Day 3 - Sunset in Negril

Day 3 – Negril!

We started off the morning with a traditional breakfast of ackee (fresh from the tree in the backyard) and saltfish, plaintains, breadfruit and bammy. And yes, I did get a picture this time…after my cousin Andrea yelled –uh – reminded me to do it. :-) 

 

After breakfast we put on our swimsuits, got ready, and headed out for a sunny day of lounging on the beach, right? Wrong! Jamaica had been experiencing a drought for several months, but the rain everyone had prayed for finally arrived as we made our way down the coast. No worries, though. Even in the rain, Jamaica is still beautiful and we had a great time singing along to Beres Hammond’s soulful hits as we drove. Here's a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj-E-YnyLK4

One of my favorite parts of this road trip was going through Holland Bamboo in Saint Elizabeth’s Parish. Tall bamboo trees stretch out above from both sides of the road, creating a beautiful tunnel that will leave you in awe.

Holland Bamboo

The rain stopped by the time we got to Negril and that little resort town was alive with activity. People were milling about, shopping, eating, or just "liming." Of course we had to go to the famous Rick’s Café, where the brave dive off of tall cliffs into deep blue water and you can watch one of the most breathtaking sunsets while being serenaded by a reggae band.

Andrea and me at Rick's Cafe

Aaaahhh!

 

 

Sunset in Negril

A couple of hours later and we were back in Mandeville, tired but feeling good. I was anxious for the next day – a trip to Montego Bay to see Rose Hall, once home to one of the most notorious women in

Jamaican history – Annie Palmer!

Day 2 - Relaxing in Mandeville

Day Two – Mandeville Town Centre!

I woke up early (Jamaica is one hour behind, but I still got up at around 6 a.m.).  I went back to bed when I learned that nobody gets up that early unless they have to.  No problem, I can rewind it. 

Up at around 8:00 a.m.  After breakfast, we headed to the town centre of Mandeville, which is the capital of the Parish of Manchester. It was laid out in 1816, and still maintains much of its historical charm. Walking around, I imagined where my grandmother might have sold her produce in the open market or the library my dad would’ve stopped at on his way home from school. It’s a bustling town, and I can see why it’s a favorite destination for returning expats - cool climate, friendly people, all the conveniences you need and some sweeping mountain views to boot.

Back home for oxtail and rice and peas. It’s amazing I stayed awake after eating that meal (sorry folks, again, I was too greedy to take pictures). But, stay awake I did and it was back down to Mandeville Town Centre to check out the night life. We ended up at Mojitos Café Loft, an upscale lounge managed by the laid back and friendly Dermot.  If you want to know where Mandeville’s professionals go, this is the spot. The vibe is easy here, where white furniture and cool martinis set the scene for winding down the evening and Dermot makes you feel right at home here.

My cousin Andrea and Dermot of Mojitos Cafe

Hanging out in Mandeville was a great way to begin this vacation before we started to explore the island. I was ready to hit the road though, so first on the list for tomorrow…Negril!

Day 1 - The Caribbean is calling me!

Caribbean life…Jamaica bound!

Day one of my long awaited vacation found me up at an ungodly hour heading to the airport so that I could arrive in Jamaica in the morning. Well worth it! Even though it’d been so long since I’d been to Jamaica, I felt an easy familiarity as soon as I made my way outside the airport to find my cousin Andrea waiting to greet me.

The ride home along the coast was beautiful, but the trip up the mountains to Mandeville, my dad’s hometown, was amazing. Seeing all those stunning homes nestled in the hillsides almost made me forget the drive up on those narrow winding roads to get there (yikes!).

A delicious dinner of curry chicken and rice and peas awaited me when I arrived at the house (sorry, I was greedy – no time for pics). But before that, we went out in the backyard and picked up a few things for breakfast: ackee and avocados (look at the size of these!).

It was a long day, so we wrapped it up by enjoying a glass of wine and the cool mountain air out on the verandah. Island living - I could do this.

Next post...the Mandeville town centre!

