Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Three things Sharon Ward learned from diving ... that aren't about diving

HALLIE EPHRON: I had the great good fortune to meet Sharon Ward when she was up and coming, working on a crime novel, transitioning as I once did from corporate life to writing. She's one of those writers who are such a pleasure to work with because she's never satisfied, always working and reaching for excellence... and boy, has she!

Her debut novel, IN DEEP, introducing scuba-diving underwater photographer
Fin Fleming (shades of Clive Cussler) is a page turner. She'll celebrate the New Year with the lauch of #2 in the series, SUNKEN DEATH.

So with great pleasure I invited her to join us today to celebrate her two Fin Fleming thrillers, and talk about the scuba diving that inspired them.

SHARON WARD: I learned to scuba dive more than thirty years ago, and I was about the unlikeliest student diver you could ever imagine. I could barely swim—nothing more than a dog paddle really. I always went into the water feet first, holding my nose to prevent the merest drop of water from entering my nasal cavities.

And I was terrified of sea life. Sharks. Octopus. The giant squid from Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea I’d seen on TV.

But one day, I said to my husband, “Let’s learn to scuba dive and then go to Bonaire for our vacation.”

“Great idea,” he said.

I was stuck. We enrolled in a Basic Scuba Diving class. Yikes! But it turned to be a ton of fun and I learned so much from doing it.

Not everything I learned was about diving. A lot of it was about life in general.

Here are the three biggest things I learned from diving that aren’t about diving.

Face Your Fears. They’re Not That Scary.
I’ve already told you I was not a natural born water baby. In our first dive class, I hid behind the scoreboard at the pool so I wouldn’t have to swim laps. I was always the last one to finish the skills demonstrations, and everybody else would watch me, waiting impatiently.

I have performance anxiety. The more they watched, the slower I got. It was awful.

But my first day in the ocean was magic. I was weightless, floating and breathing with no effort. I could see all around me. No more wondering if the shark from Jaws was heading my way from beneath the waves.

No more water up my nose—well, actually, I got a lot of water up my nose, but I learned to live with it.

And I learned that the things that had terrified me into sitting on the sidelines instead of enjoying the water weren’t so scary after all.

2. Keep Trying. You’ll Get There Eventually.
More than once in that basic class, I had to be rescued—in the pool! But once I’d done a few ocean dives, I was hooked. I went on to earn every certification PADI offered.

Later that year, during the final test for the rescue diving certification, my task was to ‘rescue” a fellow student who would pretend to be a drowning victim. I had to get him from the middle of the pool to the ladder, then use a fireman’s carry to get him out of the pool and on to the pool deck.

My partner was heavily muscled, not an ounce of body fat on him. He didn’t float at all, but I managed to tow him to the edge of the pool without drowning him. I slung him across my shoulders and climbed the ladder, my legs shaking under our combined weight.

I stepped onto the pool deck, and fell straight backwards, like a cartoon character. I should have failed the test, but I begged the instructor to give me another chance. And another.

On the third try, I managed to get all the way out of the pool and lowered Brian gently to the floor.

“Thank God,” he said when I put him down.

3. The Universe is Very Large, and I am Very Small.
My first wreck dive was on a ship called the Chester A. Poling, which sits in 70 to more than 190 feet of water near Gloucester. In 1977, the ship sank during a fearsome storm. A huge wave battered the ship, breaking it in two.

The next year, during the Great Blizzard of 1978, one half of the ship was dragged underwater a great distance from its original resting place. At the time I first dove it, fifteen years later, you could still see the gouges in the sand where the wreck had been dragged by the ocean surge.

This half of the immense ship is sitting upright, so if you’re near the bottom, you can look up and barely see the highest point of the ship. You can’t see the water’s surface. You can look left and right, and not see the ends of the ship you’re looking at. It’s immense.

No matter where you look, your mind can barely process what you see. It’s vast. Unknowable.

And then you’re overcome with awe. The ocean did this to a giant man-made steel construction.

And here you are, in the middle of that ocean, a tiny meaningless speck. It’s an easy way to judge your own importance in the grand scheme of things.

Here’s a bonus lesson I learned: Always help your buddy. There’s no one I’ve ever met who personifies that lesson on land or sea better than Hallie Ephron.

Thanks for hosting me today, Hallie! And for everything else. You’re the best.

HALLIE: That means so much to me! Thank YOU, Sharon.

