A little more Linda

So far, we have explored Linda's character through the boat prep, sinking and rescue by Tom and Eric and looked at her fear of flying. So, where do we go from here? The next phase of the book took place in Beaufort, NC, one of my favorite haunts. As soon as they dock in Beaufort, Linda jumps ship so she can think about Joey without the "guys" around. Of course, Mark is still responsible for her, so he sends Eric to follow her. (how cconvenient)
She's still in shock over the sinking, but has to deal with having no clothes, no money, no credit cards... no way to live or survive. Top that off with the impending Coast Guard meeting. It's no wonder she sits in the pilot house crying until Tom comes in and talks to her.

Tom. Maybe it's time to delve into Tom and Eric a little. Both are Bering Sea crab fishermen. They are brothers. They are business men who won their own boat and participate in a fishing show. Why? Why did I select these parameters for them. Why not Maine Lobster man or Gulf Shrimpers? Good question. I picked crab fishing, because there is so much on TV and in the press about these guys. And they are hard core. I've know many, many fisherman and captains throughout the years, so I wanted to pick a profession that had really tough guys. I thought it would be interesting to explore their possible softer side. You can make either Tom or Eric sensitive to Linda's plight without making them wimps. They can't be wimps, it's just not possible. So when picking a profesion for a character, pick something opposite of the way you want the character to act. Like a florist who is an axe murderer. The contrast is awesome. The other reason I picked Bering Sea Fisherman is because they make a lot of money in a short period of time. That was important because I wanted to give Eric another lifestyle where he could bring Linda to recuperate and advance their relationship. It had to be non-water related. Horses and cows. Perfect. Having ridden horses since I was a kid (my sister had a palomino named Sonny... another similarity with Linda? LOL). A nice quiet country ranch in Texas (why Texas?) is a great place to get your head together. Why Texas, you ask. My sister lived in Cleburne just sw of Fort Worth. So I roughly knew the area.
Just one more quick point for today. I said it was important for Eric to have some money and make the bulk of his money in a short period of the year. Why? This will become apparent in Treacherous Voyage. I don't want to give anything away at this point so I'll drop this for now. 

So, don't you just love the way Linda handles the Coast Guard XO. "Screw you!" That shows the more firey side of her personality. This side of her really comes out int the beginning of Treacherous Voyage. OOPS, I almost spilled the beans again. Well, I better end for now before I get myself in trouble!