About

I live on a sandbar called Cape Cod. The waves still carry the stories of sea captains and pirates, bootleggers and dreamers. Sometimes I listen. Sometimes my crazy dog listens instead.

My novel, Ocean Echoes, is about a marine biologist who gives up on love to study jellyfish. A percentage from every sale will go toward nonprofit organizations working to protect the world’s oceans for future generations. I’ve also written short stories and feature articles covering anything from environmental issues to Cape Cod characters.

This site will be a reflection of things that inspire me: nature, traveling, books. Mostly, I love anything that will make me look at the world in different ways. Thank you for stopping by. I hope we’ll get to know each other a bit along the way.

I can also be found these days on Twitter and Goodreads.

This is an award-free blog – thank you for visiting!

157 thoughts on “About”

  2. Congratulations, Sheila – you have won the “Best Line” in my Contest! Please visit my blog for more information on how to receive your gift! ~ Julie 🙂

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  3. Hi Sheila,

    I have a tech question…did you simply paste your awards link onto Connie’s website? I believe that is how it’s done, as opposed to literally typing in all of our nominees…for some reason, (maybe because I’m almost over 50), I’m a bit stumped! I appreciate your help! Hugs! 🙂

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  5. Hi Sheila! Awesome about page – we have a lot in common! I salute any other writer who is an advocate for the environment 😀 I also love traveling and photography… I look forward to following you.

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  8. Love the blue flower puddles best of all! Thanks for the inspiration and Thanks for mentioning project Kaisei; there’s a similar organization for the Atlantic, but I wonder if they have a beautiful tall ship with handsome sailors. I think it all began when I forced my sons to accompany me on past Earth day’s beach clean-ups. Have you visited Chris Jordan’s web site with more pictures of dead albatross. Incredibly beautiful and sad! Love reading your posts, but its recently been in conflict with weeding and planting peas. Keep writing and posting lovely photos.

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    • I’m glad you enjoyed the puddles! I’m also glad Project Kaisei is out there doing such great work. It’s wonderful that you inspired it. That albatross picture will forever be in my mind – it is incredibly heartbreaking.

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  16. Hello my friend,
    I like your writing up here. I think if you keep doing what you’re doing now, you will have good future. So keep it up my friend! 🙂
    I have a joyful ride in your blog, and now I’d like to invite you to visit mine. Thank you and have a wonderful day, my friend! 🙂
    Subhan Zein

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    • Sorry – this was lost in my spam and I haven’t been on here in awhile. Thank you for the nomination. It’s always nice to meet another author and freelancer. I’ve reviewed some books on here under the reading category, but not enough yet. I don’t think I’ll ever read enough books.

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  29. Sheila, yesterday I thought of you and I nominated your for the Most Influential Blog Award 2012. Your words have always been a blessing to my day and to many others who have been touched by their sincere blessings! You have influenced many including myself…so here is a little bit of recognition for what you bring and share always with your self-less heart and spirit! I posted it yesterday on my blog…god bless you always my sister

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  30. Hello Sheila,

    Good to meet you via your blog. I grew up on the South Shore of Massachusetts, and am now slow traveling (presently in Spain) with my partner, Mufidah. You can learn more via my SeanMMadden.com blog, MindfulLivingGuide.com site, and Mufidah’s MufidahKassalias.com.

    Looking forward to reading your blog over time. In the meantime, all the best with your writing.

    Sean & Mufidah

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  31. Great ‘About Me’ description, but I really like the simplicity and depth of your tag line “Reading, Writing, Dreaming” Yes, definitely. Thanks or stopping by my blog! 🙂

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    • That’s funny – you’re the first person from Cape Cod I’ve met this way too. I’ll have to look through some more of your photos to see if we’ve been to the same places. 🙂

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  36. Thanks for following! I lurve your snapthoughts. It looks like you haven’t had a snapthought since January. 😦 Hope you’re inspired with another one soon.

