Andrew Nguyen asked Mary Alice Monroe:

Are the places and the people in the Beach House series real or fictional?

Mary Alice Monroe The Beach House series is set in the island town I call home-- the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. The setting is real, the places mentioned on island and in the Charleston area are also real. The main characters are pure fiction, but some of the characters are inspired by the incredible real people I have the pleasure of working with and calling my friends.

The series started with THE BEACH HOUSE, and the idea for the book came to me shortly after moving to the island and getting involved with the Island Turtle Team. I was so intrigued by the team of volunteers who work so hard to protect loggerhead sea turtles during their nesting season, through their daily beach patrols documenting and protecting nests until the turtles hatched. They also worked hard to educate the community and beach visitors about the importance of staying off the dunes, turning out your lights at night, keeping the beach clear of trash, abandoned sand castles and holes dug by beach-goers. Something sparked inside of me and I I knew I needed to tell that story.

I am happy to also say, I fell in love with the loggerheads all those years ago. And to this day, I remain a dedicated volunteer of the Island Turtle Team, and I'm a big supporter of the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Care Center (which is featured in the other books in the series). I am so glad to see readers still falling in love with that first book and ultimately the entire series!

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