I’ll have the shrimp basket, please!

There’s nothing like a tasty, golden, fried shrimp basket to begin your Hatteras Island vacation. Fresh and local, it is like summer in your mouth! That’s one of the reasons that the shrimp basket at “Marcie’s” has become a feature in all four of my books.

I’ve actually had readers ask me where they can find “Marcie’s” as it doesn’t show up on Google searches or their GPS. There’s a very good reason for that. For while shrimp baskets are very real, “Marcie’s” is not. It’s an amalgam of many of the restaurants we have here on the island. I can see it in my mind’s eye, and maybe that’s why it seems so believable to readers. Make no mistake, you can find a good shrimp basket everywhere here. You just won’t find that restaurant.

One of the unique aspects of writing a novel – writing fiction versus non-fiction – is that you get to name your characters, and sometimes places. There are plenty of descriptions of island life in my books that are absolutely true, but the character names come from my imagination. That can be fun.

When I wrote “Storm Season,” I had come to the point of introducing a local eatery. I wanted a place where my characters could enjoy a meal, share news, and even bring about a major plot point. But I needed a name.

My memory took me back to the 1960s and early 1970s, when my family and my aunt and uncle’s family and cousins vacationed with us. We did this several years running, and we still talk about, and laugh about, our shared experiences during those crazy, sun-soaked weeks together. My Aunt Marcia took on the nickname of “Miss North Carolina” for her fashion statement hats, bathing suits, and her overall embrace of a beach vacation loaded with family adventures, and oftentimes, misadventures. I hit on the name “Marcie’s” as a way to honor those memories and to give her a little nod in my work.

As the Hatteras Island Trilogy took shape over three years, it just seemed natural to keep “Marcie’s” in the books. Restaurants play a huge role in the summer scene, and any book about this area without somehow talking about food, drink, and the accompanying social scene would be missing something.

“Marcie’s” even makes an appearance in “Building a little Love,” as the only piece of my imagination that carried over from the first three books. It has not only become a talking point for readers, but it’s become special to me, just as all my characters hold a special place in my heart.

My real Aunt Marcie will be 89 in a few weeks. Happily, she’s never lost her enthusiasm for life, and she still enjoys it to the fullest. And yes, I still call her “Miss North Carolina!”

So, the next time you are visiting our wonderful island, make sure you allow enough time to enjoy a leisurely meal at a local restaurant. And if the mood strikes you, order a yummy shrimp basket. You won’t regret it!