Catching up...

It’s early morning and I’m sitting in one of my favorite coffee houses in the H Street corridor in Washington, D.C. It’s Caribbean Heritage Month and they are playing reggae (The Joint on Sirius XM is one of my favorite stations). I don’t know if it’s in honor of Caribbean Heritage Month or whether this particular barista just likes this station but either way, it works for me.

As an author, my mind is now divided between writing and marketing. My first novel, Somerset Grove, is continuing to do well. Most recently I was honored to be one of three featured authors at the International Reggae Poster Exhibition hosted by the Embassy of Jamaica at the Organization of American States that was held in May in Washington, D.C. I’m also really excited to be going to South Africa in 2015 to do an author talk. (And ahem, if you're looking for a great summer read...)

Writing has also been productive for me – I finished the first draft of my third novel, The Butterfly, which is now with my fantastic editor. In the meantime, I’ve started my fourth book and  I’ve also written a couple of short stories. Competing with all of that is that lost second novel - that prodigal son that disappeared on me when I was a quarter of the way through writing it. I let it go and just like the parable, it has returned to me and I’m welcoming it back with open arms. Maybe the time wasn’t right for me to work on it when I had started it, but I feel that time is coming closer now.

So what’s on tap for the summer? I’m planning a visit to Jamaica with my wonderful cousin, Andrea Peart. Part research trip, part reconnecting and part relaxation, I’m looking forward to embracing the sights, sounds and aromas of that beautiful island once again (though if Andrea has anything to say about it, we'll be balancing that relaxation out with some good live music!). I will definitely post pics when I’m back!

In the meantime, I can’t leave this post without telling you what I’m listening to, can I? It’s Superman, by Tarrus Riley. It’s a song that should be enjoyed on a rooftop on a sunny evening. It has a relaxing vibe and Tarrus Riley has such a soulful voice, you can’t help but lean back and think about the good life.

That’s it for now…

The best laid plans…

I meant to start blogging on a regular basis, but my plans conflicted with my reality. Life, work and other priorities have gotten in the way. Not all of it is bad though. In fact, I’ve accomplished quite a bit as far as the writing is concerned; earlier this year I published my first novel, Somerset Grove. It’s a family saga about three generations of women from a small Jamaican town. The story takes them on a journey between Jamaica and Canada as each woman struggles with family conflicts and personal challenges that keep them from living the lives that they want. Check me out on Amazon: http://amzn.to/14H7BaA or Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/XfZf5s and Kobo for my fellow Canadians: http://bit.ly/15EYkfC.

As far as my other novel is concerned (the one that I lost – see my last blog entry, “Back again…”), I had every intention of getting back to work on it, but it was slow going. I think I was struggling with trying to remember what I wrote word-for-word or at least scene-by-scene, but it didn’t work. I finally had to admit to myself that I wasn’t really ready to get back to it yet, so I let it rest and started a new novel.  It turned out to be a good strategy.  I’m about two-thirds of the way through the rough draft of this third book and equally important, I’m actually getting excited about returning to the second story. Now that I’ve let go of what it was supposed to be, I’m able to think about where else I could go with it.

In the meantime, the book promotion for Somerset Grove is going well (yay!) and I was finally able to take a much needed vacation to the Dominican Republic this summer. I can’t say enough about taking time to rest and rejuvenate, so more on that later. Most importantly, I’m learning to enjoy the journey.  There will always be bumps along the road. Being able to navigate them and move beyond them is the key, so off I go…again.

Of course, I’m not going to leave you without letting you know what’s on my iTunes today – it’s Positive Vibrations by Bob Marley and the Wailers. I’m in a good place and enjoying life, so I’m following the advice of the first line of that song.  “Live if you want to live!”

Back again...

Yes, it’s been a long time since my first blog entry. I was very proud of myself for finally getting my blog started and planned to do an entry every week. Then tragedy struck. Well okay, it wasn’t a tragedy in the real sense of the word, but it was for me and so that’s how I’m defining it.

