HURRICANE STORIES

Damage after a previous storm (Nassau, Bahamas)

Hurricane Ian is churning up some bad weather in our region. We are praying for the West coast of Florida, which is in the direct path of this dangerous Cat 4 hurricane. Thankfully, The Bahamas is only experiencing the outer bands of the storm.

In my novel “Dangerous Devotion” (Book One in my Buchanan Mystery Romance Series) a fierce hurricane hits The Bahamas. Here are two excerpts from the book:

……“We’d better get back now.” Pete turned on the wipers and headed for home, but the wipers couldn’t move fast enough to clear the rain and debris from the windshield. He swerved to avoid fallen tree limbs on the road. And as large and heavy as his truck was, the wind wrestled wildly with it. He kept his hands firmly on the steering wheel. Then, just as they manoeuvred between bending casuarina trees on either side of the narrow road, they heard a loud crack. A large branch crashed on the truck, shattering the windscreen. The children screamed as the truck skidded out of control.

……The squatters’ house where Anthony was staying had been hit hard. It had previously fallen into disrepair and the occupants weren’t sober enough to prepare for the hurricane. The roof gave way and the ceiling fell in. Some of the people inside crawled into corners of the house where they thought they would be safe. Anthony Brown woke up in a panic as rain poured down on him. He grabbed the ice pick from under his pillow, shoved it into his deep trouser pocket, and rushed out into the storm. Tree branches, coconuts, bins and garbage whirled around him as he sought shelter in the nearest building that still had a roof - a small latrine outhouse. He completely forgot about his ankle monitor.

DANGEROUS DEVOTION ON AMAZON U.S.

DANGEROUS DEVOTION ON AMAZON WORLDWIDE

 

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QUEEN ELIZABETH II'S SPECIAL PLACE

 

With Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral having focused worldwide attention on bonnie Scotland, I decided to offer my e-book "The Scottish Connection: A Journey Back - Mini-memoir" FREE until tomorrow evening 11.59 p.m. Pacific time! 

- Just after the Border Forest, a carload of excited, waving people passed us going in the opposite direction. We knew we had reached Scotland at last! The boys cheered. My mother and I were home again, in that land of soaring mountains, rushing burns and ancient glens.” - From ancient glens to sparkling lochs to soaring mountain tops, a family rediscovers their Scottish roots!

- Driving long distances in a short space of time throughout the United Kingdom is the norm nowadays. However, in the seventies it was often an adventure to cover the length or breadth of Britain. In this illustrated mini-memoir Stirling-born Fay Knowles shares memories of her 1978 journey back to Scotland with her mother and young sons, to revisit their Scottish roots.

- Fascinating Scottish Memorabilia - The Scottish Connection contains a wealth of information - Scottish ancestry, historical facts, genealogy, comparable 1978 prices, geographical descriptions, personal anecdotes, nostalgia and precious old photos.

- "The Scottish Connection" with an abundance of colour images is also available in paperback for $15.99 or your country's equivalent.

CLICK HERE FOR U.S.

CLICK HERE FOR WORLD WIDE

 

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NATIONAL HOLIDAY TO BE OBSERVED IN BAHAMAS FOR QUEEN'S FUNERAL

Along with the millions of people around the world who are mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, we have been saddened here in The Bahamas by her passing and The Bahamas Government has announced that the day of the Queen's funeral will be observed as a National Holiday. 

I came across this beautiful tribute by All Things Straw on Facebook:

All Things Straw
"A Tribute- Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)"

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"DANGEROUS DEVOTION" EXCERPT

 

I know it's hard to think of cooler weather right now, but as we approach the Fall, here's a Scottish excerpt from my novel "Dangerous Devotion", set in Scotland and The Bahamas, with scenes in Fort Lauderdale, New York, London and Devon:

"It was a crisp autumn morning as Jim MacDougall drove the couple up the gravel drive to the majestic old Culbeinne House. Pigeons flew into the air from the tall trees around the grounds, their wings clattering at the intrusion. Leaves a multitude of red, gold, ochre and russet hues lay on the ground below, waiting for the next rainfall to mash them into the earth.

"The lawn in front of the house was newly mown, so the sweet scent of grass cuttings filled the air. With winter on its way, the gardener would soon get some relief from pushing the lawn mower across the wide expanse of grass.

"'Can't you just imagine smoke spiralling from the chimneys, darling?' Violet could picture her and Gordon lighting a log fire in the living room hearth.

"'Yes I can, lassie.' Gordon imagined him and Violet snuggled on cushions in front of a roaring fire.

"MacDougall smiled as he brought the car to a standstill at the front door of Culbeinne. Everything was going the way he'd hoped.

"As the estate agent swung open the heavy front door, the house had a different feel about it. Whereas the interior had a welcome coolness during the warmer weather, it now made Violet shiver, even though she had dressed warmly." 

FOR DANGEROUS DEVOTION CLICK HERE!

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IT'S ALL IN THE FAMILY!

 I am so proud of my sweet sister Deslie Bailey from Wales, U.K.! Her delightful poem "Seaside Memories" has been featured in the Summer 2022 issue of "Evergreen - Britain's Lovely Little Green Quarterly". It's not her first success in the poetry field and I hope she continues to write and inspire!

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ORANGES ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTRALIA TO THE BAHAMAS!

 

I was surprised to find that my orange from Fresh Market, Old Fort Bay, today was Australian! Not from Florida - or even better if it had been local. 

I wonder why there no large orange groves in The Bahamas for local and overseas consumption?! Same with pineapples and bananas. 

I know there are farmers' markets with locally grown produce and of course there is BAMSI, but these are not sufficient. It needs to be done on a much larger commercial scale, so we don't always have to depend on tourism as our main industry. 

As for the "backyard farming" our government is encouraging, the problem with that is that not everyone here has a back yard! The late Alex Knowles, Sr., a relative of Erskine's, used to grow tomatoes very successfully on a large scale and he exported them to Bermuda. We need more Bahamians to follow in his footsteps.

 

 

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BLOOMING NASSAU!

The Poinciana trees lining Collins Avenue, Nassau, Bahamas, are absolutely spectacular right now. I could hardly choose which photo to use, so here are a couple!

Poinciana trees are mentioned in "Dangerous Devotion", Book 1 in my Buchanan Mystery Romance Series. Here's one excerpt:

"On Monday, Violet and Gordon had lunch in a restaurant on the other side of town, where they thought no one would spot them. They sat at a corner table outside on the wooden deck, away from the lunchtime chatter. A Poinciana tree with brilliant red blossoms provided natural shade from the midday sun. A gentle breeze flowed from the ocean. It was the kind of setting that made a hot, humid summer’s day tolerable." 

DANGEROUS DEVOTION U.S.

DANGEROUS DEVOTION WORLDWIDE

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