Deborah M. Hathaway
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A Day for (My) History Books

1/22/2019

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Today is a day for the history books…If history cares about the day I did something crazy. And by crazy, I mean completely normal to everyone but myself. Yes, today I did something special. Something amazing. Something unheard of! Today…I signed up for my first writer’s conference!
 
Are you disappointed? Sorry. This is a big deal for me, though! I never do anything like this. For years, I chose to go about my writing business alone. I was a little row boat tied to the harbor, trying not to sink as the tall ships around me sailed on to the high seas, experiencing adventures, finding treasures, making friends with the other…ships…(That metaphor got away from me a little bit.)
 
But today, I decided to stop cowering and finally sign up. I am looking forward to learn more, to meet new people, and to improve my writing. But I still get a little queasy every time I think about this new adventure. So I'm making myself feel better by staring at my pictures of the ocean (taken just last week on my trip to California). Because, let’s be honest “The cure for anything is salt water. Sweat, tears, or the sea.” (Isak Dinesen)
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Still Longing

4/4/2018

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PictureMe and my sister, Dunluce Castle, Ireland
While seven months pregnant with our second child, my husband and I flew to England. We had a wonderful time, as we always do while there, but even more so because my sister and her husband were able to join us. We explored all over the country together and had the time of our lives, however, the exhaustion I felt while pregnant and traveling with our 18 month old was acute. So much so that I promised myself I would never travel so far from home while pregnant again. 

PictureBodmin Moor, Cornwall
Two years later, my husband and I headed to England once again where I visited Cornwall for the first time. From then on, I was forever changed. I have never longed to return to a place (excepting my own home) more than I do Cornwall. There is something about it (the rugged coastline, the accents, the food, the views, the small roads, the peace and quiet) that calls to me. 

​When we returned home, my yearning for the county grew, but with our third child on the way, I knew we wouldn't be able to go back for years. To satisfy my unquenchable thirst to see Cornwall and the ocean again, we planned a trip to Oregon.  

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Heceta Head Lighthouse, Oregon
We had a wonderful vacation, and the coastline did not disappoint, nor did the lighthouses, beaches, and time we spent together. While there, I wanted to make sure I did two things.

​1.) I wanted to write while near the ocean so I could make my next book (based along the Cornish coast) hopefully better. Well, with two rambunctious kids with zero inhibitions and approaching tides, writing was made rather difficult. I was, however, able to take extensive notes on my phone, so I think that counts.
PictureYachats, Oregon
2.) I wanted to be sure to get a few sunset pictures of our growing family. After five nights spent hoping for beautiful sunsets (each night ending with thick clouds blocking any light from the departing sun), we were finally blessed with a breathtaking sunset on our last night. 

​After our wonderful vacation, we returned home, however, nothing could compare to my beautiful Cornwall, and I am now, more than ever, longing to return. I suppose I will simply have to wait a year or two, though, when we can enjoy the county with three children instead of two.
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Yachats, Oregon
​Now all I must do is find the patience to wait for the baby to join our family, and for the next time we get to enjoy Cornwall together!
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Changed

11/8/2017

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​A few months back, I was able to update my blog more frequently than before, having a great deal to write about in relation to my recent trip to England. However, when I reached the post I had been waiting to write about for months, I was stumped, deciding to take the easy way out and just give up on writing altogether...
​for a few weeks, anyway.
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​​I don’t know what has made me pick up my pencil (or rather, type on my laptop) again and make another attempt at writing. Perhaps it is the fact that Halloween is over and I no longer am creating and sewing costumes for me and my family.  We dressed as Hobbits this year, as me and my husband are huge fans of Lord of the Rings. My daughter was determined to be a princess, but after I promised her a pretty dress and a flower crown, she was convinced to dress up as a Hobbit like the rest of us. This may be my last year I will have the power of persuasion, though.
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Or perhaps I wished to start writing again because of the beautiful autumn we are experiencing this year. The colors of the leaves have been so vibrant and have lasted far longer than years past. The air has been crisp and not absolutely frigid, which has been a nice change, and now that November has come, I am happy for it to snow and drop in temperature. (At least until January when it needs to warm up day one.)

​Or maybe I simply wanted to start writing again because I love it, and I missed these last few months of creating images in others' minds by putting words on a page. Along with my blogging, I nearly gave up on writing and editing my new novel, which is what I miss the most. The characters, places, and situations are so real to me that when I don’t write or read about them, I miss them like I would any old friend.
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Pacific Coast
​Having finally decided to continue writing, I’m nervous, afraid my novel hasn’t made the progress I thought it had. I’m also nervous to continue blogging, as that post I couldn’t write still haunts me. The post was supposed to be about the sea, but no words could do my feelings justice.
I saw the ocean for the first time at age three, but the first time I can remember seeing the ocean was when I saw it from Blackpool in England. I was overwhelmed, as it was my first trip to the UK, and I was completely jet-lagged, so I couldn’t really take in the majesty of the water. Yet, when I took my family vacation to Oregon, I was finally struck with how incredible it all was, and I longed to see the ocean again.
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Blackpool, England
​I expected great things during our trip to Cornwall, planning for months on spreadsheets every minute of every day so we could take full advantage of our time there. We had so many places to see, so many miles to drive, we were exhausted by the end of every day, but each moment of exhaustion was worth it for the sights we saw.
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Porthcurno Beach, Cornwall
PicturePorthcurno Beach, Cornwall
I was taken aback at my love for the sea once again as we stopped at beach after beach, cliffside after cliffside. The power of the incredible amount of water, the sounds of the waves on the beach, the soft sand beneath my boots, the freezing wind burning my reddened cheeks, the rugged, Cornish cliffs around me, everything was overwhelmingly peaceful and powerful.

I have not been the same since, and every day, I long to return to the place I felt such deep joy and contentment. 
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For now, however, I will settle for the next best thing, writing about the place I fell in love with, the fierce winds, the rushing waves, and the endless beauty of the Cornish coast. 

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A Visit to Charlestown, Cornwall

9/1/2017

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Charlestown quickly became one of my favorite places in Cornwall. The only sounds we heard as we walked through the small port town were seagulls hovering above the low tide and the soft chattering of residents who nodded their heads to us in greeting as we walked past them.

We moved along a short pathway, taking in views of the ocean in one direction, while behind us, tall ships rested in the harbor. Drawing closer to the grand vessels, we noticed a man rigging up the boat, while two other men stood on the dock with folded arms, speaking together about the workings of the ships as they squinted in the bright sunlight.

We visited the Shipwreck Centre afterward, and there, I was able to learn more about the shipwrecks that occurred in the waters around Cornwall.

Visiting Charlestown was an invaluable experience, as it provided me with a great deal of information I have since been using in my upcoming novel, and I cannot wait for my next clean romance to be released.

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Inspiration for My Newest Novel

8/28/2017

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While visiting the UK with my family this year, I had the privilege of spending a week in Cornwall. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the seaside, the cool weather, and the many walks we took along the cliffs’ edges, including the one here, where we spotted an unbelievable ship sailing in the waters. While there, I was able to do research for my next clean romance novel based in Cornwall, which will be released sometime next year. I can only hope I will be able to accurately describe in my writing the beauty of this county. 


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