In June 2023, I had the chance of a lifetime. I had the opportunity to visit the island of Maui, which was the location I was inspired to showcase in my debut novel Sea Of Dreams. All of my research was done virtually, and was an extra-special treat to see what I was able to get right, and what I might need to “edit.”
It got me thinking about my author brand, ie: what it is I’m sharing with the world through my social posts and blogging, as well as the newsletter I “attempt” to keep up with. If you aren’t following me there and want to check it out, you can subscribe here: DA’s Newsletter Link! Anywho, I will be the first to admit that I am generally all over the place with what excites me, but when I had to decide what the focus would be for my newsletter subscribers, I came to this: Books, Travels, and Shenanigans.
So this is where you, my dear reader, will be able to get a taste of all three in one post.
Some of the locations I wrote about in the series I had already been to, so traveling to a place I had never been and soaking it all in was a dream come true! For the first book of this “deep dive” (pardon the water puns, can’t help myself) I decided to start with the book that represents the first step on this journey for me. Sea of Dreams is the story of a young woman who finds that the life she is meant for is very different than the one she is living. It starts in Florida, travels to Maui, before sending the characters through a portal that takes them to a world that parallels ours. We end up in California where Book 2 starts.
I thought it would be fun to share some of my travel photos and experiences from the places I have been, and/or researched, through the lens of the romance I wrote so long ago. At least it will be for me, especially since I get to relive all of the fun I had on some of these trips.
While my heroine, Brooke, didn’t live in any particular part of Florida, I had imagined a coastal town really similar to Sarasota or Sanibel Island when I wrote her scenes there with her best friend Tara. So that is where we begin… These images are from a trip in early 2022.
Florida
By the way… I think the drink is a pineapple martini… all I remember is it was YUM!
Will is from California and now resides in Las Vegas, NV, and while I have been there a few times, I didn’t necessarily get pictures of the places I described in the book, such as his dressing room or the areas backstage. I was lucky enough to see Criss Angel perform, who definitely was an inspiration for the illusionist who fell in love with my heroine. These pictures are from the most recent trip in early 2022.
Las Vegas
It was fun to get the pic under the “D” which has all things Detroit. It was especially appropriate since that is what my name starts with 🙂
Now for my most recent trip from June 2023…
Makena Maui, Hawaii
What a dream come true, it truly was a Sea Of Dreams. I am so thankful I was able to see so many sites, some of which are tragically no longer there due to the fires. My heart goes out to all those I met on my trip, and there isn’t a day I don’t think of all of the wonderful people who live there. For anyone interested in helping in any way you can, you can visit: https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong.
No, I didn’t scuba, but did manage to see the Molinini Crater from a distance. We also flew over it on the way in so I managed a pic from the plane. The road to Hana was a fun trip and I think if Brooke and Will go back for their honeymoon, they will definitely make that trek!
California
They are in California for a very brief time, as was I honestly. Didn’t get to see much of the area, and my research was mainly seeing how long someone would take driving from LasVegas to various areas along the coast. You can make it in roughly 4 hours if memory serves from the San Diego area. I couldn’t dig up any pictures in time for this post, so will see what I can find for a future post when I go over the destinations for Winds of Change. That one will be fun! Greece!
Power Of Four Series
If you like contemporary romance with mystical creatures and a dash of magic, please check out this series. It was a great deal of fun to write, and I go to some pretty cool places as you can see from this post. You can find more information by heading to the series page here.
As always, thank you for reading, and if you would like to learn more about my shenanigans, please consider subscribing to my newsletter here: https://www.subscribepage.com/a1n0u1. I would love to have you!
In the meantime… Happy Reading! XO
D.A. Henneman - Romance Author 
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