the eggs

Turtle Rehab

Stranded turtle release

Hatching

Emerging Baby Turtle

Race to the Sea

Turtle Tracks

For more turtle photos, visit Falling for the Single Dad on Pinterest.

Honey’s Garden

Picture yourself enjoying a pleasant stroll through the old-fashioned garden of the Duer Family Lodge in fictional Kiptohanock.

Hear the chirping of the birds. Feel the gentle sea breeze on your skin. Stop and smell the gardenias. Savor the heady aroma of the lilacs.

This moment is brought to you, courtesy of Coast Guard Sweetheart.

For more behind the scene photos from Coast Guard Sweetheart, visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/coast-guard-sweetheart/.

Rubber Duck Race From Coast Guard Sweetheart

From rubber duck races to long john battles to hurricanes, the course of true love doesn’t always run smooth—as Honey & Sawyer find out in Coast Guard Sweetheart.

Favorite rubber duckies from the famous—some might say infamous—rubber duck relay in fictional Kiptohanock.

Coastie Duck

Seth’s Fisherman Duck

Amelia’s Artist Duck

Pirate Duck

Cowboy Duck

Bride and Groom Ducks

Not easy to wrangle rubber ducks—as Honey & Sawyer discover.

 Which duck is your favorite?

For more behind the scene photos from Coast Guard Sweetheart, visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/coast-guard-sweetheart/.

Ditch Lilies and Brown-eyed Susans

I’m aware that these particular tiger lilies—aka ditch lilies because they often grow roadside—are considered common and invasive by professional gardeners.But to me, ditch lilies represent carefree summer childhood. And though during the rest of the year, except for October, I’m not a big fan of orange—I can’t begin to tell you how exquisite these tiger lilies look next to blue hydrangeas. Yes, they may be old-fashioned. But then again, so am I. At least when it comes to the garden.

Yet it’s hard to find these exact species in garden catalogs—because so many “experts” turn up their noses at the lily’s ditchwater roots. The lilies grow wild along the ditchbanks of many country roads throughout the United States.

It’s always bittersweet for me after a visit to the Eastern Shore of Virginia to return home. But one summer day, Mr. Billy and my husband dug up a patch of wild ditch lilies for me to take home. And now every summer when they bloom, I can imagine that once again I’m there on the Shore with dear friends and a hint of sea air on the breeze.

I like ditch flowers—which probably says a lot about my plebian tastes. When I think of autumn I think of another flower I love for which Honey develops a fondness per Sawyer’s ever-so-romantic gestures in Coast Guard Sweetheart—brown-eyed Susans.

Here’s to beautiful flowers—like the wonderful people also—who grace our lives.

For more behind the scene photos from Coast Guard Sweetheart, visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/coast-guard-sweetheart/.

Coast Guard #weddings

How fun is this? Photos that inspired Sawyer and Honey’s happily-ever-after—

The Duer Family Lodge

The Party

The Victrola

Romantic Moments

“May I have this dance?”

For more behind the scene photos from Coast Guard Sweetheart, visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/coast-guard-sweetheart/.

A Coast Guard #LoveStory

Coast Guard Sweetheart may be the most flat-out, hands-down romantic story I’ve ever written. Lots of readers wrote to me following the publication of Coast Guard Courtship to ask when Honey and Sawyer were going to get their love story.

And finally, the wait is over.

Theirs is a journey fraught with complications. But here—at last!!!!—are a few snapshots which inspired me in writing cowboy Coastie and Eastern Shore sweetheart’s achingly romantic happily-ever-after.

Do you have a favorite Honey & Sawyer scene?

For more behind the scene photos from Coast Guard Sweetheart, visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/coast-guard-sweetheart/.

 

Coast Guard Sweetheart Release Day

Woo hoo!

The love story readers have been waiting for. Back by popular demand—Honey Duer, Eastern Shore Sweetheart and Coastie cowboy Sawyer Kole’s love story. Let the romance begin . . .

For more behind the scene photos from Coast Guard Sweetheart, visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/coast-guard-sweetheart/.

Holy Ground Sea Chanty #2 minute video

Reminiscent of the song Sawyer sang to Honey—This guy’s vocals are quite impressive, too.[image error]

For more behind the scene photos from Coast Guard Sweetheart, visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/coast-guard-sweetheart/.

What in the world does a Shore-famous Long John #donut look like?

I’m so glad you asked.

A long john is usually rectangular in shape. And though I’ve attempted to do my research by visiting as many bakeries on the Eastern Shore of Virginia as I can over the years—do I sacrifice for my art or what?—there is no actual Shore-famous long john donut, except in the pages of my Love Inspired series and in my mind.

Somebody really ought to produce one of these, though. Here are a few photos that come the closest to the donuts in my imagination. Be warned—browse at your own risk.

The Corner Bakery in Onancock, which originally inspired the Kiptohanock Long John—the real bakery a must-visit on my family’s to-do list every summer.

Kiptohanock long johns are first rolled in cinnamon sugar . . .

Then, doused in powdered sugar . . .

And sometimes used in armed combat. You’ll have to read Coast Guard Sweetheart to find out about the Battle of the Long Johns.

Hungry yet? What’s your favorite doughnut?

For more behind the scene photos from Coast Guard Sweetheart, visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/coast-guard-sweetheart/.

Why I Wrote Coast Guard Sweetheart

The Eastern Shore of Virginia is a real and very dear place to me. I visited the Eastern Shore for the first time at the age of twenty-one. The summer I lived there getting to know the wonderful people and unique culture of the Shore was transformational. And after all these years, I revisit this splendid Tidewater destination as often as I can with my family.

In Coast Guard Sweetheart, Honey and Sawyer grapple with doubt, anger and faith. If we live long enough, most of us will experience the pain of loss. While writing this book, I walked with my father through the last days of his life as together we grappled with his advanced Alzheimer’s. But though life is often hard, God is always good. And enough for our every need—past, present or future. This truth became reality for me as my father passed from this life to the next on February 12th.

My prayer for each one of us is that when difficulties come, we would run to Him and not away from Him. That though we might never understand the why, we’d be willing to take that enormous step of faith to believe He is for us.

Photo courtesy of D. Riley

His love for us is summed up by two remarkable truths: grace—getting what we don’t deserve, and mercy—not getting what we do deserve. Because, praise God, this world isn’t our final home.

I love the Eastern Shore and its people. I hope you will enjoy taking this journey of faith with me, Honey and Sawyer.

For more behind the scene photos from Coast Guard Sweetheart, visit https://www.pinterest.com/lisacoxcarter/coast-guard-sweetheart/.