Peter Lewis, the heroine’s hippie dad, is based on my own father. I even named him after my dad! I dedicated the book to him, too. When I was writing, my dad had a pretty serious cancer scare. Fortunately, he’s completely fine now! I wanted to honor him with a character that is as quirky and hilarious as he is in real life.
The book was inspired by places along Florida’s Gulf Coast. In my mind, Devil’s Beach is similar to Sanibel Island, with sugar-sand beaches, shells, and impossibly blue water. I also wanted the quirky, tight-knit downtown feel of St. Petersburg, my hometown.
All of the news stories and crimes in the book are ones I’ve covered as a journalist in Florida. Trust me, news here is as weird as you think it is.
