Hey Guys,

Thank you all for supporting the release of Storm Surge. Sales have been good and the reviews have been outstanding, with 23 of 24 being five stars. I hope those of you who have read the book will appreciate the background information here, and those who haven’t will be enticed to check it out.

You can find the locations along with embedded pictures here:

The settings and local color in the book are from our trip to Italy in 2017. We spent the first week in Rome, doing all the standard sightseeing stuff, as well as some special tours. The Coliseum at night is a must-see. Fewer lines and a totally different perspective. One of the early scenes in the book was inspired by this visit.

Rome is a great walking city. Even the side streets, which are more like alleys, felt safe, though easy to get lost in. Fueled in the mornings by espressos, and later by Aperol spritzes, we walked an average of 12 miles a day, checking out the standard tourist fare, the cafes, and of course the churches, museums, and ruins. Many are used as locations in the story.

The second week was spent touring Sicily by bicycle. It was a really interesting place, with unique towns and great countryside rides. The weather was outstanding during our October visit, and it was mostly tourist-free. Syracuse was really cool, and Storm Surge has several scenes set there, including a chase through the market with my favorite weapon of all time.

And for those of you who need your dose of Mac Travis, he makes a cameo appearance.

After our Egypt trip this October, which many of you followed on my Facebook page, we’re back in Tampa. My body might be here, but my head is in the Bahamas with Mac Travis and Trufante. The first draft for Wood’s Destiny is about 50% complete. Look for a mid-February release.

A large part of the story is based around Hurricane Dorian and is set in the Abacos. That thin string of islands is a special place to those who have been there. The towns are unique and charming, as are the people. Sans cruise ships, it’s a great fishing and cruising destination.

Dorian changed the islands forever. Through an adventure setting, I hope to take my readers there to see it before and after the storm, as well as show the beauty and resilience of the people. Hurricanes tend to fall off people’s radar after the initial humanitarian effort is complete, but that is only the beginning of the rebuilding process. With your support, I’d like to help out by donating all the proceeds of the pre-orders for the book to a non-profit relief fund.

Happy Thanksgiving for those of you in the U.S., and thanks again for all of your support. We’ll talk again soon.

Tight Lines,

Steve