Tag: Pamlico River

Posted in event, interview, my books, News

What’s Happening at The Venue

Posted on by Sherri

Interview with Christina Howerin

https://www.facebook.com/TheVenueAtTheChamber

Today I’m with Christina Howerin, the host of the upcoming Valentine’s Popup Vendor Event at the newly opened, The Venue, Main Street, Aurora. Hello, what are you hoping to accomplish with this first vendor event?

Christina:  Hello, thank you so much for being a vendor and this interview!  I recently joined the Aurora Leadership Counsel, and was trying to find a fun way to help local vendors and attract people to come see some of the talent we have here in Aurora.

Sherri: You have several jobs and a couple of independent businesses; how do you juggle everything plus serve on several community organizations?

Christina:  Juggle is the magic word… lol   I work 40 hours weekly for Pamlico County DSS in the food stamp dept.,  I have a vendor booth at The Backyard Bee’s in New Bern,  I recently changed beauty companies.  I am now with VIC Beauty from California and I am also with Park Lane Jewelry.

61874008/user/100000433719187

Sherri: What is the name of your business?

Christina: I was thinking of nicknaming myself Backwoods Barbie.

https://www.facebook.com/christina.howerin

Sherri: I love it.

Christina: After getting the coffee mug, it just fit.

Sherri: The Venue is the Chamber’s new venture. Are you part of the Chamber of Commerce? Who is handling The Venue rental?

Christina:  I have not yet added the Chamber of Commerce to my “Juggle list” yet.  I will hopefully be doing that soon.  Denise Bonner (252) 670-3711 is a member and she handles the Venue.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013016596629

Sherri: The town of Aurora has had a bit of a revival lately. It is so good to see the community coming together to make changes. You’re a part of that change.

Christina:  Thank you!  It’s so nice to see people coming together. I invite everyone to come out to any of the Aurora Leadership Council meetings.  Aurora events and happenings can be found on www.auroralife.us.  Make sure to sign up for the “Community Life” newsletter also!

Sherri: I’ve invited my fellow writers from the Pamlico Writers’ Group to bring their books to the Popup Event. Who else is going to be at The Venue?

Christina:  I started the vendor adventure with my former beauty company about a year ago.  I have made some awesome and talented friends.  There will be MT’s Cupcakes, Ms. Mary Jenkins, & Funnels of Love,  we also have Scentsy, East Coast Customs,  2 Creative Sista’s, handmade wood crafts, purses, towels, jewelry, Colorstreet, Tulaxii,  a wide array  

Sherri: You were talking of doing other events; what else do you have in mind?

Christina:  I plan on trying to have a popup once a month.  Next month is set for March 12th. Vendors can sell their items and/ or have a yard sale table.  Space is limited, so first to pay gets a spot.  If interested, please contact me (252) 375-0915 to be added to my Facebook group of vendors.

https://www.facebook.com/designbyEastCoast
https://www.facebook.com/ahhamilton1
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013016596629
https://www.facebook.com/april.s.brooks.3

Plus Pure Romance representative, handcrafted items and jewelry designer, Bridgett Bonner

https://pureromance.com/pws/BridgettBonner/tabs/home

and more…

Don’t miss this holiday event at The Venue. Find great gift ideas or something for yourself.

I’m so excited to be included in this event.

https://www.facebook.com/sjlhollisterwriter
Posted in backstory, inspiration, my books

The Ideas for the Harrell Family Campgrounds

Posted on by Sherri
tent, RV or cabin, camping is a different experience

After raising six boys I can tell you my greatest surprise is that they all managed to get grown without any major permanent damage. Well, at least physically. They’re all a bit crazy but that’s what you get from jumping off the roof of houses, leaping onto moving cars, and getting into fights with trees, walls, your brothers, etc. It’s their father’s fault.

Our best times as a family were while we were camping. The kids loved to camp, and it didn’t matter how rustic it was. I often thought I’d loved to have had a campground while the kids were young, that was part of my inspiration for the Harrell Family Campgrounds. The second part of the inspiration came from growing up in South Creek, originally named Stanton-Harrell, on the Pamlico River. Growing in South Creek was like living in a campground. There were people, like us who lived there year-round but there were others who only came during hunting or fishing, summer or holidays.

South Creek was a fun place to grow up but at times a bit lonely, there were only a few kids around. Imagine what it would have been like had there been a crowd of kids during the summer fishing, canoeing, swimming in the river and sound. That is where the idea of The Harrell Family Campgrounds began. 

Posted in backstory, my books, Thoughts

Don’t Worry, I Still Believe in Happy Endings

Posted on by Sherri

Don’t Worry Be Happy

I believe in happy endings.

While I can’t quite call myself a romance writer, I still believe in happy ever after, or happy for now. Okay, maybe happyish. Since I like to blow things up and kill people off (usually the bad guys), not everyone is going to have their happy ending. Well I’m usually happy about it. I’m having way too much fun thinking of new ways to make trouble.

