A Tour of Wildflower Island, led by a story character

Give a hearty "hello" to one of our blog friends, Kimberly Rose Johnson! She's a regular visitor to this blog and this time, she brings a special treat for you, my lovely readers! :)

Today, the hero of her book Island Dreams is going to give you a tour of Wildflower Island which is the setting for the story. Enjoy the tour! 

Hi there, my name is Chase Grayson. I’d like to take you on a tour of my home, Wildflower Island! 

It’s best to start from the ferry landing. You may notice that we don’t have a sandy beach. I suppose most people would prefer sand, but God gave us a pebbled beach instead, which suits me fine. If we had white sandy beaches the tourists would be flocking to my small island in the Puget Sound. It’s not really my island, but I love it as if it were my own. 

Just yesterday I was reminded when the ferry dropped off Piper Hunt—a land developer whose family owns about half of Wildflower Island—that this land is not mine. In fact, I own a very small portion. I still can’t believe what she wants to do. She plans to build a resort. A resort! And her land abuts mine. No way do I want a resort next door. 

Sorry, I get distracted thinking about that woman and her plans. Anyway, back to the tour.

Up ahead and on the left is the driveway to Wildflower B&B where Piper is staying. The B&B is a nice place and has a great view of the Sound from the backyard. 

If you continue on inland you’ll pass by the general store, but don’t blink or you’ll miss it. A little further on and you’ll happen upon the golf club, which has the only nice restaurant on the island. I’m meeting Piper there tonight for dinner, so she can show me her new plan for her resort. She seems to think I have the ability to push her project though to the town council. But as far as I’m concerned we don’t need more people clogging our roadways. Plus there aren’t enough businesses to service the amount of people Piper’s resort would bring anyway. I digress. Sorry about that. 

I know you want a tour, but there’s really not much more to see except a few churches, an old schoolhouse, a bunch of trees with houses sprinkled in here and there, and a few lakes. We’ve done a good job at preserving the natural beauty of the island. People who come here to visit enjoy water sports, hiking, biking, and relaxing. I personally enjoy kayaking. It’s a favorite pastime. 

Oh, but before you go I’d love to give you a tour of my yard. I’ve worked hard making it a showpiece for my landscaping business. I designed a lookout that has an amazing view of the Sound. And here we are. The driveway is long and private just the way I like it. Isn’t the view something? The sailboats are my favorite to watch on nice days like today. Feel free to enjoy the view, but I need to head in and get ready for my dinner date with Piper. Somehow I have to convince her that this island is a bad choice for her development. I know I’m playing with fire when it comes to Piper, but I actually like her. She’s nice and seems to want to do right by the land. I at least need to give her a chance to pitch her proposal to me. Not that what I think matters, but I suppose anyone would appreciate a supporter. 

Thanks for visiting. I’m sure you can find your own way back to the ferry.

~*~

Author bio:

Kimberly Rose Johnson, soon to be empty-nester, lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their yellow lab.

Island Refuge is her sixth published book and the first in a series of three.

Kimberly enjoys long walks, chocolate, and mochas, not necessarily in that order.

 

~*~

Book blurb:

Piper Hunt arrives on Wildflower Island to develop family property into an upscale resort knowing this may be her last chance to prove her worth to her father. With grandiose ideas, she soon finds herself at odds with adjoining property owner, Chase Grayson.

As she begins to appreciate the simplicity of the island, she struggles to maintain balance between her father’s wishes, preserving the natural beauty of the island, and her attraction for Chase.

Chase Grayson values the peace and quiet of Wildflower Island. That serenity is threatened when Piper Hunt discloses her plans to develop an upscale resort that not only butts up to his property, but will turn the island into a busy tourist destination.

In fighting her plans, he also finds himself fighting his attraction to her. If he doesn’t stop her plans for the resort, his life will be altered forever. If he succeeds, it means he will never see her again. Can he live with either choice?