THIS is why I love teaching writing. You meet the best people and every once in a while you get to work with someone like Sharon Ward.

So today I'm wondering: Have you ever learned to do something that truly terrified you?

About In Deep
IN DEEP is a heroine’s journey adventure story set in an oceanographic institute on Grand Cayman. Protagonist Fin Fleming is supremely competent underwater. Nothing can phase her.

On land, not so much.

She has complications in every part of her life. Her stepfather has secrets. Her biological father re-enters her life after being missing for twenty years. She has hassles with her scheming ex-husband, and problems managing her career. She's got very few friends and no love life to speak of.

But her troubles really escalate the day of the first accident...

As chief underwater photographer for the institute, Fin is assigned to film freediving practice for the annual documentary. One diver doesn't come back to the surface. When Fin recovers him, she assumes it was diver error that caused the problem.

Until the next accident. And the next.

Someone is targeting the people around her. And Fin figures since she's the one taking the blame for murder, it's up to her to unravel the deadly deception before one more person she loves doesn't make it back.

How many of her friends and family will this ruthless killer attack before the end? Will Fin find the truth, or will she become the next victim?

Keep an eye out for Sunken Death, Book Two in the Fin Fleming Adventure Thriller series coming on December 31, 2021. Fin, her friends, and her family go looking for the fabled treasure known as the Queen’s Tiara.

Learn more about Sharon Ward and her books at http://www.sharonward.com.

76 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Sharon . . . your Fin Fleming sounds quite intriguing and I’m looking forward to meeting her.
    What an impressive story . . . I’m not a water person and can’t imagine learning to scuba dive.

    I went rock-climbing with John once [and lived to tell the tale] . . . I’m positive that I didn’t even begin to learn all there is to learn about it, but I can honestly say I have never been so scared in all my life . . . .

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    1. Rock climbing would terrify me, too - but then going underwater isn't something I'd look forward to, either.

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    2. Wow, Joan. Rock climbing is really brave. If I'm diving and I fall, I get wet. If you're rock climbing and you fall, it's just not good. I hope you love Fin as much as I do. She's a very modern woman, struggling to balance work, family, friends and love--and a scheming ex.

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    3. And thanks for the congratulatory wishes!

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  2. SHARON: Congratulations on your Fin Fleming series, including the upcoming launch of SUNKEN DEATH.

    Wow, your scuba diving training story inspires me to get back in the water. I can barely swim and hated going in the water since I could barely see anything with my severe myopia (20/750 vision). But now that I have had cataract surgery, I would feel more confident to give snorkeling another try next time I vacation in Hawaii. And maybe try scuba diving if the snorkelling thing works.

    I also am not a huge fan of heights but I have done indoor rock climbing with friends when I lived in Toronto. Climbing up is not the problem, it's looking down when I'm at the top!

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    1. Looking down! That is the rub. I love to snorkel - floating and looking into the depths. And Bonaire is the best place I've ever been for it. Because you can walk in from the beach. Even my 6-year-old daughter could manage it.

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    2. Yes, the depths to snorkel is not deep but with my poor vision, I could not see much so did not really enjoy that experience. And since Sharon indicated she was not a strong swimmer either, I am willing to give scuba diving a try (after taking lessons, of course). Not just wonder when I can book that trip...

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    3. Scuba diving is MUCH easier than snorkeling. Your breathing is less constricted through a regulator than through a snorkel, and you can just pick a depth and stay there instead of going up to breathe, down to see...

      BTW, I used to wear disposable contacts when I dove because I too was severely nearsighted before surgery.

      Check with your opthamologist before you try diving though. I'm not sure if cataract surgery would be a contraindication because of the pressure changes.

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    4. Sharon: Thanks for the tip about the pressure changes in the water. Had never thought about that issue with my newly fixed eyes. I have a follow-up appointment with my opthamologist next week, and will ask him about that.

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  3. So many congratulations, Sharon! And great lessons. What a feat that you overcame your fears, too.

    I went downhill skiing when my sons were younger. I thought I was going to die just getting off the lift, and when I gazed down at the "medium" mountain I was supposed descend, it looked like a perpendicular cliff. Then I remembered the wide turns I'd learned on the bunny slope, and I made it to the bottom (the boys, of course, just went straight down). Never again! I happily went back to my lovely safe cross-country skis.

