Turtle Summer

By: Mary Alice Monroe
Every morning I gaze out at the sea with anticipation. My back pack is filled with supplies, my probe stick stands at the ready, and my team T-shirts and cap lay patiently in my dresser drawer. My annual season of being a “turtle lady” lays just on the horizon.

Loggerhead laying eggs

Every spring the sea turtles begin their long journey home for a new nesting season along the southeastern U.S. coast. The stretch of South Carolina shoreline that I am blessed to call home will soon welcome home caretta caretta, the loggerhead, who will venture onto the beach to give birth. And her arrival will mark the beginning of another turtle summer for me.

Available May 8th

My fellow turtle team friends and I like to bet when we’ll get our first turtle nest on Isle of Palms or Sullivan’s Island. The year I discovered our first nest of the season happened to be on May 25-- my birthday! I’ve been a member of this wonderful turtle team since 1999. My experiences inspired my first southern novel, The Beach House, in 2002, followed by the sequel, Swimming Lessons. And now, ten years later, Beach House Memories, the prequel of the series, is ready to make its debut on May 8th. This serendipitous timing of a new hardcover release with the start of a new sea turtle nesting season and the tenth anniversary of my first bestseller---makes this an extra special turtle summer for me.



A rescued hatchling in hand



It is an honor to share with readers the inspiration I’ve felt from being a “turtle lady” all these years and the life lessons the sea turtles have taught me. I hope through the pages of Beach House Memories, others will feel inspired by the turtle team characters of my story world and the real life details of the magnificent loggerhead that I am so fortunate to write about and share with the world this turtle summer.

What is one thing you're looking forward to that will make this summer season special for you?

Mary Alice Monroe is an award-winning, bestselling author of 13 novels and is an active conservationist. She lives near Charleston, SC. Her newest novel, BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES is available May 8th. Visit her at http://www.maryalicemonroe.com/.



THE QUEST FOR A LITERARY AGENT

Behind every successful published author stands a good agent. Securing that partnership is the most important hurdle in this wild, wonderful world of publishing. However, it’s no easy feat.

I first began looking for an agent in 1986. I had a novel written but was clueless how to go about the business of getting published. During those early years, I felt I had to achieve the title of “published author” to view myself as a “real writer.” That accomplishment-- that crossing of some line I’d drawn in my mind--would be a validation. Only then would I consider myself on an equal footing with my published author friends.

Back in the day, from time to time we heard stories about fellow writers who landed book deals after their novel was plucked out of the mysterious slush pile by an editor. Yes, it really happened! That kind of good fortune is almost unheard of now. There is an old saying that literary agents are the first line of defense for editors. Today more than ever, agents and editors are deluged with submissions. The best weapon for getting your novel pushed to the top of the stack in an editor’s office is your agent.

Choosing the right agent is critical for the author. It can be a mistake for an author to accept any literary agent who says “yes.” Take your time doing research. Attend conferences where agents are speaking. Find out which agent represents books in your genre. Who are his/her clients? Does she demand a fee for reading your manuscript? You want an agent who believes in your work. If your agent doesn’t fight for your work, you could waste years.

Every relationship between author and agent is unique. But the common denominator is respect: an author’s for her agent’s time and effort, and the agent’s respect for the author’s work. Because in the end, it always boils down to the novel.

Choosing your agent, the right agent for you, is one of the most important business decisions you’ll ever make. There is a mountain of rejection in the world of publishing, and sometimes, getting published is a matter of your idea being at the right place at the right time. So believe in your talent, go to conferences, submit your work, and keep writing. Let me share with you one important thing I learned in the past twenty some years. You are a writer whether you are published or unpublished.



Mary Alice Monroe is a NYT Bestselling author and has written more than a dozen books, including Last Light over Carolina, Time is a River, and The Beach House. Her books have achieved several best seller lists, including SIBA and USA Today. Her latest novel, The Butterfly’s Daughter, will be out in spring 2011. You can follow Monroe on Facebook, Twitter and her weekly blog.