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In addition to the usual blog posts every Monday and Wednesday about our travel adventures and day-to-day life living aboard a sailboat, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up. Today, I'm featuring an interview with Jinx Schwartz, USA Today bestselling author of the Hetta Coffey Mysteries. I first discovered Jinx and her books through the Women Who Sail Facebook group and quickly fell in love with her main character, Hetta, a sassy woman with a snazzy yacht who isn't afraid to use it. Jinx has a great sense of humor and her books have me laughing out loud from start to finish. The fact that they have a boating focus is the icing on the cake (and we all know how much I like cake). When I set out to write my own sailing mystery series , Jinx was one o...

Clockwise from upper left: (1) Bob the Pirate Dog; (2) I read 100 books in 2018 as part of the Goodreads challenge!; (3) Having German food and beer in Portland; (4) The annual good luck New Year's pig gifts from my mom; (5) the line-up at the Christmas Eve potluck at the marina; and (6) Tickety Boo being moved into the workyard. What can I say about December. It was a month of highs and lows. I got to visit my family in Portland for a week - that was a high. We hauled our boat out of the water to assess the crack in our hull - that was a real low. It's bad. We had some cool weather in Florida - a high. I had freezing weather in Portland - a low. My sister has adorable cats that I got to play with - a high. .  .well, let's just leave it there with a crazy cat lady high, shall we? Okay, so onto the recap of last month in numbers. Basically, the really random numbers that pop into my head as I write these monthly posts. 4 - How many quarts my slow cooker holds. I made baked b...

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a great place to mingle with like minded people each month during IWSG day. Every month there ' s an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say. This month's question is: "What are your favorite and least favorite questions people ask you about writing?" Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here . You can see how I answered the question below. * * * "I'd like to ask you some questions if you don't mind," Simon said with a smile on his face. "But first, let...

We used to live on a sailboat in the water. Now, we live in a tree house. Well, not exactly a tree house. We still live on our sailboat, except now it's on land and you have to clamber up a ladder to get onto it. So it feels like a tree house, except it's a lot less fun. My mom is going to have a heart attack when she sees this picture. Yes, mom, we climb up and down this several times a day. So far, no broken limbs. We had always planned on hauling Tickety Boo out of the water and into the boatyard to do the bottom paint and take care of a few other things. But the plan was to do that after this season in the Bahamas. Not before. We were busy getting ready to head off. Boat projects were coming along nicely, provisioning had begun in earnest, and I dug out my swimsuits. Then we discovered a crack in our hull. No bueno . Could it be that my latest book, Bodies in the Boatyard, is coming to life ? Finding a leak on their boat is exactly what happened to Mollie and Scooter. Let...

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words: 1 - I think one of the fun parts of a librarian's job would be to put together displays of books based on various themes.  2 - This particular one caught my eye. The sign reads: "Families more dysfunctional than yours." 3 - I love how they used an old card catalog to display the books. What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it? For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here .  Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi! The latest Mollie McGhie cozy sailing mystery is now available! Pick up a copy of >>Bodies in the Boatyard<< at: Amazon (US) | Amazon (CA) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (AU) | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple iBooks | Google Play Paperback available at: Amazon Find out more at ellenjacobsonauthor.com  

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a great place to mingle with like minded people each month during IWSG day. Every month there ' s an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say. This month's question is: "What are five objects we'd find in your writing space?" Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here . You can see how I answered the question below. * * * Hmm...what can I say about my writing space? Right now it's very, very messy. We have so many projects going on at the moment, that our entire sailboa...

Clockwise from upper left: (1) new batteries = more power; (2) new charge controller = more amps into batteries; (3) new-to-us windlass = no more pulling up anchor by hand; (4) waiting for rigging inspection results = three nervous guys; (5) canvas & mainsail up = Tickety Boo looking more like a sailboat; and (6) varnishing project = fun with arts & crafts. November was busy, busy, busy! We worked on a lot of boat projects and I released the second book in my cozy sailing mystery series - Bodies in the Boatyard . Boat projects went really well during the month, so well that we started to wonder when the other shoe would drop. And drop it did - we discovered a crack in our hull a couple of days ago (more on that in a future post). So instead of getting ready to head off to the Bahamas in January, we've made arrangements to haul out our sailboat, Tickety Boo , and move her to the boatyard in mid-December so that we can see the extent of the damage and address it. We'll al...

