Author Spotlight: Annette Irby

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Annette Irby! Everyone, say hello to Annette! Without further ado, let's get to know Annette and her books Finding Love in Friday Harbor, Washington, Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington

Author Bio:
Annette M. Irby loves reading, and she has enjoyed writing since her teen years. If she's not writing, she's reading for review, gardening, or editing. Her book, Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington, won the Selah Award in 2019. Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington, is a Cascade Award finalist in 2020. Together with several fellow writers, she co-hosts the popular writers’ blog, Seriously Write, where the team provides daily encouragement and tips for writers. She is a freelance editor at AMI Editing. Married twenty-nine years, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their family at the beach. Learn more at her website: www.AnnetteMIrby.com.


Here's Annette:

Have you ever visited a place that deeply inspired you? A place where the beauty and the smells and sounds of nature seemed to minister to you? A place where you go to meet with God?

For me, that place is Puget Sound. It’s a grand waterway in Western Washington, leading in from the Pacific Ocean, down the Strait of Juan de Fuca (pronounced /FEW – ka/) into the Salish Sea to the north and general Puget Sound to the south. The Sound touches Seattle, Tacoma, Shelton, Hood Canal. The Salish Sea surrounds the San Juan Islands and touches Bellingham to the north. Lots of port cities and multiple islands dot the waterways. The Sound influences our weather. We have mild winters. We experience marine layers—clouds that push in from the west and oftentimes bring a salty smell and high humidity. These marine layers burn off to afternoon sunshine. If you live in Western Washington, you’ll find you’ll need a sweatshirt part of the summer day and shorts for part of the day. You may find yourself wearing them both at the same time. There’s often a chill behind the breeze. You may smell snow in summertime because we’re surround in mountain ranges: the Olympics to the west, the Cascades to the east.

Marine life abounds! I’ve taken beach walks and found carcasses of sting rays and possibly a shark. I’ve found lots of jelly fish washed up, crabs—both living and dead, snails, mussels, barnacles clinging to boulders. I’ve seen otters splashing in bays, along with seals and sea lions. I’ve watched a minke breathe and then wave goodbye with its tail as it sunk under the water. So much life. Just breathing the salty air can calm my heart and mind. God and I meet together there. I see His hand in the beauty of creation. The Sound is deep and huge whales live there. I wouldn’t want to swim in the deep. Six gill sharks hide in the dark depths. Giant Pacific octopus linger between the boulders under water. It’s intimidating. The water’s color changes moods—gray, blue, white, frothy, smooth, reflective. My imagination stirs with story ideas.

The first time I saw Puget Sound was over thirty years ago. I came to Washington State to visit family friends. I couldn’t believe the vastness of the Sound, of the Salish Sea (where I stayed on one of the islands). I was used to fresh-water lakes, but this was so different, so wild, so untamed, so not human-made like some of those lakes. So inspiring.

As I walked the shores, I considered what stories I could invent and set on the beaches of Puget Sound. How could I populate those novels with characters who lived here? How could I bring readers along with me to this inspirational place and let them feel what I experience here?

That’s how my Washington Island Romance series was born. I wanted to read about this region, these beaches, this beauty. Since I couldn’t find books to fulfill that need, I did as many writers do—I decided to write some. Because God met me on my beach visits, and because He’s my hope, He needed to be a central part of the stories. And because I tend to write about psychology issues, in real-to-life characters, I include humor for balance. Second chances are grand, aren’t they? Each of these stories is a second chance with that special someone. These are contemporary stories. My desire is that readers might connect in their daily lives with the challenges my characters face and then feel hopeful too. As a reader, I’ve found a nugget to hold on to while reading fiction. I’m guessing you have too.

This series of novels can be read as stand-alone novels, though you may get more out of them if you read them in order. Here’s the list:

Finding Love in Friday Harbor, Washington

 

Buy link: https://amzn.to/2GVeZtm

Will keeping his promise lead to another broken heart—or help them find love again?

Professor Mikaela Rhoades has a plan: she’ll encourage her students’ marine biology research through an exclusive program while helping an old family friend’s whale touring business stay afloat. The challenge is the tour captain is her first love and ex-fiancé. Mikaela longs to help his family in the wake of his father’s death, but she’s keeping secrets. She’ll have to face her past and overcome her concerns about the future to make it through the summer.

Captain Hunter Cahill has taken over the family touring business after his father’s death. Unfortunately, he’s drowning in grief and debt. He’s hoping the incoming stodgy professor will help resurrect the failing business, but he’s not prepared when that professor turns out to be Mikaela, his former fiancée. To make matters more difficult, he’d promised his father to pursue her if she ever returned to the island single. The more time they spend together, the easier it is to keep that promise, though she still plans to leave at the end of the season. How much will it cost him to spend the summer romancing Mikaela?

Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington (award-winning)

 

Buy link: https://amzn.to/2GQrBxZ

Neither of them is ready for a relationship, but love may not give them an out.

Jenna-Shea Brown considers herself a broken therapist. Years ago, she witnessed something that caused PTSD. She can’t let her boss or her patients know about her battle. Who would want to trust her to help them, when she can’t help herself? She’s finally able to find a fresh start in her family’s beach cabin, but the renovations aren’t complete. Her parents have hired her ex-boyfriend to finalize them, but his negligence led to her being in the wrong place at the wrong time all those years ago.

Liam Barrett is trying to prove he’s nothing like his deadbeat dad. He’s working hard, yet still failing. Adrenaline and adventure offer him a diversion, but maybe he can’t escape his genes. He’d like to make things right with Shea, but he’s unsure if she’ll forgive him. Meanwhile, he’s challenged to forgive his father. He’s also worried about Shea and all these episodes she won’t explain. Now that they’re back in close proximity, he’s falling for her again. But can anything heal the past?

Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington (award finalist)

 

Buy link: https://amzn.to/2FSIds4

Could what drove them apart be what draws them back together?

Liberty Winfield lives with loss every day. She’d rather leave her history behind her, but when faced with moving back to her hometown, the past becomes unavoidable. She takes a job at the florist shop owned by her ex-boyfriend’s family from a decade ago. Now he’s unavoidable.

Clay Garrison knows the pain of ruing his mistakes. Most of his regrets center around Liberty. If he could undo his poor choices, he would. Liberty is back. He has one more chance to make things right. She doesn’t believe anyone could love her unconditionally, so he sets out to prove her wrong. He must also try to right the biggest wrong of their past, knowing that in doing so, he could lose her forever.

Will addressing the past together help them find love? If you get a chance to read them, I pray you’ll be encouraged as the stories provide an escape to the beach where my characters find healing and hope.

Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Annette Irby!


Below are links to connect with Annette Irby and her books:

Learn more about the series here: https://amzn.to/2xpNTGB

Find other books by Annette on her Amazon Author Central page: https://amzn.to/2qtBQ49

Annette's website: www.AnnetteMIrby.com

Thank you so much for joining us, Annette!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/