The drive there should have been a warning. It gave the term "off the beaten track" a whole new meaning! Although the cottage itself was nice, albeit rustic, the satellite TV didn't work in the summer because too much foliage blocked the reception. And while the water looked nice from the porch, it wasn't exactly user friendly, ie. non-swimable. There was a canoe and hubby paddled the kids (note: not the wife) over to a nearby island. I got a hysterical report back from my daughter about the amount of bugs that attacked her and how there was (gasp) an outhouse on the island that she had to use.
Needless to say, after reading every book available, I was ready to pull my hair out. Never had a week seemed SO long. Finally one day we took a drive into the nearest town. We attended an art display by a local artist and drove down to the water where we found a lovely resort called Windermere House. I was entranced by this beautiful setting, and in fact, we had lunch at the resort's pub-style restaurant. I wanted to stay there for the rest of the week, but reluctantly had to return to the cottage.
What I did gain, however, from this 'vacation-gone-wrong' was the basis of a novel, set in a beautiful resort called "Wyndermere House". This book went on to final in the Golden Heart contest - and to my great joy is now hitting the bookstores under its new title "Healing the Widower's Heart".(Available now at bookstores near you and on-line at Harlequin.com!)
The moral of the story: You never know what good thing can come out of a vacation gone wrong!
About Healing the Widower's Heart:
When widower Nathan Porter brings his grieving son, Zach, to Wyndermere House, he is desperate for a lifeline. Nathan hopes the change of scenery to the woods of upstate New York will help mend his son’s heart. But the counselor assigned to his son’s care seems too young—and too pretty—to be qualified. Paige McFarlane has learned what loving someone—and losing them—costs. But soon her efforts with Zach reveal that to help the son she must also help the dad. As Nathan and Paige work together to mend the boy’s broken spirit, they realize the walls around their own hearts could be crumbling, as well.
