Amanda Hocking

When Amanda asked me if I’d like to write a guest post for Under-the-Sea-palooza, I thought it was serendipity, as I’d just returned from my annual family vacation on the Oregon coast.

Normally, I wouldn’t think about posting my vacation pictures on someone else’s blog, but this year at the beach was particularly interesting. The Oregon coast is, tsunami-wise, lined up with the north-east coast of Japan. When the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami occurred in northern Japan in March 2011, people all along the west coast of the U.S. were evacuated. Fortunately, we never saw more than slightly higher waves.

Until now.

Several months ahead of when scientists predicted, debris from Japan is washing up on our beaches. The largest of which is a dock.

Agate beach saw 10,000 more visitors than normal the first weekend after the dock appeared

The dock was able to float across the Pacific Ocean

The dock was able to float across the Pacific Ocean due to its Styrofoam core

The barnacles were tested for radiation and then blow torched from the dock before the public was allowed to get near it.

The barnacles were tested for radiation and then blow torched from the dock before the public was allowed to get near it

 
Our visit to see the dock was surreal. First off, the walk out to it is about a half mile across small sand dunes. Secondly, the beach was more packed than I’d ever seen it and no one was playing in the waves – everyone was just making their way to THE DOCK. It felt like an alien craft had landed and we were all being drawn to the ship.

Once there, the group mentality continued.

1. Walk around it.
2. Touch it.
3. Get your photo taken with it. (Ours is going to be our Christmas card this year.)
4. Marvel at the power of the ocean and how something so gigantic floated so far.
5. Feel awkward about being excited about a dock when so many people lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami.
6. Realize you’re standing in front of a piece of history.

Thanks to my husband, Rob Benefiel, for letting me use his photos. The ones I took all sucked

I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at my photos and hearing about one of the stranger things I did on my summer vacation.

Stacey Wallace Benefiel is the author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, the Day of Sacrifice series, The Toilet Business – a collection of essays, and multiple short stories. She sometimes goes by S.W. Benefiel, but knows she’s not foolin’ anybody. Stacey lives in an orange house in Beaverton, OR with her poet husband and their two young children. For more info on Stacey and her books, please visit her website: http://staceywallacebenefiel.com

I’m going to do a “meet a character from Watersong” post. It’s just a quick questionnaire that introduces the characters, as well as a pictures of actors that resemble how I imagined them.

This week, it’s Gemma Fisher, one of the leads in Watersong.

Alexis Dzeina would play “Gemma” in my dream cast

Gemma is also on the cover of Wake

1. Real name: Gemma Anne Fisher
2. Birthday: April 11th
3. Age: 16
4. Zodiac: Aries
5. Boy or Girl: Girl
6. High School: I’m going to be a Junior at Capri High School
7. College: None yet
8. Job: None
9. Hair Color: Brown with golden highlights
10. Eye Color: Light brown
11. Height:5’3″
12. Piercing/Tattoos: Just my ears are pierced. I had my cartilage pierced when I was 14, but it got infected. No tattoos yet
13. Boyfriend/Girlfriend: None right now, but I do have a crush on someone…
14. Best friend: Either Madison from the swim team, or my sister Harper
15. Last person you talked to: Coach Levi
16. Last person you texted: Harper
17. Last person you watched a movie with:My dad. We watched a SyFy movie together.
18. Last song you listened to: Cobra Starship – “You Make Me Feel”
19. Favorite Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
20. Favorite Bands: Rihanna
21. Favorite Books: Matilda by Roald Dahl
22. Favorite Food: Peanut butter 
23. Favorite Beverage: Water
24. Favorite Possession: My car
25. Favorite Place:The bay, at night.

While planning for Under the Seapalooza, I was trying to come up with some fun ideas for things to and asked for input. Nikki Jefford (author of Entangled and the awesome guest post & giveaway, which you should check out: here) came up with the idea for weekly “Show & Tell” memes.

Here’s how it works:

Unlike ongoing meme’s, this one is temporary – every Thursday throughout the month of Under the Seapalooza. Each week, I’ll show off my favorite something (this week it’s bookmarks), then you show off your favorite thing and enter to win a prize.

This is the schedule for Show & Tell Thursdays:
July 25th – Bookmarks
August 2nd – eReader Skins
August 9th – Journals
August 16th – Book Trailers

While I do read a lot on eReaders now, I also enjoy reading the old fashioned paperbacks, too. Lots of times I end up using Post-It notes as bookmarks because that’s what I have handy.

I do love Post-It notes. I don’t actually know why this Post-It is in the book. I’ve finished reading it, but it was sitting on my shelf with a bookmark stuck in it.

 But I’ll use anything that fits comfortably between two pages. Even trading cards.

This Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trading card marks my favorite section in Knightfall.

I’ll even use stickers. Assuming they have protective backing still on, so they don’t get stuck and ruin the pages to the book.

Blink 182 sticker marking a spot in the UK ARC of Wake. Full disclosure: I actually do use stickers as a bookmarks, but I wasn’t in this case. I just wanted a reason to show off the pretty UK cover.

So what about you? What do you use? Share your bookmark collection and WIN more. Do you have a fancy bookmark? A scrap of paper?

If you’re like me and use any random thing you find, then you’re in luck. Because I’m giving away some pretty fantastic bookmarks. One lucky winner will win this bundle:

10 Luscious Handmade Bookmarks

1 Fantastic Mermaid Bookmark

Plus a bookmark from Nikki Jefford, and one from me (which I don’t currently have pictures of). All Show & Tell Giveaways will run until the end of Under Seapalooza (August 25th). It’s open to the US & Canada only, sorry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Thanks again to Nikki Jefford for coming up with such a fun idea!

It’s only the third day in Under the Seapalooza, and there are already a number of giveaways going on. Make sure you check them out: here.

The book trailer for Wake is set to premiere on August 1st. Until then, stills are being revealed over at my Facebook. There’s been three so far, and in case you missed them, I’ve posted them here.

Still #1

Still #2

Still #3

Today’s Under the Seapalooza guestpost comes from author Nikki Jefford, and it comes with a vlog and an awesome giveaway!

Like Gemma in Wake, I live by the ocean in a small town called Friday Harbor located on San Juan Island. Thanks to the Washington State Ferry system, four of the San Juan Islands are accessible by passenger ferry, which brings a flood of tourists to the islands during the summer months.

Fun Facts:

• There isn’t a single traffic light on the island
• Fast food chains & big box stores are not allowed in the San Juans
• Canada (Vancouver Island) is within viewing distance
• Forks, WA (as in Twilight) lies only 70 miles west of the San Juans yet averages over 100 inches more rain per year
• The movie Practical Magic was filmed here rather than New England because we have nicer weather

But enough talk. How about I show you around?

Tub Party Giveaway: Book & a Bath

By day I work at a 20 acre organic lavender farm. All of the products are produced on site by a team of lovely women. I am giving away three of our most popular bath products: Lavender Tub Tea, Bath Salts and (my favorite!) Bubble Bath. Even if you’re nowhere near a large body of water, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a relaxing soak.

And, for those of you who enjoy reading in the tub, I’m throwing in a signed paperback copy of Entangled.

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nikki Jefford is the author of the Spellbound Trilogy. She lives with a Frenchman named Sebastien and a Westie named Cosmo in Friday Harbor, WA and loves lake swimming.