Welcome to the blog.
Hi, my name is Carol Ann Ross, and I am an author.
I live on beautiful Topsail Island on the North Carolina Coast. Life is good when you get to do what you love, and I love writing about the people who surround me and this island where I spend most of my time.
Through my writing, you will have the opportunity to explore some of the magic of this amazing place--and it is amazing. As a child it was my "never, never land"--as an adult it still is.
Here on the blog, you will find a variety of topics from beach posts, to writing tips and everything in between. I invite you to follow along on this fascinating journey of a self-published author
Who likes short shorts?
Who likes short shorts? We like short shorts….words to a song popular in the 1960s. And this is a photo of my father, my sister and myself in 1967. It was a different world then, we saw nothing wrong with wearing short shorts-and that was way before Daisy Dukes came into fashion. People thought differently then, I think. Anyway, we were safe on Topsail Island even though miles and miles away the Vietnam War was waging, cities were being burned, women were burning their bras, MLK had been shot, Bobby Kennedy had been too. My new series, The Blue House…
Read MoreFishy fishy fish
If you remember the swing bridge Topsail had a few years ago, then perhaps the blurb on this back cover will bring back some good memories. If you don’t remember the bridge, hopefully it will give you an idea of how things were way back when, in the 1960s. Blowfish is set in the Vietnam era, the age of the hippies and revolutions and anger, riots, bra burnings. But Topsail was a bubble, an impervious bubble where one could be safe. I often wonder if my parents felt as I do now, worried about our country’s future.
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Blowfish cover
Off to the printer, manuscript and cover. So very excited to get this baby done. I love the cover, the back is great too and I’ll add that later. For now, check out Amazon in a few days if you want to order one and check with me or with local stores in about two weeks. I will be at the first Topsail Beach Market May 25 and hopefully the books will be there on time. If not I will post when. Thank you so much readers. Hope I don’t disappoint.
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BLOWFISH
BLOWFISH! It is off to the editor and hopefully will be available in a couple of weeks. We are working on the cover and I’ll post that asap–things are going along swimmingly. BLOWFISH is the third novel in the BLUE HOUSE SERIES and to tell the truth, it is probably my favorite book. (Hairawn Muhly is tied for that position) I did a lot of research and spoke to so many Vietnam vets and old fogies from the 1960s. God bless them all! Here is a little excerpt from my new book: To you a bath is water hot…
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Time..keeps flowing like a river (APP)
Love clouds, love the ocean, love the song “Time” by the Alan Parsons Project. SNEAKY FREAKY kinda reminds me of that song. There’s a scene in the book where clouds have a definite role. (Anyone who has read the book, give a shout out if you know what I’m talking about) It’s kinda freaky, but if you were around in the 60s, lots of people were doing freaky stuff-not that it was good, it was just the times. I try to imagine how the kids of today look at those times, the 1960s, Some with whom I’ve spoken, say those…
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Ch-ch-changes
Change is good-well, not always. But in this case, I’d say yes-and necessary. I’ve always loved this cover, the girl on the front is perfect as she is posed in front of a 1965 photo of Barnacle Bills Fishing Pier. However, I needed that little strip on the top to tell the sequence of the books from the Blue House Series. Made a few changes to the back as well, but it’s the little things that mean a lot. Now there will be no guessing as to which book is first or second or —YES! I’ve started the third book…
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Almost!
I’m still debating which photo to use and also what the backdrop will be. Tooling around Sneads Ferry for that and have just about made my decision. The more I search, the more I fall in love with the Sneaky Freaky. The book is now at the editor’s and I am looking for a 2 week window for completion. I’ll let everyone know when it’s out. Always love the new babies! I hope my readers do too. Here is a sneak pre-view, a little excerpt: “Thanks for driving all the way out here to pick me up, Mim.” “We are…
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BARNES AND NOBLE signing
I’ll be having a book signing at Barnes and Noble tomorrow from 1PM to around 4. So very excited to have this opportunity and am grateful to the managers there for displaying my books. Hope to see y’all at the bookstore at Mayfair in Wilmington,
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A PEEK AT THE SNEAKY FREAKY
This is one of the pictures I’m thinking about using for the cover of THE SNEAKY FREAKY. There are lots of poses to choose from so I may be putting others out there. Hope my readers can help me choose. Also, much of the story takes place in Sneads Ferry so I’m wondering if I should use a background shot of shrimp boats or a neat Sneads Ferry landmark or go back to Barnacle Bills or the old swing bridge, or an ocean shot- so many decisions to make. I really do appreciate any suggestions-love to please my readers. Thank…
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