TRAVEL WITH SERENA -- GUEST TRAVELER, AUTHOR STEPHANIE HAEFNER

Author Stephanie Haefner visits today to tell us about her favorite kind of vacation -- one with sun, sand, and surf. No wonder! Stephanie lives in Buffalo, NY! Her books are available from Lyrical Press. Read more about Stephanie at her website. -- AP 

Is there anything more relaxing than laying with the sun on your face, a warm breeze rustling your hair, waves crashing at the shore in a soft lullaby? Not for me!



There are two types of vacations I like to take. One is a fun-filled non-stop excitement kind of thing with the kids. We do some of our best bonding when we have no responsibilities and can act like kids with our kids! But when I really need to get away and rest, there is nothing more perfect than a palm tree-laden beach. 



I was seven when I was given my first taste of the ocean. When my parents divorced, my mom moved west to California and we'd visited her there. It wasn't exactly warm that day, but the sand was so perfect and I loved the way my feet sank when the waves rushed over top. Even now as an adult, I could stand there all day just letting the water crash over me. I don't need to go swimming, or boogie boarding, or surfing, or anything thrilling at all. Just those waves rolling over the tops of my feet, bubbly and warm.  



Since that first day, I have visited beaches in Florida- Clearwater and Daytona, Myrtle Beach, Martinique, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Barbados, and while sometimes the sand was a different color, or the beach a little rockier, the one thing that never changed was the way the water rolled up onto the shore. 



Kinda makes a person want to stay forever. 



Can you imagine going away for a week, falling completely in love with the destination, and just staying there? Leaving everything you've ever known for the promise of a lifetime of tropical bliss? That's exactly what Shelby Meyers does in my latest release, Paradise Cove.

Well, I’m ready to pack my bags! What about you, readers? Is a beach vacation in your near future? -- AP