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<\/p>\nIf you love books and loggerhead turtles, it\u2019s likely you recognize the name, Mary Alice Monroe. Bestselling author many times over, this well-loved writer is probably best known for her Beach House Series, whose characters have become a part of us over the past 15 years. I was honored to chat with Mary Alice by phone while she was in her mountain home in Tryon, North Carolina.<\/p>\n
Of course we had to first talk about what\u2019s happening in the world right now. Mary Alice believes she may have contracted the coronavirus early on. \u201cI went on a cruise early in February, and on the plane ride home, a woman from my cruise was hacking and coughing.\u201d Continuing, she said she began having a fever, cough and chills a few days after getting home \u2013 and also had trouble breathing. \u201cI was tested for the flu, but didn\u2019t have it. I was told I had \u2018a virus.\u2019 But they did not have Covid 19 tests. I stayed home and thankfully recovered.\u201d Mary Alice said she now realizes how important physical distancing is to keep the virus contained. \u201cI\u2019m solitary by nature and because of my writing \u2013 I\u2019m not very inconvenienced.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe my readers trust me and know I\u2019m going to write a story that will evoke human emotions and touch real issues,\u201d said the author and environmentalist when I asked her to talk about the amazing popularity of her work. Before writing a word, Mary Alice does her research in order to be accurate. \u201cI talk to experts. I go out to work with the animals. In my novels I never proselytize or point fingers. I\u2019m a storyteller. I want readers to become aware of the animals the same way I became aware\u2013through experiences. Still, my response is always human.\u201d Readers have told Mary Alice that they enjoy the stories, but they especially enjoy the learning \u2013and there is a lot to learn in the beloved Beach House Series that teaches us about the natural world through characters that become like family. \u201cI get letters begging me to never stop writing them.\u201d<\/p>\n
And luckily for us, Mary Alice is currently working on the next book in the series. While we dive into On Ocean Boulevard, released this month, this prolific author is working on The Next Generation, another exciting chapter in the lives of the characters we have come to love. \u201cI\u2019ve been writing this for 20 years,\u201d Mary Alice said. \u201cMy characters have aged. Now it is Cara\u2019s second wedding, and in this story there are a lot of complications that readers will identify with \u2013 Cara has come full circle. It\u2019s her turn to be the matriarch for the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m changing my story line in the novel I\u2019m writing because of what\u2019s happening in the world,\u201d continued Mary Alice. \u201cI\u2019m looking at what\u2019s happening on the beach. The SC Aquarium has just closed its doors, people are being laid off\u2026and this one family, the Rutledge family, comes together during this time of social distancing. They have struggled through adversity for years, and discover that love, perseverance and commitment gets them through. After this summer, I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll have a lot to say!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mountain home is my escape from hurricanes,\u201d laughed Mary Alice when I asked her about her second home. \u201cI am always writing in the fall.\u201d As much as she loves her ocean-side home, the beauty of the mountains draws her in for a different kind of inspiration. \u201cCreativity stems from both, it\u2019s just different. How wonderful that we live where we can easily go from place to place. Nature has such variety, that no matter where we go\u2013as long as we go outdoors, we will be inspired.\u201d When she\u2019s in the writing mode, Mary Alice writes all day \u2013 and sometimes into the night if deadlines are approaching. And she loves the whole process \u2013 from researching, to volunteering, to writing, to editing the first draft with her editor, to copy editing and finally book tours. \u201cSometimes, though, I choose not to write. I give myself a vacation to let go of Book A before I begin Book B.\u201d<\/p>\n
We are all aware that one of Mary Alice\u2019s passions is the protection of the loggerhead turtle. \u201cWe had such a good year last year; I wonder what this year is going to look like? The environmental issue in On Ocean Boulevard is plastic and the damage it\u2019s causing.\u201d On Mary Alice\u2019s Facebook page, there is a link to join \u201cLight One Candle,\u201d a group highlighting her vetted information about what is happening in the natural world, and how one person can make a difference. \u201cMy dad used to tell me not to try to change the world, just light one candle.\u201d Continuing, this passionate environmentalist said, \u201cPeople are overwhelmed with climate change and now the coronavirus. Knowledge is power and action stops fear. I want people to know there is something they can do to make a difference in their own life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn writing you always take your hero, hit them with all the problems and box them in a corner. This is the dark moment. Action is what creates a hero \u2013 she decides what to do and acts. We can become heroes in our own life. I invite everyone to join us and light one candle.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked about the future and was very relieved by the answer. \u201cI do want to slow down, but I don\u2019t ever want to stop writing.\u201d Mary Alice has three children, and six grandchildren, and does plan to take a little more time to enjoy her family. \u201cWriting is all I do, it\u2019s my life. Researching or writing. Two things I enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The looming shadow of the coronavirus kept creeping back into our conversation. Mary Alice\u2019s book tour has been cancelled \u2013 including the huge launch party at the SC Aquarium. Her daughter has postponed her wedding and her future son-in-law has coronavirus (recovering well). Mother\u2019s Day plans are also on hold. \u201cI am usually touring around Mother\u2019s Day, but I try to be in Chicago where one of my daughters lives, but everything is on hold.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mary Alice does have a plan in the works to host an online book club, reading the entire Beach House Series. \u201cI hope to have a discussion about each book leading up to On Ocean Boulevard and The Next Generation. It will be a lot of fun and a great way for us to get together with old friends. I hope it brings joy and comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n