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Summer often brings festivals to town, over and above County and State Fairs. Sometimes a state will host a festival year after year, becoming renowned for a particular event. For example, if you’re participating in RAGBRAI[1], you’ll be in Iowa, USA, in July. We also know the Calgary Stampede[2] is quite a bit further north and is not to be confused with the Country Stampede[3]. Other festivals, like the “Apple Cider Fest”, “The Great Chili Cookoff” or the “Annual Arts and Craft Fair” might occur in every other town across the state, or in several states congruently.
It's fun to visit festivals, especially if you’re not from that area because you get a taste of the town’s specialties, whether it be deep-fried pickles, motor boat races on the river, or hot air balloon competitions. As a writer, I love to incorporate celebrations and festivals into my stories. Depending on where the story is based, these festivals can be real or fictitious, but always fun to experience.
When writing “Prelude
and Promises”, I knew the island community of Lockabee needed a festival; a
cause for celebration. It would add action to the story, and give Jake a reason
to take Cheyenne “out on the town” and share the reasons he preferred living
there instead of Chicago. What could be better for a small island with a
seafaring foundation than a Mermaid Festival?
_________________
1 Register’s Annual
Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (Register is a major newspaper)
2 a variety of
shows, including a well-known annual rodeo held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
3 Kansas’ largest
country music festival
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Here’s an excerpt from Jake’s story, “Prelude and Promises” which is available in both ebook and print. Enjoy:
Jake shook his head. “This weekend is the Mermaid
Festival, and I agreed to be on the committee. I can’t run out on that.”
“They celebrate mermaids?”
“From what I’ve heard, one of the first families on
the island was Abel Lockburn and his brothers. They were shrimpers from the
mainland, and the legend goes that once they were caught in a fierce storm.
Their mast was broken and they were floundering at sea, far from the mainland.
All was lost until a mermaid rose from the rolling waves and commanded the seas
to calm, then she led them to this island, where they decided to settle.”
“Seriously?”
He shrugged. “Who am I to dispute legend? Besides,
anything that helps the economy of small islands like Lockabee is cause for
celebration. From what I understand, there will be several thousand people here
over the two days.”
***
The heat assaulted
her; the sun already bounced off the light colored walls of the buildings. She
did have her sunglasses, which she hastily donned, but she could have used a
hat.
Jake stood at the
bottom of the steps. He wore ragged cutoffs, a tee with the sleeves torn off
and tennis shoes with a hole in one toe. His ball cap was turned backwards, his
mirrored sunglasses reflecting the bright light.
“You’ve only been here two months,” she said as she
joined him and they started down the boardwalk. “How is it your clothes look
like they survived every natural disaster known to man?”
He laughed and she was glad to see he harbored no ill
feelings for her having run out on him last night. “You can actually buy
clothes this way.”
“The question is, why would you want to?”
“You need a hat,” he said instead. He grabbed her hand
and led her into a souvenir shop.
She took a step toward the wide brimmed sun hats but
he pulled her the opposite way.
“You’ll need something that stays on your head.” He
grabbed one from the shelf. It had a fish coming out of water with a huge hook
in its mouth. Embroidered in hot pink on the black material was “hook’er”.
“Seriously?” she choked out but had to laugh when he
turned back around and she saw the front of his hat. “Chick bait” was scrawled next to a can of worms.
“Is there anything that doesn’t have to do with fish
and sex?” she asked.
He looked at her with mock surprise. “This entire
island is supported by fishing.”
“And the sex?” she questioned without thinking.
He wiggled his brows as he plucked another hat from a
lower shelf. “How do you think they make the next generation of fishermen?” He
started to put the white hat on her head, then reached behind her and pulled
her pony tail out through the hole in the back.
“What does this one say?” She tried to pull it off but
he caught her hand and held it tight. She noticed he had replaced his bandage
with a brace that wrapped around his wrist and palm, leaving his fingers free.
She momentarily forgot about the hat as she studied his hand, assuring herself
the swelling had gone down.
He kept hold of her as he gave the cashier some money.
“Fitting.” The man nodded toward her hat as he handed
Jake his change. “And not just because of the festival.”
Cheyenne pulled her hand free and sought a mirror. She
wasn’t leaving this store with a derogatory saying on her hat. It took her a
minute to read the word backward, then she smiled as Jake came up behind her. “Mermaid” was stenciled in emerald
green, arching around a picture of the aforesaid, her long blonde hair barely
covering lush breasts.
***
Before she could protest, Jake grabbed her hand and
pulled her out into the street. Music still wafted across the breeze, and
lights along Main Street were bright enough for one to think it was midday
instead of midnight.
“Do you feel like walking down to the pier to see the
flotilla?” Jake had moved his arm to her shoulders, holding her close.
Cheyenne’s feet hurt, her back ached, and she was sure
she smelled like fryer grease. “Why not? I had nothing else planned for the
middle of the night.”
He gave her shoulders a squeeze as he laughed. They
stopped at one of the vendors along the way and he purchased a couple of
bottles of water before leading her down the pier to where McNally’s boat had
been earlier. The pier security lights didn’t reach quite this far, and the
soft night closed around them.
“He’s no doubt trolling the flotilla,” Jake said as he
pulled her down so their feet dangled off the end of the pier.
“Keeping everyone in line?” she asked.
“No. Probably partying along with the rest of them.”
He laughed.
Cheyenne looked out over the glassy water and sucked
in a breath. Hundreds, probably thousands of lights flickered across the
harbor. Though most were white, every so often a boat was silhouetted in blue
and red, green or purple. She glanced to the right where the lights appeared to
stretch into infinity. When she turned her head to the left, she encountered
Jake’s lips, close but not quite touching.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, afraid to break the
spell.
“You’re beautiful,”
he corrected, and then there was only the sound of lapping water.
***
For a complete copy of “Prelude and Promises”, click
the link below the picture or visit my website at http://www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin or my Amazon author site at https://www.amazon.com/author/barbarabaldwin.
You will find not only this book, but others including historical and time
travel romance.
If
you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy writing them for you, I would love for
you to leave a review on Amazon.
Have a fun,
festival-filled summer,
Barbara Baldwin
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