Two things inspired my second story in LOVE & MAGIC, titled The Curse of the Neahkahnie Treasure. My first inspiration came from my first trip on a sailboat. We sailed from the West Mooring Basin at historic Astoria, Oregon, seven miles down the great Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. Astoria is my favorite small town, and its history and economy have been linked to the ocean for over two-hundred years.
The bow sussed through swells instead of roaring like a diesel engine. The experience was magical, so quiet that I heard wing flaps when a flock of pelicans took flight as we passed.
Never mind that I got seasick. Never mind that it was freezing cold for much of the sail. Never mind that we were crossing the Columbia River Bar into coastal waters so dangerous they are known as the Graveyard of the Pacific.
The forty-footer was a thing of beauty as sleek and graceful as a sailfish. The cabin below deck sported gorgious polished woodwork and shiny brass fittings.. The surrounding natural beauty touched my soul. I love adventure, and this was a whole new way to explore the sea. I walked on air for days after the sail.
A week later I wrote a flash fiction short story set at on a sailing vessel. I'd never written a historical, so I set the story in Astoria in 1871. When Judith Ashley, Diana McCollum and I later decided to collaborate on a collection of romantic short stories having paranormal, magical or mystical elements, I decided to lengthen my short-short story from 2,000 to 13,000 words and include the tale in the anthology. Readers had commented that they wanted me to expand the story.
My second source of inspiration for The Curse of the Neahkahnie Treasure is fodder for another blog post!
Thanks for reading. ~ Sarah Raplee
Sounds like your sail boat excursion left quite an impression on you. So glad it did, because I know the short story is excellent.
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