    I'm sorry we only caught a glimpse of each other at Crime Bake. I love your gone-silver hair!

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    1. I do a lot of falling down even on cross-country skis. Second the silver hair ;-)

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    2. My dog's favorite part of my cross-country skiing--when I fall down! Play time!

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    3. Thanks, Edith. After learning to dive, everything else has been more or less a piece of cake! Sorry I missed you at Crime Bake. So many people to see and so little time. Next event, for sure.
      I can't imagine skiing, honestly. Not because of fear, but because i HATE being cold.

      Thanks! Ihe hair is just growing back after chemo, but I have to say I kind of like it. So easy to take care of. And the hubs loves it, so there's that.

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    4. Two things: One, you get really warm XX skiing. Two "after chemo" - may you stay healthy hereafter!

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    5. Thanks, Edith. I have been blessed. Cancer free.

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  4. Sharon, welcome and congratulations! You are so brave and so stubborn. John wanted to scuba dive and years ago we went on a cruise where you could take lessons in the pool and then go out with a guide. "Nope," I said. "You go." (I was seasick and drowsy and I'm afraid of not being able to breathe.) I went to check on him half an hour later and there was a buxom woman in a bikini hanging all over him. That was it. I was in. We went into the ocean the next two days, which I only survived because the teacher, a gorgeous south American man named Alejandro held my hand under water.

    So my hat's off to you! and hurray for your two books most of all!

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    1. ... and you lived to tell about it, Lucy! wondering if you've written a scene like that in one of your books. It would be a doozy.

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    2. Thanks, Lucy. Congratulations on being brave enough to take the intro to diving class. I have to say that hunky dive masters are one of the perks.Here's a funny story about diving as a dating mileau. On my first open water dive to get certified, we were diving in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In February. In a snowstorm. I had just come out of the water and I was trudging across the rocky beach, bowed under the unaccustomed weight of all that gear. My lips were blue. My hair was standing straight up. And my nose was running and my face was pretty much covered in snot. But a woman jumped out of her car and ran up to me. "Hey," she said. "Is diving a good way to meet men?"

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    3. LOL that's hysterical Sharon! You were so determined! Diving in a snowstorm sounds...dreadful:)

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    4. Yes, it was dreadful. I have never been so cold in my life. It took days before I felt warm again. Whenever I think I'm cold now I think back to that day and think, "well, today is maybe not so bad..."

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  5. I don't know that I've ever learned something that terrified me. But I think that's more because I don't tend to do anything that doesn't interest me instead of being "terrified" of it.

    I was supposed to attend a talk/signing with Sharon at the Wareham Free Library a couple weeks back but the big storm that knocked out power for 3 plus days put the kibosh on that plan. But I'm told the library has rescheduled the appearance for early next year (I hope that is correct) and I'll got to it then and buy both Fin Fleming books.

    Sharon, congrats on IN DEEP and here's to SUNKEN DEATH's upcoming release!

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    1. Thanks, Jay. The Wareham Library event has been rescheduled to January 5 at 7 PM. I did a "Making Murder" event yesterday at the Woodsdale Elementary School in Abington yesterday with Nicole Asselin and Mo Walsh. This time was for the 3/4 grades. We're going back on 12/21 to do the 5/6 and 7/8 grades. Also have an upcoming event at the Canton library, but the date hasn't been finalized yet.

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    2. OOPS. Meant to say a Mystery Making event. We didn't do murder for the little kids, and we won't for the older classes either.

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  6. Sharon, tell us where you'll be speaking/signing!

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    1. Hi, Hallie. I listed my events in my response to Jay's post above.

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  7. Congratulations on your new release!
    No, I've never attempted scuba diving. I'm nearsighted so how would I see? Ocean life doesn't bother me except for the sharks on Cape Cod.

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    1. Thanks! I used to wear disposable contacts when I dove. It's ok as long as you throw them away afterwards. Also, you can get corrective lenses for your mask. They have regular optical lenses they can put in (or stick ons for a lot less money)

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  8. Sharon, I am so with you on being a namby-pamby around water. But I've always thought maybe scuba diving would work because I'd be able to breathe. Unlike Grace, though, I still wear glasses so not being able to see would be a no.

    I like the sound of Fin--and will definitely be checking out both books. (I was awed by Jacques Cousteau as a kid and it was a toss-up whether oceanography or archaeology would be my future).

