New Release: Lighthouse Keeper

I'm normally much better at willpower and self-control, but I couldn't wait any longer. April 8th, my original release date, was simply too far away. So, since I'm self-published and am beholden to no publisher's scheduling, I hit that "publish now" button. Surprise!

Lighthouse Keeper is my first attempt at a historical romance novel, but research is not new or unfamiliar to me. Nearly every book I write demands massive amounts of research and attention to detail. How to grow wine grapes and turn them into a final product (Sour Grapes). A flight attendant's work schedule and how to make a personal airplane flight ready (The Woman in 3B). Schizophrenia and getting a wheelchair up a flight of stairs when no ramp is present (Fragmented). Survivalism and finding the perfect route from North Dakota to Utah by foot (Apophis). Being a female in the Marines and living with PTSD (Don't Call Me Hero). Just to name a few. It's also not my first attempt at writing an interracial romance. Those seem to be my forte for standalone novels these days. 

I have a PhD in American history, so it felt overdue that I should write a story set in the past. I already had a few ideas in my list of books to be written, but the plot for Lighthouse Keeper called to me so loudly, I almost had no choice but to write it next. 

The inspiration for the book came from a weekend trip my wife and I took to Provincetown, Massachusetts two Decembers ago. It was a warm and sunny day, so we went for a walk on the jetty at low tide. The rock wall protects the shoreline from erosion, but it's also a long, elevated path out to a sliver of sand where the lighthouse, Wood End, is located. I was completely charmed by all the Provincetowners who'd come out to rake the exposed ocean floor for clams and oysters, and as we approached the lighthouse it struck me what a lonely, isolated existence it must have been to be the lighthouse keeper at the end of the earth. 

I knew some of Provincetown's early history even before doing research of my own. It had been the original landing spot for the Pilgrims on the Mayflower before they moved to Plimouth. Wealth had come to the region first because of whaling and then fishing in the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Portuguese immigrants, largely from the Azores islands had followed that wealth. Married Portuguese women rented rooms in their homes to single queer men while their husbands were at sea, earning P-town a reputation as a haven for queer folks and artists as early as the late 19th century. 

More research followed, first about lighthouse history and how the lanterns worked. I studied Azorean culture and history to better understand the push and pull factors of coming to America at century's end. I read Victorian Era advice manuals about how young white middle-class women were supposed to behave. I discovered old photography of Provincetown in the 1870s and mapped out the main streets. I inspected photos of train depots in Boston and Lowell, Mass to accurately depict the settings. Fashion and food! Manners and morals! I wanted to get everything right. 

Irrespective of all of this research, Lighthouse Keeper is still very much a love story. It's the spice and heart you've come to expect from me. It's a statement about inequity and injustice and the central characters trying to do what's right. Even if historical fiction isn't your usual genre, I hope you'll give these characters and this story a chance. 

What's next
I signed a contract with Tantor to produce audio for books 3-6 from the Don't Call Me Hero series. I had self-funded books 1 and 2 myself, so I'm happy that Tantor will make it possible to finish out the series (or what I’ve published so far). Lori Prince has been contracted to continue with the series. That was my one big demand from Tantor that they hire her to keep narrating these stories. Book 3 will be wide released on April 23rd with Books 4, 5, and 6 to follow in July, August, and September. 

I'm a little obsessed with women's college basketball these days (who isn't?), which has impacted my decision about which book I'm working on next. Book 7 for Don't Call Me Hero is still on the horizon, but my goal is to publish two standalones this year and publish DCMH7 in 2025.

That's all from me. I hope you enjoy Lizzy & Jo and Lighthouse Keeper! 

Eliza