My mom said recently, “I didn’t know you had such a dark side.” Truth is I’m a nice person, except to my characters and I’m a pretty happy person. I work at being happy. It’s not always easy. Sometimes life really sucks, and it is too easy to get mired down in what is wrong. Over the years I’ve had to give myself pep-talks, allow myself to have a brief pity party and then get on with living. I’ve had to deal with unpleasantness and realize I’m stronger than I ever believed. I’ve had to decide to be happy and sometimes I’ve had to fake it until I felt it. That’s not saying I don’t have my blue days, my crying jags, my broken-hearted moments, I just choose not to live there and some days, like battling the characters in my stories, it’s a real fight to find my happy. But having a job where you can kill off the bad guys, blow things up and not have to worry about getting your hands dirty is pretty therapeutic.

road accident car crash on an city road highway

Mom also mentioned she wished I’d write some “nice” stories. Don’t get me wrong, my mom has become one of my biggest fans, she often proof-reads my stories before I publish them. She has a great eye but she’s at an age where she likes up-lifting stories of hope and faith. I get that but that’s not where I am in my own journey. I think for me, writing the Leeward Files has allowed me to get out some of the darkness that has touched my life either in reality or through contact with others. To keep all of that hate and anger bottled up can destroy a person, like my character Phil. He is so twisted by what was done to him that even though he is trying to do what is right, he goes about it in very wrong ways. It’s not that Phil doesn’t know right from wrong, he just doesn’t see why it should matter if the results are good.

The Leeward Files has become a labor of love. Most of you who have read the series know it is loosely based on my hometown of Aurora, North Carolina. My town is dying. I love this town and would love to see it revitalized. There is so much potential here. When I look at this town, I see what it could be. I see Leeward without all the murders and sex trafficking. We really don’t need all of that here. The town is surrounded by water, the Pamlico Sound, the Pamlico River and South Creek border the peninsula. Farmland and forest still dot the landscape. The community, while not perfect, is like a big extended family. When we lost our home to fire people came together to help us, people we didn’t even know. When the backside of town flooded during Irene, people worked together to rebuild. Every day I am inspired by the people and beauty of this place, yet down town is dying. We have no grocery store. Windows are being smashed out. People are leaving. Houses are sitting vacant. Burned out homes are being allowed to sit as eyesores because no one can afford to have them torn down. When I imagine what I’d do if I won the lottery or managed to snag a movie deal, I’d have to fix up this town I love. I’d love to bring back some of the beauty and charm and make it a place people would want to come to. Anybody got a winning lottery ticket I could borrow? How about a movie deal, I’ve got some great books that would make awesome movies, and I know a town where we could film it! I’m just saying, I know a guy…

In my series, The Leeward Files, Evergreen Crystals was to be my happy ever after story for my previous heroines: Rae Lynne from Chrome Pink, Dana from White Gold and Jenna from Titanium Blue. The three best friends have found the loves of their lives and plan to settle down. Jenna and Tar plan to stop their divorce and try to be a family again. Rae and Logan are expecting a baby and she has agreed to marry him even though she terrified she might ruin his life. Jake is feeling the pressure to propose to Dana with both of her best friends getting married but is that the right course for them? Not everyone has to get married and have babies to have a happy ever after. I really thought Evergreen Crystals was going to be my sweet romance story. It is romantic, it’s sexy but I couldn’t resist killing somebody and causing trouble and well, it still has a happy ending. Don’t worry, be happy. Now as for the next books…he, hee, heee, I did tell you I’m having too much fun blowing things up. Well, let’s just say, the next three books are giving me a lot of therapy.

So, if anyone goes missing or if there is a mysterious fire, it wasn’t me. I prefer to do my crimes on paper, it’s less messy that way. If you like suspense thrillers with strong romantic elements set in a small southern town, check out my Leeward Files Series and thanks for stopping by.

Posted in Book Review

Review of Sleeping Mallows

Posted on by Sherri

Sleeping Mallows by Tammera Cooper

Sleeping Mallows is the second in the Water Street Chronicles, the sequel to Drenched Sunflowers. The story of Beth Pearse, her husband and Sam are simmering in the background while a mysterious woman turns up the heat and everything threatens to boil over.

A dog, a boy, a ghost, a hurricane and an unplanned romance come together to add to the rich tapestry Tammera Cooper has woven. Set amid the backdrop of little Washington on the banks of the Pamlico and Tar Rivers, the town, the swamp and the river are as much characters as the people and dog who populated this story.

While this is a continuation, Savanna’s story adds another layer to the drama begun in Drenched Sunflowers. Ms. Cooper twines Savanna and Charlie’s stories with those of Beth and Brad, ratcheting the intrigue to another level.

I feel that Sleeping Mallows is even better than Drenched Sunflowers. As with the first in the Water Street Chronicles, the ghost of Abram is an import piece of the puzzle.

Rich with history, atmosphere and drama, if you like an old-fashioned southern gothic with a modern twist, check out the Water Street Chronicles. You will want to start with book one, Drenched Sunflowers.

To learn more about Tammera Coooper and her books, check out the interview I did with her earlier this year.

On The Porch with Tammera Cooper