Share: 

‘Beach Nights’ anthology of Rehoboth stories available at Browseabout Books

October 18, 2016

The fourth book in the award-winning Rehoboth Beach Reads series, “Beach Nights,” is now available at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach. The series is known for its eclectic anthologies, and the latest book is no exception. In “Beach Nights,” readers will encounter a ghostly World War II tower and a couple with an unusual annual tradition; a girl who finds her voice at a jazz club and a boy who learns the snow cone king has a secret; an old lady who is inspired to get a tattoo; and a despondent man who is resurrected through the tango. All of the stories feature Rehoboth and have a connection to the beach nights theme.

The anthology contains the winning entries from a short story contest that drew submissions from across the country. The 23 stories in the book vary, covering a range of genres that includes mystery, romance, humor and historical fiction. Those familiar with Rehoboth will recognize local places and activities (and in some cases, people), which adds to the fun. The three previous books were bestsellers at Browseabout Books, the contest’s sponsor. The books are published by Cat and Mouse Press, a small independent publisher in Lewes.

Beach Nights opens with “Good Vibrations,” a funny and romantic story involving a high school prom, and continues through tales that involve a mermaid’s moon, a “Vampire Surf Club,” senior disco queens, a seemingly haunted Funland ride, murder at a Rehoboth hotel, a moonlit sea turtle rescue and a kid who sneaks into a James Brown concert and meets the man himself.

“We are so lucky to get stories of this quality,” said Nancy Sakaduski, owner of Cat and Mouse Press. “I end up reading them at least eight or 10 times during the editing and production of the book and I still enjoy them and am impressed by the creativity of the writers.” Previous books in the series have won state and national awards.

The Rehoboth Beach Reads books are popular and each year are among the top-selling books at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach.

“Residents and visitors alike love the clever stories, high-quality writing and local settings,” said Susan Kehoe, store manager. “The books just fly off the shelves from the moment they are published.”

A panel of judges selects the stories for the books. This year’s judges were Denise Camacho, Laurel Marshfield, John Nieves, Mary Pauer, Judith Reveal and Billie Travalini.

The books are also recognizable for their colorful, iconic covers, which are designed and illustrated by Delaware artist Emory Au. For “Beach Nights,” he captured a spectacular scene of fireworks over the ocean with crowds watching from the beach and boardwalk.

Cat and Mouse Press was established to produce books and other materials that are fun, entertaining and of interest to residents and visitors to the Delmarva region. The company publishes a free weekly newspaper for writers,” Writing is a Shore Thing.” For more information, go to www.writingisashorething.com or www.catandmousepress.com.

Subscribe to the CapeGazette.com Daily Newsletter