Kylie Low, creator of the Maine and New England True Crime Podcast, Dark Downeast (which reaches 100,000 listeners each month), contacted me last week to be interviewed for an upcoming segment in her series. Kylie’s mission is to shed light on the plight of victims of New England crimes, and she was especially interested in
With all of the challenges that this last year has brought the world, there’s a sign of hope for the endangered right whale. Right whale sightings have increased off the Massachusetts coast this year, which is an encouraging sign that the species is making a comeback. This particular whale was hunted by commercial whalers in
After writing my previous post (June 17, 2020) about the connection between horseshoe crab blood and its relationship to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, I received several comments about the fact that COVID-19 is a virus, and therefore the horseshoe crab blood’s ability to identify harmful bacteria would not be helpful in this case.
Anyone who has come to one of my appearances has probably heard me talk about the horseshoe crab’s valuable contribution to the biomedical field. You can thank the horseshoe crab for keeping you or a family member who has recently had a knee or hip replacement, or many other forms of replacement surgeries, infection free.
Did you know that sea anemones can be found attached to a hermit crab’s shell as she travels from place to place? They have a symbiotic relationship where both creatures benefit from living together. The sea anemone eats scraps of food that the hermit crab releases as she eats, and the hermit crab is protected
I’m always excited to see the phenomenal sea-themed ice sculpture that appears each year in front of the New England Aquarium for Boston’s First Night Celebration. Last year, the sculpture was a gorgeous blue lobster, that coordinated beautifully with the blue lobster in my book, Something’s Tugging on My Claw! This year, Don Chapelle and
If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Whydah Museum in West Yarmouth, MA, I strongly recommend that you take a look. I was there last week, and although the history of the Whydah ship, a slave ship captured and turned into a pirate ship, was interesting, what I found truly fascinating was the
We learned so much about the fascinating Hammond Castle during our book signing on Saturday. Our table was nestled between a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, the skull of a Christopher Columbus crew mate, and a remote control weather controlled room, complete with lightning, containing an eight foot deep pool surrounded by a replica of a
These are octopus babies inside their eggs. According to the book, “Soul of an Octopus,” the female octopus lays her eggs towards the end of her life, and cares for them even at the expense of her own welfare. The octopus is a fascinating creature!
I attended a “Fireside Chat” at the Beauport Hotel last night and heard author James Masciarelli (Beyond Beauport) speak. My favorite part of the evening was when Jim spoke of the wreck of the Hesperus. I became familiar with the Longfellow poem as an adult, but learned about the Wreck of the Hesperus when I
We had another spectacular day at the Sea Festival of Trees this year. We met so many wonderfully fun people, and got to see this year’s crop of creatively decorated sea-themed Christmas trees. The highlight of the event for me was when a little preschooler handed me “Did You Make the Hole in the Shell
This gorgeous lobster has been categorized as a rare “cotton candy” lobster. According to National Geographic, one of these pastel pink, baby blue, and periwinkle colored lobsters are found every 4 or 5 years. Why this shell coloration happens is unclear. It could be caused by a genetic mutation, or perhaps, from relying on a
How awesome is this! I’m learning everything I can about the octopus for a new children’s book that will include one, and this pops up on social media. (Pie by James A. Bonaparte)
Had a blast at the Fireside Chat last Monday evening! I met so many interesting people and the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating. If you’d like to hear why I wrote “Bay State Skye,” click on the photo above, and then on the video below and enjoy!
You realize you’re seriously in love with sea creatures when your daughter texts you the following and says, “Mom I think they made this comic for you!” (and they did!) Click the photo to see the full comic. Regeneration is fascinating. Enjoy!! (comic by pbfcomics.com)
Every year I love to showcase the inventive people who turn normal gourds into fabulous sea-themed creations! Click the photo to view the class of 2019.
The New England Aquarium does a Facebook live segment the first Friday of every month. This one’s from their herring tank and is about schooling. Did you know there are three different types of groups of fish? Click on this post to check it out!
Favorite comment from someone passing by our book display at SCSF in Gloucester last weekend, where the Bay State Skyestory all began: “I read that book. What an ending! Wouldn’t of guessed a girl wrote it!” My feminist side should have been offended, but a) he called me a girl (I doubt that will ever happen again)
Last weekend we spent three days in Wolfeboro, NH, the area from which Frederick Small’s jurors in “Perfection To A Fault” hailed. The weather was like the Schooner Weekend chapter in “Bay State Skye.” The setting was beautiful, sitting in 90+ degree weather was tolerable, but the empty show grounds was heartbreaking! Silver lining: We
A quick update:All of our books are now available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book format, including our children’s books. They’re available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Brodart, Follett, and our newest distributor, Ingram Book Company (1-800-937-8200). Now getting a Seatales book is easier than ever! Happy Summer!!https://www.ingramcontent.com
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