Bodies in the Boatyard is now available! This is the second book in the humorous and light-hearted Mollie McGhie cozy sailing mystery series. (If you're new to the series, start with Murder at the Marina .) Remember when Scooter thought it was a great idea to get Mollie a dilapidated sailboat as an anniversary present? Well, now he has a new hare-brained scheme--sell their adorable seaside cottage and move on board. Mollie and their cat, Mrs. Moto, are less than impressed. Then, when someone gets murdered in the boatyard, things get even worse. Ebook available at: Amazon (US) | Amazon (CA) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (AU) | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple iBooks | Google Play Paperback available at: Amazon BLURB Selling your house and moving onto a rundown sailboat—not a dream come true. Finding dead bodies in the boatyard—a total nightmare. Mollie McGhie loves her beachfront cottage. When her husband announces that he wants to sell the house, downsize, and move onto their ...

Clockwise from upper left: (1) Early voting; (2) Creative Halloween potluck dish - a zombie made out of meatloaf and bacon; (3) Breakdown #1; (4) Breakdown #2; (5) Some of the Indiantown ladies in their awesome costumes; and (6) Yes, it's still hot in Florida and everyone is wearing sandals or flip-flops of some sort. Cruising season is just around the bend with the end of hurricane season coming up on November 30th. People are starting to come back to the marina to get their boats ready to head on out sailing in Florida, the Bahamas, and beyond. Boat projects are in full swing on s/v Tickety Boo, along with plenty of fun social events to distract ourselves from all the money, time, sweat, and tears everyone is pouring into their boats. Now, without further ado, here are some of the random things that happened at the marina last month in numbers: 6 - Number of books I read during October. 2 writing-related, 1 cozy mystery, 1 graphic novel, 1 literary fiction, and Deb Akey's lov...

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a great place to mingle with like minded people each month during IWSG day. Every month there ' s an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say. This month's question is: "How has your creativity in life evolved since you began writing?" Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here . You can see how I answered the question below. This month's co-hosts are Elizabeth Seckman , Ann V. Friend , JQ Rose and myself. * * * EDITOR'S NOTE: I found Simon the Time Traveling Cat batti...

  Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words: 1 - I was recently tagged for a Facebook challenge where you post the covers of some of your favorite books for seven days. These are some of the ones I chose. 2 - I wonder how people come up with Facebook challenge ideas. Some of them are very creative. I might have to come up with one of my own, like post a picture every day for a week of the things your cat knocks off the table. 3 - They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I do. The cover plays a big part in whether I'll read something or not. What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it? For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here .  Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi! Murder at the Marina - a lighthearted & humorous cozy sailing mystery - available in ebook and ...

In addition to the usual blog posts on Mondays and Wednesdays (and the occasional Friday) about life on a sailboat and other oddities, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up. * * * Today, I'm featuring Deb Akey's wonderful book, >>The Essence: Short Vignettes on Moments that Define my Life with the Sea<< . I found The Essence to be a really unique book full of beautiful photographs accompanied by short vignettes about the author's reflections of her life living on a boat and her relationship with the sea. Deb has a lovely way with words - her honesty, sense of adventure, and wonder and curiosity about the world shine through. Deb dreamed of escaping a life of unsatisfying work by selling everything and sailing off into the sunset. It'...

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a great place to mingle with like minded people each month during IWSG day. Every month there ' s an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say. This month's question is: "How do major life changes affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?" Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here . If you want to see how I answered the question, have a look below.  * * * Image via The Graphics Fairy "Here, kitty, kitty," I called out. I opened a can of cat f...

Clockwise from upper left: (1) Insect repellent - the essential centerpiece at any outdoor event in Florida; (2) Alex, one of the cool guys who works at the marina, sporting some patriotic shorts; (3) Visions of having three books in my cozy mystery series published; (4) Kudos to folks who brave the heat to clean their boats off - feel free to stop by and take care of mine; (5) I love that someone is driving a former police cruiser - very cool!; and (6) Our friend, Ted, doing his best imitation of a peacock at the local Guatemalan-Mexican restaurant. September was hot, hot, hot. That's about all I remember from the past month - the heat. Everyone in northern climates is posting lovely autumnal pictures on Facebook. Cool, crisp air. Needing a sweater at night. Sipping on hot chocolate without breaking into a sweat. It all sounds so lovely. Instead, I spent pretty much the entire month inside my boat with the air conditioning running full blast. On the bright side, at least the great...