    The scariest thing I ever did was learn to rappel. I learned that it's true that your knees will knock and your teeth chatter when you're scared silly. But I went over the cliff edge anyway and it was exhilarating!

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    1. Hi, Flora. Scuba is so awesome. Even my first time breathing on scuba--in the yucky pool at Massasoit Community College where I took my classes--was transcendant. See above for corrective vision options.

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    2. And ditto on Jacques Cousteau. Maddy Russo, Fin's mother in the book, is modeled after him.

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    3. But yikes! Rappel just looks so bad-ass. You must have been so proud after.

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  9. Sharon, you give me hope! What a wonderful and exciting part of your life you opened up, just by saying "Yes".

    Like Grace, until 2000 I had extremely poor vision from childhood (20/950 and 20/1100), and even Coke-bottle glasses can't help in the water. So I was always a timid and not very good swimmer (still am, sadly). On a trip to the Galapagos with my sister-in-law our guide said we'd be snorkeling every one of the four days we were on the boat. I just assumed I would not participate, but Luis made sure I wore a life vest, and I had a ball! I was the only one who spotted a leopard shark and a polka dot starfish, and was utterly enchanted by the miniature Galapagos penguins who swam around and beneath me. Bobbing like a cork empowered me on the big, scary ocean.

    The other time I faced my fears was learning to ride at age 55. I'd always been terrified of large animals, but the first time I rode a horse around the ring with my teacher I was in love. It just made me sad that I'd waited so long.

    One of my daughters was at one time the 6th-ranked woman sports climber in the US. She always wanted me to try it so I did on one trip to visit her in Boulder. Joan, it was in a gym, not outside, but it was still plenty scary! I can't imagine your first climb being on a real crag. You really get an appreciation for the physical strength it takes.

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    1. KAREN: Wow, I thought I had poor vision since childhood but you had even worse vision than me. That is exactly why I was timid in the water/poor swimmer. Did you have trouble getting your coke-bottle glasses made as a child?

      Even recently, I had trouble getting my new prescription filled in February 2021. Lenscrafters had upped the limit of being able to make eyeglasses with a -12 prescription (offsite).

      And that's awesome that your daughter was a top-ranked sports climber. I have hiked the Flatirons in Boulder CO a few times and that was fun. Not had to adjust to the altitude and how it affected my endurance/ability to hike.

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    2. Wow, Karen. learning to ride. Horses are BIG. And climbing--I have Duyputens contracture in my hands, so I don't have thenecessary finger agility. But I used to belong to a gym with an indoor climbing wall, and I would watch for long periods, thinking "Someday."

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    3. Poor vision meant not being able to tell where I was in any body of water. I could never have the confidence to swim out and then be able to swim back in the right direction. That was the scary part.

      My vision was not as bad when I was really young, Grace. It just got steadily worse over the years, and went downhill from there. Eventually technology made it possible to make super strong prescriptions with much lighter and thinner materials, although my glasses were still ridiculous. Sorry to hear there is a limit to accessing corrections. LASIK was such a gift.

      Sharon, I forgot to say how much I love the idea of a female version of Dirk Pitt. Go, you!

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    4. Sharon, my daughter has severe Reynaud's Disease, which has caused her to scale way back on her climbing. My husband had the Duyputens, too, and I can see that would not be an asset for safety on a vertical surface!

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    5. I love Fin's self-reliance. She has doubts, but she always gets the job done. And nothing phases her--except that really cute guy she likes.

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    6. Karen, my daughter has Reynaud's Disease, too, and it became a problem for her in something she hadn't expected. After she gave birth to her daughter, the Reynaud's affected her breastfeeding. She went through several weeks of agony before she and the doctor realized what was going on. They were able to give her some medicine she could take, but only while breastfeeding, that greatly helped. I always gift her wool socks for Christmas.

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    7. KAREN: Yes, I had the lighter, thinner lenses for my last prescriptions but there are still technological limits on what Lenscrafters can make. If I had gone in January 2021, they could NOT make my eyeglasses but the high-end limit/lenses went up to -12 in February. Still were heavy but not coke-bottle thick, and I had progressives, so they were pricey...$1100!

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  10. Good morning, Sharon! So glad to see you here touting your wonderful debut novel, IN DEEP. I loved it - such great characters, a wonderful setting, a fascinating plot - and cannot wait to read the next Fin Fleming, SUDDEN DEATH. Big congratulations to you!

