Yes, you read that correctly. A whole book, beginning, middle, even an end! Can you believe it? Kidding. Although it is what I AM most excited about, I’m sure you’re really here for the boat news. That’s big, too. In honor of this new chapter, I even dusted off Video Annie for our announcement video. She was rusty!
However, for those of you who don’t love to get your information via video (*ahem* … ME), you can skim—as fast as you’d like—the video script below. If that’s you, I totally get it. Scroll on down. Most importantly: the “Big News” takeaway? There’s one of two things we need you to do:
- 2) buy an incredible 2015 Outbound 46 that’s for sale.
It’s up to you! Ha! Phillip and I are thrilled about my new book, our new travel destinations, and this new cool chapter in our lives. I hope to hear from some of you readers out there. It would mean the world to me if you read, left a review, and shared Clovis with your friends, family, or followers. For those of you with a bunch of Facebook friends or any kind of following, PLEASE SHARE on your platform. Thank you. Phillip and I look forward to seeing you somewhere out there. Au revoir! Bonjour! Or … hola! (You’ll see they’re all the same to Video Annie, lol : ).
HUGE NEWS: I’ve Published a New Book and We’re Selling Our Boat
Man, we’ve had one hell of a time out here cruising. Phillip and I have laid down thousands of blue water miles. Witnessed unforgettable sights. Challenged each other. Laughed our asses off. We’ve been lucky to be able to live a life of travel for almost fifteen years. But, the real gift has been the people we’ve connected with out here—adventurous spirits, big dreamers with insane courage, beautiful, bruised hearts. Some are retired CEOs, doctors, helicopter mechanics, nurses, professors, musicians, you name it. There’s always the guy with every spare imaginable, the gal who will roll up her sleeves and help you clean the bilge. The writers, the builders, even the ones we’ve had to say goodbye to. We’ve met so many people who continue to love and give to others, even though they’ve lost so much themselves.
These past few years cruising on Ubiquitous, I’ve become fascinated with their stories, their origins. My own included. Because I think we can all ask ourselves:
What makes you who you are?
Is it the larger than life characters from your past, or your childhood, your teen years? The heroes? The villains? The mentors? The realization—perhaps—when you grow up that you had those mixed up? Is it the events, the loves, the losses? Or, is it a feeling that deep down you are different, an imposter, only to find later you were never really as different as you thought?
My story began nowhere near salty oceans or distant shores. I grew up in the dusty fields of Clovis, New Mexico. My dad was a rodeo star turned long-haul cattle driver. Fun-loving, had his own demons, but a good soul. My mom worked thirty years for the health department. She was a fierce chain-smoking woman who forged me into steel. They were divorced, which left my brother and me shuffling from trailer to hotel to trailer with our duct-taped Duffel bag and box of LEGOs.
But these events shaped me. They are my deepest roots, and—over the past two years—they’ve possessed me, pretty much, compelled me to write them down and weave them together into my best story yet. I am more proud of this book than any book, blog, or article I have ever written.
Clovis is my debut literary fiction novel. It follows Callie—a not so disguised version of me—as she claws her way out of the dusty soil of Clovis, New Mexico with her enigmatic brother, her beautifully flawed parents and childhood friends, as she finds herself, navigates complicated relationships, suffers losses greater than I have even felt in my life but I wanted to convey love, change, and new chapters.
The feedback I have received so far from, all of my cruising friends as I have mentioned, these diverse, rich people, from all walks of life have reached out to me and enjoyed the story. They’ve shed tears over characters I’ve created, which is pretty mesmerizing. And, they’ve compelled me to share. I’m doing this on my own, rather than the traditional publishing route, because I believe in people, and cutting out middlemen, and doing this on my own and having my own project. This is part of my new chapter as well is promoting the book and writing others. I’ve got a lot more novels in me. I hope you all, especially if you’re readers or if know people who love to read, if you want a story with heart, please pick up Clovis. Read her, leave a review, and share. That’s all I ask. Five to ten friends, if you love it, please ask them to read and share. I just want her to grow and soar and take off on her own. She is a gorgeous story and I am very proud.
Thank you.
And, you also, you did read that right. This is not any click bait. We are selling Ubiquitous.
I know, right? It was a tough decision. Phillip and I just have so many places we want to see, adventures we want to go on, people we want to visit and spend quality time with, that we just can’t do it all by boat and while owning and maintaining a boat like Ubiquitous the way she deserves. So, we’re on to a new chapter—of international travel, maybe living abroad for a bit.
I hope you all are onto amazing chapters and adventures yourselves. If you know anybody in the market for an incredible, f&*cking amazing boat (pardon my French, but it’s my video), there’s a link below. Check out her listing. I’m hoping she’s sold by the time I’ve posted this and I’ll have to tell you “Sorry.” That would be great news, but we’ll see.
Phillip and I will be out there. Like I said, we’ve got on the books. God, what’s on the short list? Maybe skiing in Austria. Doing the French canals by boat. African safari’s on the short list. Vietnam, Cambodia, a cruise to Alaska. A summer in Montreal. We just got back from Montreal. It was amazing.
So, all these adventures in store. Who wouldn’t be excited? These are wonderful things. We’ve had a fantastic time cruising by sailboat. We are definitely okay with, and at peace with, putting that down for a bit and starting a new chapter.
So, that’s the big news! I thought it called for a little cameo of Video Annie. She’s still as quirky as ever and will say anything. I’ve had to do a thousand takes of this, so we’re going to wrap it up! We’ll continue to post here—Have Wings Will Travel—maybe just for a little bit. I imagine we’ll get back into boating. I can’t keep Phillip away from saltwater, so you’ll probably see us out there in a different form in a few years. Who knows? Right now, we’re getting off and going around the world. Au revoir! Bonjour! What’s another one? Hola! That’s the only Spanish one I know.
Bye!