Jul 19, 2013

Welcome to Crystal Point.....

By Helen Lacey

Next month my latest book for Harlequin Special Edition, Date With Destiny, hits the shelves in the US and Australia/NZ.

I’m ultra excited about this book because I get to take readers back to the small town of Crystal Point. This town is very special to me because it’s where I live. 

Of course my home town is not called Crystal Point…but everything else is pretty much exactly as described in my books. It’s a neat little place with about eight hundred people…one small shop, a caravan park and a bowling/country club that serves food only on the weekend.There's a surf club and kiosk that sells a rainbow of ice-creams flavours and a beach. A fabulous, pristine beach with clear water that meets the river-mouth. Since the town sits at the most southern point of The Great Barrier Reef, we see whales, dolphins and turtles. There’s a long walking track which runs parallel with the shoreline and the entire length of the town. The surrounding area is spotted with cattle farms and other farms producing sugar cane, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and the best strawberries in the region. Do I feel lucky? Absolutely.  


When my first book came out last year I had many emails from readers asking about the town of Crystal Point so I wanted to share a few photographs of the place that gave me the inspiration, including the foreshore and a picture of my beautiful horses.

  



So, do you have a special place? Do you live there? Or is it somewhere you like to visit? Are you more a beach person, or do you like the rolling hills of a country landscape?

Leave a comment and go into the draw to win a copy of Date With Destiny..... 

You can visit me at www.helenlacey.com 

24 comments:

  1. Looks such a great place did live in Townsville for awhile a long time ago now live in Hobart for the second time and she is a beautiful city surrounded by hills and water and much cooler, not a sun person and want to travel to the Middle East. I come from a place like that Red Cliffs just before Mildura, though in land surrounded by grapes and oranges which nearly all gone now. Sad. We had a whale the other day in the Derwent River. Good luck with it all. Jan. xxx

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  2. Wow, Helen, you live in a very beautiful place. Like you, I'm very lucky to live a special place right by the sea and with hills surrounding us on three sides. Perfect.

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  3. I too am lucky. With a bay/Lake Ontario on one side and rolling hills in the other directions, we just love the peacefulness when we stop to appreciate it. September/October is soooooo beautiful with the various shades of colour in the changing leaves. Throw in a lovely breeze and you won't leave any time soon.

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  4. Hi Jan - I've never been to Hobart...but Tassie is on my list of places to go. It sounds lovely where you live. Thanks for dropping by :)

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  5. I love the beach and every opportunity I head up to the Sunshine Coast. I have family there too, so it's ALL good.

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  6. Hi Sue - yes, it is a beautiful spot. Sounds like you have your own little piece of paradise too :)

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  7. Hi Mary - I love the Sunshine coast too...I'm a bit further up the coast, and the weather is wonderful. Thanks for dropping by.

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  8. Hi Laney - sounds like you live in a wonderful part of the world...and there is something special about autumn/fall. Lovely to see you here too :)

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  9. Hi Helen,
    Your town sounds perfectly wonderful. I live in a similar place but with a few more shops, a few more people and a lot further south!

    I'm lucky because I've also lived inland, which I also foudn beautiful, even without the sea. I loved the wide spaces, red dirt, bright blue sky, gum trees, and rugged rivers (that are more like creeks).

    It's hard to pick which I like most. There's something special about both places.

    Good luck with your new release. I'm looking forwrad to it.

    Cath xox

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  10. Great pics Helen!
    It's kind of mad but I'm a beach girl living in the country.... one day I'm going to redress that :-)

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  11. Don't have a special place

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  12. i loved revisiting Crystal Points in all your stories. You live in a lovely place and I would love to visit someday!

    Congratulations on the upcoming release of Date With Destiny!

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  13. Hi Cath - your special place sounds wonderful. I love inland too....the open spaces and rolling hills....perfect for this horsey gal. Thanks so much for stopping by.

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  14. Hi Amy - funny that....I'm a country girl living by the beach :) I love both though. :)

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  15. Hi bn - I think any place can be special if its where we live. Thanks for dropping by.

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  16. Hi Helen,

    This looks idyllic. I'm on the east coast of Australia too and your pics look like familiar territory. We're so blessed with our wonderful coastline, aren't we?

    As for special places I've got several, including the Blue Mountains of NSW and some places in Germany where I used to live. But I love discovering new places! There's always something special to be discovered.

    So pleased that you're taking readers back to Crystal Point. I hope they love 'Date with Destiny'.

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  17. Helen, Crystal Point sounds heavenly. :-) I bet your readers will love 'Date with Destiny' (gorgeous cover!).

    As much as I love a sweeping rural vista, I'm not sure I'd like to live too far away from the ocean. There's just something about walking by the water that I find soothing and invigorating.

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  18. Crystal Point sounds lovely. The whales coming up to your place are currently swimming past my place. I live right on the beach but am much more a mountains person. But this is what happens when you married a surf obsessed man! Ah, the sacrifices!!

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  19. Hi Nas - would LOVE you visit. Thank you for you nice words about the books :)

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  20. Hi Annie - another east coaster! The Blue Mountains is a special place....I can remember going there when I young. Thanks for dropping by :)

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  21. Helen, those photos are gorgeous! Makes me want to move to Crystal Cove.

    When I was a kid beaches were my special place, but now it's more about trees and hills and rocks. Though anywhere with lots of the natural environment still intact is pretty special. :)

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  22. Hi Michelle - you're right, there is something very soothing about listening to the ocean. I love hearing the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks in the wee small hours. :)

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  23. Hi Jennifer - it's funny, my hubby is more the sea monger, while I love the country side...saying that, I do love the ocean sounds...and seeing the whales and dolphins is simply awesome. :)

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  24. Hi Rachel - you shall to visit! It really is a fabulous place to live...and a great place to write.

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