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    • Thank you! Yes, I haven’t had many thoughts lately. 🙂 I think they’ve been frozen since January. You’ve inspired me to try to come up with some more though.

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  38. Sheila! Another ocean person! Thank you so very much for liking my post on Tide Line Still Life. It is a delight to meet you through the blog, and I look forward to spending time on yours. Best, Maggie

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  39. Greetings–I like your blog. You have some attributes not too dissimilar from my own. My wife is from the Cape and though we love it in the summer, we love it even more during off season! All the best to you and your blogging. You’ve got quite the following!

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    • Thank you – it’s always nice to find others with that Cape Cod connection. There’s a lot to love about it, as long as you can find those places that aren’t so crowded.

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  43. Sheila, Thanks for the follow so I could find you! I like what I have seen on your blog so far. We are both from MA. 🙂 I like the “Snapthoughts” idea…I will definitely come back for more exploring…or do some “Camping” as my friend, Russel Ray says…

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    • Thank you! That’s great that we’re both from MA. Funny too when you end up meeting people from all over the world this way. Thank you for looking through the Snapthoughts – I just might have to get back into doing those again.

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  44. Sheila thanks so much for the follow and welcome aboard, pity I have no idea where we are heading. Really like your about page and love the look of the dog. From this alone I know you are a decent person – and the list of pother recommended sites. Thank you so much once more and if you have any comments and requests please feel free to come on over and jot them down. MM 🍀

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    • Thank you! I found your site through Jean Tubridy (Social Bridge) and I’m sure I’ll be back soon because I love the beauty of Ireland and your photography is stunning. It’s good to know I can hop over the ocean to visit even if I’m not always able to do that in reality.

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  46. Sheila, I just read “Microcosm” and loved it! I love the way each detail returns to the greater theme of the story so it’s at once a microcosm and a macrocosm, so small and delicate but huge and powerful. The writing reminds me of water somehow, small waves that are part of the great ocean. Thanks for making my lunch hour a wonderful one.

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    • Thank you so much for making my day (and my year)! That’s really nice to hear, especially while struggling with revising and querying. I’ve been thinking of going back to short story writing and now you’re inspiring me to do that. Thanks so much for taking the time to read it! I’ll have to write something about a goat or an alpaca next. 🙂

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  47. Congrats on having your short stories as finalists with such impressive magazines. 🙂 And Cape Cod. I am seriously jealous. I live in CT and hour from the beach. Sigh.

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    • Thanks Kourtney! I should really get back into short story writing. I’ve been concentrating on the novel instead lately and that’s mostly just revising (over and over again). Short stories give me a chance to be more free and I’m craving that right about now. 🙂 You’re not too far away at least! Let me know whenever you’re in the area and I’ll give you a tour (with or without alpacas).

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    • Thank you – it’s great to meet another ocean lover! I love how your blog is focused on saving and protecting wildlife. Hope you enjoy any virtual visits to Cape Cod too!

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  50. Love the picture of your dog on the beach… two of my favorite things! Looks like a brittany spaniel? We used to have an english springer spaniel named Sugar. She was so good with the kids when they were young. My sister had her litter mate. They are both missed now.

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    • Thank you! It’s always fun to combine those favorite things whenever possible. :)She’s an English setter but a bit undersized. They’re high energy dogs and a lot of fun to be around. It is sad when they have to leave us after being part of the family for so long.

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  51. What a lovely about page, and the brilliant dog picture at the end really seals the deal! He looks like pure happiness, fur and all. 🙂

    I love your yearbook goal to laugh through life.

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    • Thanks so much! I love how dogs show us that joy can be found everywhere (even in the mud). That yearbook goal is one of those things I keep forgetting to do – thanks for reminding me! Maybe I’ll go find some mud. 🙂

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  52. Thank you for your recent visit and follow. When I saw your name, I thought ‘who is this Irish Sheila’? (!) Cape Cod…oooh those words go straight to my heart. I have never been there but what I have seen in movies and read about in books calls to me. 🙂
    You write beautifully and I look forward to following you.