So here’s what happened: I had just finished the draft of my first book and was feeling all good about the feedback I’d received from an editor. Buoyed, I delved headstrong into the second novel I was working on, having been told that I should not have any real down time between the first and second books. Momentum was the word of the month and not even the distractions of the home buying process were going to derail my focus. Only one thing could do that and it did – I lost my manuscript. Yes, I mean the whole thing. I like to work on my netbook and because Wi-Fi access is not always a guarantee when I’m out and about, I was saving my work on a flash drive. So organized was I, that I even kept the two novels on separate drives. Lucky for me I guess, because I lost the one with the second novel on it and not the one with the completed manuscript. Still, I was devastated and searched everywhere for it; I turned over furniture, tore through my office at work, called every coffee shop I had visited over the last few days and searched my car every day for a week (like maybe I just missed it the third, fourth or fifth time I looked).

I finally gave up searching for it (for all of you readers of The Secret, please don’t judge. I really tried to summon it to me). So, I just went back to the drawing board, but every time I started to rewrite those chapters, I got frustrated and sad. Now I know what it feels like when a pet goes missing (briefly contemplated putting up lost and found posters for the flash drive, but came to my senses). I continued to work on revising my first book and getting it ready for market, but essentially starting from scratch on that second book was just too difficult.

It took me a long while before I could get motivated to write again. Thank goodness for writing workshops. I attended the Black Writers Reunion & Conference in Fort Lauderdale at the end of August and it was exactly what I needed. Seeing my old friends and meeting new ones lifted my spirits and hearing about the paths their writing careers were taking them definitely was the shoulder shake I needed. Writing is my passion and if I don’t sow, I won’t reap.

So, I’m back at it again with a renewed spirit and a willingness to let the loss go (though I must confess, after seeing the movie, The Words, I think I might react more along these lines if I found out somebody did that with my manuscript: http://youtu.be/z4gN_yc_7ug).   But no, I’ll think more positively and believe this second start will be better than the first one. I’m committed to finishing it, so stay tuned…

Oh, so what am I listening to for motivation this time around? Today it’s Peter Tosh’s version of Johnny B Goode. http://youtu.be/q8WRzdN43BI I remember my dad playing that one a lot when I was young. Peter Tosh’s raw, soulful rendition of this song conjures images of my main character making his way through the hillsides of Jamaica. Running..."What is he running from?” you ask. You’ll have to wait and see.

Until next time!

In the Mood to Write

How do I get in the mood to write? (You’re dying to know, and if you’re not, just play along).  Music does it for me.  I find it hard to write in complete silence, probably because music has always been a prominent feature in my life.  When I was younger, my parents always had some sweet reggae playing at home on the weekends.  Our house was always filled with the sounds of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Third World, Gregory Isaacs and many other classic reggae artists.  As I got older, my brother became the main source of noise around the house.  His heart was always in R & B and later Hip Hop, though he was forever in my father’s reggae collection and got busted several times for disturbing the settings on the stereo.  “Who turn up the bass so loud?” was always a frequent question, to which my brother would always raise his shoulders and shrug innocently in response.

After a bit of a struggle, I got used to studying with the bass thumping through the basement as my brother honed his deejaying skills.  “But I have to practice!” he would yell in response to me yelling, “I’m trying to study for my exams, do you mind?!”

Now, I find myself using music as a source of inspiration.  The novel I just completed, Somerset Grove, is partially set in Jamaica and I often relied on those reggae rhythms to transport me to the island, to help me create imagery and to shape the mood of my characters.  From the soulful sounds of Beres Hammond singing of Sweet Lies to Michael Rose singing of a Shine Eye Gal, they all influenced me and make me smile when I think of my heritage.

So what’s playing on my iPhone now?  Affairs of the Heart by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley.  Love a good Marley tune!  It makes me realize that I’m long overdue for a trip to Jamaica.  Until  then, I’ll just keep the iTunes going so I can keep the words flowing.  

I’m interested to learn what inspires you.  If you’d like to share, please leave a comment below.