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    1. Thanks, Brenda! I'm glad you liked it. And thanks for the blurb on In Deep!

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  11. I grew up with swimming lessons every summer so swimming isn't a problem. Swimming in the ocean is a whole nother story. Growing in Sonoma County, it was beaten onto my head that swimming off our coast was not to be done. The San Andreas Fault and snicker waves are right there. Consequently, I did not get any deeper than my ankles on my only trip to Catalina Island. Maybe I'll make some day.

    Congratulations on the new book, Sharon.

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    1. Thanks, Deana. West Coast diving is fun. Maybe someday. Sharks don't usually go after divers unless the diver bothers them first. When you're underwater, they can see you and they know you're not prey. Plus, rumor has it they're afraid of the bubbles, but I don't know who "they" asked to reach that conclusion.

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  12. I love this post and I loved In Deep! The idea about facing your fears really resonated with me. I can’t wait to read Sunken Death.

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  13. Thanks, Stephanie. Given your background as a forensic psychologist focusing on serial killers, I'd be surprised if you had any fears you haven't faced yet. I could NEVER do your job. Waasay too scary.

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  14. Oh, how did I miss this book! Well, thank heaven for Amazon, because I intend to fix that NOW.

    I've been a diver since 1971, so I completely understand your love of the deep. My hat is off to you though, diving in Gloucester, you have to be a dry suit diver - Now that's a skill in and of itself.

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    1. Yeah, my first time diving in a drysuit wasn't pretty. As I descended, all the air went to my feet, so they rose to the surface and I was floating upside down. Luckily I had become a very strong swimmer by then and I was able to force myself upright. Equally lucky, we were shore diving in shallow water for our maiden drysuit dive, so I was able to get out of the water, purge the excess air from the drysuit, and add ankle weights for good measure. Don't try this( or anything else in diving)without the right training.

      BTW, Kait. I loved your books. I always look for the next one, but no such luck!

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    2. Aw,thanks, Sharon! I am blushing. Death Dive - Hayden Kent #3 will be released in 2022. It's set in the famous (infamous?) Blue Hole of Belize.

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    3. OMG that's awesome. I love the Great Blue Hole. Coincidentally, it's also the site of several dives in Sunken Death. Or maybe not so coincidentally, since it's one of the top 10 dive sites in the world!

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  15. Such a great book--I am reading it right now! HURRAY--on this, and on everything.

    We have snorkeled in Turks and Caicos, and I was terrified the entire time. TERRIFIED. (Back then, pre-cataract surgery, I couldn't see either, and it was honestly no fun.) I totally get how it might be fun, in different circumstances, and Jonathan was enraptured.

    Downhill skiing, yeah, I had one moment of going really gloriously fast, just--exhilarating. ANd I thought--wow, this is why people love skiing! And then I splatted, and that was that.

    I have a truly iconic photo of me, in skis and outfit, standing by a sign on the slopes that says: Easiest Way. And I was clearly going the other way. I think the splat came soon after.

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    1. Thanks, Hank. I'm glad you're liking In Deep. I hope you read the acknowledgements. ;)
      I loved diving in the Turks and Caicos. Jack and I were on a livaboard, and we dove 5 or 6 times a day every day for two weeks. Alas, it was thimble jellyfish season, so we also got stung a lot. There are thimble jellyfish in Sunken Death. Their larvae are known as sea lice, and with good reason. Scourge of the seas, if you ask me. I'd rather face down a shark.

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  16. I loved In Deep and am thrilled to learn there is another book coming out in January. The descriptions of diving making it sound wonderful! My first experience snorkeling from a dive boat didn't end well as I got seasick. I have gone a few other times and enjoyed it. Your list of life lessons learned from diving is spot on. I especially liked: always help your buddy.

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  17. Hi, MaryBeth. I'm glad you liked In Deep. BTW, not to get too gross, but one of the first things you learn in dive class is how to throw up underwater so you don't gasp in a lungful of water. Like you, I get seasick too, so I used that lesson a few times.

    When I used to teach diving, I always got seasick on the boat, and I would just curl up in the corner of the deck and wish for death. Jack and the dive shop owner would come over and stuff me into my dive gear. All the students would be saying "Leave her alone. Can't you see she's sick?" As soon as we anchored, Jack and Dan would throw me overboard. I would pop right back to the surface and be perfectly fine. Seasickness abates (usually)if you're actually in the water. It's just on a boat that it's truly awful.