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    • Hahah – thank you! I’ve never been to Sherkin Island but my great-grandparents were from Cork. It sounds magical there and now we can visit any time without the high cost of airfare. 🙂

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    • Nice to meet you! Sorry I’ve been away for a while and just saw your msg. It sounds like we have a lot in common with our love for wild places and dogs.

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    • Nice to meet you! I love finding ocean lovers here. Short story writing is so different from novel writing – I’m looking forward to getting back into those short stories soon!

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  57. Hello, Sheila! I’m so grateful that you popped over to my blog so that I could discover yours! I absolutely love your goal for the future, as many of us (myself included) forget the necessity of a good laugh. Your art is magnificent, and I’m suddenly motivated to visit Cape Cod! Beautiful blog!

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    • Thanks so much – and thank you for popping over! Come and visit Cape Cod any time. I grew up in Michigan near Detroit and some areas “Up North” remind me of Cape Cod. Your sand dunes are much bigger though, especially around the Sleeping Bear dunes.

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      • Hmm a previous Michigander…I knew I liked you! 😛 Cape Cod is definitely on my bucket list, even with the smaller dunes! I used to sled down the Sleeping Bear dunes as a child, which was quite dangerous. Now though, smaller dunes sound much more appealing. For now, I’ll just read your wonderful posts and consider you my guide!

      • I can’t imagine sledding down Sleeping Bear dunes! You’re my new hero. Let me know whenever you’re around so I can guide you around for real.

  58. ‘The waves still carry the stories of sea captains and pirates, bootleggers and dreamers.’ I love that sentence, it’s very romantic and makes the world seem magical. I look forward to perusing your words.

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    • Thank you! That’s how a visit to the beach usually makes me feel. Sometimes it’s easy to forget there’s magic all around us but it’s there somewhere. I’m glad Letizia pointed your site out. I’m always looking for more books to add to the reading list.

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      • I will carry on with the reviews then…I have a shed loads of half done efforts, which I left back over in WA so at the moment I am busy writing a bunch of new ones, which I hope will be an eclectic mix of genres and styles.

        You make me want to go to the beach now…the closest to a body of water to me is a reservoir which seemingly has a surface one could walk upon. It is not a beautiful area.

  60. Hi Sheila, thanks for introducing yourself by following our site, we look forward to exploring yours. You certainly live in a magical place with a long history of inspiration for writers, artists and other dreamers, so you’re in good company, which your dog seems to already know! If you’re on facebook we also invite you to visit the RAXA Collective page. See you there!

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  62. Sheila, I really appreciate that you stopped to visit my neck of the woods. I’ve always wanted to visit Cape Cod…love marine communities and the charm of the Northeast! Looking forward to exploring your articles.

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  63. Hi Sheila,
    I hang around Kate’s blog (4am Writer) a lot and see that we often comment a lot on the same things, so I thought I’d come on over and check out your blog and say hello.

    Look forward to receiving your blog posts.
    Darren

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    • Thank you for finding me through Kate! I just took a look at your “About” page and I completely agree. It’s great to find another nature lover out there. I’ll look forward to your posts.

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  71. I am enjoying your blog for quite a while now and it is long overdue that I tell you how much I adore this cute picture of your dog! So fantastic now I need to go and cuddle someone:)

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  73. Hi Sheila, it’s been nearly 10 years since I posted one of my poems about the state of our oceans and I’m curious to know what your own assessment is now:

    Cry of the Ocean

    Sadly, our oceans are not much better. In the UK, we have had some very neoliberal governments over the last 4 decades who have prioritised private profits over the environment. The current regime have overseen the contamination of our coastal and inland waters. I have little hope for the future of humanity and all the ecosystems we seem hell-bent on destroying. All we can do is look after our own little corner of the world and minimise our ecological footprints. Would be good to see you back in the blogosphere.
    My best wishes,
    James

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Comments are always welcome