Reading + Reality

  I recently had a unique opportunity to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina.... the setting of several of my favorite books.  I was worried that the towns and scenery I pictured in my mind would be so different from reality that I would be dissapointed....I was so NOT dissapointed, but rather over the moon! 

Can't you just see Scarlett and Rhett?

While on the Outer Banks of North Carolina I saw places  that just had to be where the author was standing when they wrote the books...

  "The Beach House" by Mary Alice Monroe

"One Summer" by David Baldacci  

and "Summer Rental" by Mary Kay Andrews all came to mind.

How about the big three from Nicholas Sparks:

"Safe Haven"

"Nights in Rodanthe"

(don't cry)

 "Message In A Bottle"

The scenery, sites and smells truley made me feel I was part of the book "Folly Beach: A Lowcountry Tale" by Dorthea Benton Frank while staying there.

It was a surreal experience for which I am extremely gratful.

Now I think now I will shift my reading preference to books that take place in Paris, Italy, France........