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  18. So jealous! I would love to scuba dive, but because of my asthma, I've been told it isn't a good idea for me.

    I'll have to live vicariously through your books.

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    1. Hi, Mark. I have asthma too. If it's well controlled without medication, then it shouldn't be a problem, but it's really up to your doctor. My asthma is allergy induced, so as long as there's no feathers, dust or cats down there, I'm good.
      Oddly, I often have lung congestion and coughing when I swim on the surface, but I've never had a problem on scuba.

      But please, either way, feel free to live vicariously through my books. As hank says, "It's always safe inside a book."

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    2. Your asthma sounds just like mine. Maybe it's time to reconsider that.

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    3. But remember to check with a doctor--preferably one who's familiar with the physics of diving as well as your asthma.

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    4. Of course. I would definitely check with a doctor before I did something like that.

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  19. Sharon, congratulations on your books! And on being cancer free! I love that Fin's mother is based on Cousteau. I was obsessed with Cousteau and the Calypso when I was growing up.

    I have snorkeled in Mexico. Loved it in the shallows, but not so much off the boat in deep water.

    One thing I've forced myself to do over the years that terrifies me is driving in the UK!

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    1. Yikes. Driving in the UK must be terrifying. All those roundabouts. I twitch in the back seat of a cab over there.

      Maddy Russo, Fin's mother, has an oceanographic institute named after her and research vessel called the Omega. very Calypso-esque.

      Snorkeling over deep water defeats the purpose. No wonder you didn't like it. You can't see anything if it's that far below you, and you can't get down close enough to see any details. With scuba, you can go anywhere, stay anywhere, and stay as long as you want (within the strictures of safe diving)

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  20. Sharon, your Fin Fleming books sound wonderful. I would certainly be reading about something that terrifies me. Is it reasonable to say that being underwater makes me feel claustrophobic? I can't imagine being, as you described, in the deep water and not being able to look up and see the surface. My best stroke in the water, which would be a pool for me, is the backstroke and floating on my back. I quite like the sensation of floating on my back. But, I am a poor swimmer otherwise, and I have the vision problems, too. Also, my parents weren't "water" people, and my mother was scared of the water. And, I don't like being in water where I can't see what's beneath me, so I stick to the shallow water by the beach when walking it. My daughter and her family are serious water people, with a boat and going out all the time on weekends in warm weather and taking their kayaks on vacation and all. She's become a good swimmer, and her husband was on the swim team in college. Their daughter is on the swim team in middle school, with the main reason being, my daughter wants her to be a strong swimmer.

    I know I should have been and should be more adventurous, but some things I'm satisfied to just read about. I did try downhill skiing back many years ago, but it was more or less a disaster.

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    1. Hi, Kathy. At least you tried something that scared you. You don't have to keep doing it if you don't like it. It's like when your mother said, "Just one bite. If you don't like it, you don't have to eat the rest." Trying something is never a waste.

      BTW, most of the time you can see the surface when you're on scuba. It requires special training to go to the depth I was talking about for that wreck dive.

      I love floating too. Very relaxing. It was once my best water event.

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    2. Sharon, I meant to ask you if you do free diving? My daughter's sister-in-law lives in Hawaii, mainly because she surfs every day and does free diving. I'm not sure how often she does the free diving, but her photos from her diving are beautiful. I also don't know how long she can hold her breath, but I'm assuming it's a decent amount of time. She's also a life-long swimmer, being on swimming teams in school and college. I really do admire you water people who seem so at home in the ocean.

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    3. I don't do free diving, although it is one of the fastest growing diving specialties. There is free diving in In Deep, and this is how that happened. I was reading a news story, and it mentioned Guillaume Nery, who was at the time, the French National Free Diving champion. During a competition, the judges accidentally set his guide plate 10 meters deeper than he had planned, which doesn't sound like much but it can be the difference between a successful dive and death. Nery blacked out on his way to the surface, and nearly died. he quit the sport for a few years, but I believe he's back in it now. And one year while Jack and I were in the Caymans, they had a freediving competition there. That was in the days when they still used weighted sleds, and we saw a woman set a new world's record (I've forgotten her name) Anyway, once I had come up with Fin Fleming as my protagonist, it became obvious that freediving had to play a part in her story. Also, if you ever want to see the beauty and grace of freediving, Nery has a bunch of mesmerizing videos on YouTube

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  21. I've tried snorkeling and we are not friends. One time someone with a spear gun suddenly appeared and shot past me. Scared the crap out of me. I used to watch Sea Hunt avidly but have no desire to learn to scuba dive. I am afraid of heights, or maybe it is edges. Hard to say. But I did manage to do a zipline tour on Roatan, flying from tree to tree, a few years ago. And I did rappel down a cliff back in college, one of my early dates with my now husband.
    Your books sound exciting, Sharon! Is Fin a nickname or a name that determined her fate?

