The decision to travel to British Columbia this past November was an impulsive one, uncharacteristic of my ‘long-range planning’ approach to life acquired during my career as a public school administrator. My invitation to do so appeared on the front page of the New York Times Travel Section on October 2, 2017, with the headline: “Vancouver Island, Through an Artist’s Eyes.”
Where do writers draw their inspiration? From many books, articles, trips, conversations, and recipes! In Chapter 23 of The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea, “Tea Party,” Annaliese hosts a tea party for her three cousins and their sock monkeys. Nora, Nadine, and Nell Ann have a surprise for Annaliese … their mother gave their sock monkeys away!… Read More
Eastcliff-by-the-Sea, the manor house and estate where Annaliese Easterling’s family lived, was inspired by an operating inn with a similar name — Dalvay-by-the-Sea — located on Prince Edward Island. On each of my many visits to Prince Edward Island, I made a special point to “do lunch” at Dalvay, always ordering the same thing: steamed… Read More
Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog is set on Prince Edward Island, a locale I’ve visited many times, encouraged by reading L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables books. Here are some beautiful photos of Prince Edward Island from Victoria magazine.
It was June, 1974, and the lupines, I remember, were in bloom. Six months earlier, on the way home from a party near dawn, I’d totaled a white Volkswagen Beetle. Somersaulting through the convertible’s rag-top roof, twenty-three years of life flashed before my eyes; and I didn’t like what I saw. Too late, I thought.… Read More
As a child, I often felt invisible. Powerless. Small and insignificant. Like a homely, hand-sewn sock monkey named Miss Beatrice, I often smiled on the outside while tears of sadness and confusion soaked the red felt heart tucked inside my body’s soft stuffing. Worrisome dramas of adult life unfolded in front of my veiled eyes… Read More
Welcome to The Story Continues, the blog of children’s book author Eileen Beha. Hi! My name is Mr. Throckmorton S. Monkey. I’m a red-heeled sock monkey and one of the main characters in Eileen’s new novel for middle-grade readers, The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea: The Story of Annaliese Easterling and Throckmorton, Her Simply Remarkable Sock Monkey.… Read More