Category: Trails in the Sand

• #OhioChemicalDisaster – Shows Us We’ve Learned Nothing Thirteen Years After Deepwater Horizon #Oilspill and Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

  When I published my novel Trails in the Sand in 2013, I had hoped one of my messages would be heard and repeated. On the surface, the novel appears to be a family saga with more secrets and drama than an afternoon soap opera. That was my vehicle for telling the story of two major…

  P. C. Zick

  February 19, 2023

  Books by P. C. Zick, Ramblings of a Writer, Trails in the Sand

  Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Norfolk Southern, Ohio River, Upper Big Branch

• #FREE – Trails in the Sand: Ten Years After the Oil Spill

  

  I’m a firm believer in the subject choosing the author. When that happens, it’s best to let the muse lead me to the keyboard and allow the words to find their way to the story. Trails in the Sand stands as my testament to the process.

  P. C. Zick

  April 13, 2020

  Books by P. C. Zick, Trails in the Sand

  BP oil spill, characters, contemporary fiction, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, environment, Florida Panhandle, Gulf of Mexico, literary fiction, oiled wildlife, sea turtle eggs, sea turtles, Trails in the Sand, writing process

• Reality Informs Fiction: Trails in the Sand

  

  I’m a firm believer in the subject choosing the author. When that happens, it’s best to let the muse lead me to the keyboard and allow the words to find their way to the story. Trails in the Sand stands as my testament to the process.

  P. C. Zick

  April 21, 2019

  Books by P. C. Zick, Trails in the Sand

  BP oil spill, characters, contemporary fiction, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, environment, Florida Panhandle, Gulf of Mexico, literary fiction, oiled wildlife, sea turtle eggs, sea turtles, Trails in the Sand, writing process

• Reality Creeps Into Fiction – #DeepwaterHorizon

  

    Five years ago today, the oil rig Deepwater Horizon caught on fire.  Even though the newscasters downplayed its significance that morning, I felt a black cloud deepen. I’d just moved to southwestern Pennsylvania where news of the Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster a few hours away in West Virginia still dominated local news.…

  P. C. Zick

  April 20, 2015

  Books by P. C. Zick, Trails in the Sand

  BP oil spill, characters, contemporary fiction, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, environment, Florida Panhandle, Gulf of Mexico, oiled wildlife, sea turtle eggs, sea turtles, Trails in the Sand

• Real Life Seeps into #Fiction

  I’m often asked if real life seeps into my novels. As we head into the anniversary of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill on April 20, I’ve thought about how much of my life seeped into the writing of Trails in the Sand. During April 2010, two significant manmade disasters occurred in the United States. Both…

  P. C. Zick

  April 19, 2014

  Books by P. C. Zick, Trails in the Sand, Writing Ideas

  amazon.com, authors, BP oil spill, characters, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, environment, fiction, Kindle, nature, novel, Trails in the Sand

• Writing from the Heart – For #.99 Cents

  Someone once said, “Write what you know.” That doesn’t mean that an author has to experience everything that appears in a work of fiction. To me it means to write what is in my heart. I lived in Florida for thirty years, and it’s in my heart. Most of my novels are set in the…

  P. C. Zick

  April 1, 2014

  Books by P. C. Zick, Ramblings of a Writer, Trails in the Sand

  amazon.com, authors, BP oil spill, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Florida, Florida fiction, nature, Trails in the Sand, wildlife

• Trails in the Sand – Indie Book Award

  I woke this morning thinking today would be a day filled with nice things. I can’t say why I felt this way, but I did. A few minutes ago one of the many nice things happening today appeared in my inbox. Sometimes when we just keep plodding along despite our feelings of failure and inadequacy,…

  P. C. Zick

  March 17, 2014

  Books by P. C. Zick, Ramblings of a Writer, Trails in the Sand

  amazon.com, authors, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, e-book, fiction, Florida, Florida fiction, novel, sea turtle eggs, sea turtles, Trails in the Sand

• Using Real Life in Fiction

  By P.C. Zick @PCZick Originally published April 23, 2013 on Words Unlimited, Back Story During April 2010, two significant man made disasters occurred in the United States. Both of the tragedies became a part of my life for the remainder of the year and led me to question how we live our lives. It took…

  P. C. Zick

  July 2, 2013

  Trails in the Sand

  amazon.com, BP, BP oil spill, characters, coal mine disaster, coal mining, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, environment, fiction, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Kindle, loggerhead, novel, sea turtle eggs, sea turtles, Trails in the Sand

• Goals 2013 – Mid-Year Review

  By Patricia Zick @PCZick It’s June and the mid-point for the year. I set my goals for my writing career back in January and have kept my eye on those goals as I’ve moved through the first six months of 2013. It’s helpful for me to see if I’m on track and what I need…

  P. C. Zick

  June 10, 2013

  Books by P. C. Zick, Ramblings of a Writer, Trails in the Sand

  amazon.com, authors, blog, book tour, e-book, fiction, garden, Trails in the Sand, travel, writers

• Winner of Book Tour Announced

  The Trails in the Sand blog tour ended on April 29. Thank you to those of you who participated in some way. And now the winner of the tour giveaway: Ty Wilson from Utah. Ty will receive signed copies of both Live from the Road and Trails in the Sand along with a Route 66…

  P. C. Zick

  May 6, 2013

  Books by P. C. Zick, Trails in the Sand

  amazon.com, fiction, Live from the Road, novel, Route 66, Trails in the Sand