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    1. Hi, Pat. Fin's name is actually Finola Fleming. She's named after her maternal grandmother, Finola Anderson. They have never met, but that's a story for another book.

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  22. Hi, Pat. I've never seen a speargun hunter. In most places, it's illegal, and in the places where it is legal, it's just plain stupid because it attracts predators.

    I used to love Sea Hunt too, but I always remembered those images of the giant pacific octopus trying to pull off his mask, or the giant clam shell holding his foot, or the crazy guy trying to cut his air hose. And every week, he was in danger of getting the bends because he overstayed a safe dive profile. I loved Mike Nelson, but I wouldn't dive with him.

    Now a zip line? I have to say, there's not a chance in the world of me doing that. Hat's off to you.

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    1. Oh, but I did used to lobster hunt while diving. Jack and I both had lobster licenses and we obeyed all the rules, which in Massachusetts say you have to catch the lobster with your hands--no sticks or tools--and you can't "mutilate" the lobster by pulling off its claws, among other things.

      I once caught an 8-pound lobster with my bare hands. When I saw it, I was going to pretend I didn't see it because it looked so fearsome, but then I realized that if the 3 men I was diving with saw me slinking off in fear, I'd never live it down. So I went for it.

      Easiest lobster I ever got, and those men, including Jack, were in awe of my hunting prowess for a long time. I kept the claw on my mantle for years as a reminder. Another fear faced.

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  23. Sharon, congratulations on the series. Sounds fascinating.

    I once took a couple of scuba lessons, back when I was 16, but there was too much math. And then the bus on the way home passed the JFK HQ. I got off to get a pin, found out I could volunteer on the campaign, and never went back to scuba.

    I am afraid of everything, but no one believes that because I DO everything. That's why I'm perpetually late-- I put whatever it is off to the last possible moment, until I have no choice, because everything is out of my comfort zone. That is, except for things I'm too silly to be afraid of (travel through Europe alone at 19, with no planned itinerary? What could possibly go wrong?) Or things I'm too angry to be afraid of. (What do you mean, a woman can't open her own law office?)

    The only fear I managed to conquer was public speaking--and that was because people were willing to pay me. (See above re opening one's own law office-- with no capital.) The trick is to over-prepare and make sure you have a decent outfit to wear.

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  24. I agree on the public speaking thing. LOL. I used to make my living doing presentations to groups of all sizes, but I couldn't even open my mouth if I wasn't dressed "properly." And God help me if my nail polish was chipped.
    I think we're a lot alike. I tend to jump into things, because I'm sure I can do anything. I always say you might as well go for it because there are very few things in life you can't fix later, so why not see if it works.
    That philosophy works...sometimes.

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  25. As a shark phobic gal, this post really speaks to me. I am so incredibly impressed by you, Sharon. I am most definitely picking up your latest as that's close enough to the deep dark for me!

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    1. Thanks, Jenn. I really like your books and I hope you like In Deep. No cupcakes, tho.
      Most sharks won't bother you if you don't bother them, and if you're underwater they know you're not prey. They just swim by trying to act like they're not looking, but all the time giving you the side eye.

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  26. I'm not sure if this counts as something I fear, but I've always had an existential dread of posting in public forums...like this one! Then the pandemic happened and I forced myself to post more and connect with people on sites like Jungle Reds. So many great people on here who love talking about books! Sharon, you took us all on a great adventure with IN DEEP. It's such a twisty page turner and I love Fin, the main character, so much. I can't wait to find out what happens to her in the next book in the series. Fingers crossed she finds a worthy love interest this time around!

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  27. Thanks for facing that fear, Kate. So in Sunken Death there's this hunky Australian who may be more than he seems.

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  28. Thanks Hallie and all the Jungle reds for hosting me. It was a great experience. Love you all,
    Sharon

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