'Sandy Shorts' author will be at Bethany Beach Books July 18

"Sandy Shorts" is an award-winning collection of stories set in local beach towns. Its author Nancy Powichroski Sherman will be at Bethany Beach Books from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, July 18, to sign books, answer questions and talk about the inspirations for the stories in the book, which are set in Bethany Beach, Rehoboth, Lewes, Dewey Beach, Ocean City, and other coastal towns. The stories reference local restaurants, hotels, bars, stores and other familiar locations.

“Rescued Love,” one of the stories in Sandy Shorts, follows a self-absorbed woman whose ex-boyfriend, a volunteer for the Delaware SPCA, has challenged her to parent a dog for the summer. He has promised a September shopping weekend in New York if she can demonstrate that she’s not too self-centered to care for the adorable - if somewhat troublesome - pooch. Of course there are complications, and along the way the characters reference several real and imagined locations in Bethany Beach, including Bethany Beach Books.

Another story in the book involves a rental (and romantic) mix-up in Bethany Beach. The other sandy shorts deal with such wide-ranging situations as taking a less-than-cooperative dog on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, getting caught in a sudden storm on Rehoboth Beach, hitting the bars in Dewey and facing real and imagined demons on a seemingly haunted ride on the Wildwood amusement pier.

Nancy Powichroski Sherman is an award-winning author who has a special knack for writing short stories. Sherman enjoys writing stories set in different towns. “I love that the coastal towns of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey each have their own personalities,” she says. “I was able to tap into that in the stories and create a wide variety of characters, situations and settings.

Short stories make ideal beach reads, but they also fit well with busy lifestyles. They can be read at one sitting and are often light enough to allow the reader to follow the story even with distractions. The fact that the stories feature recognizable local locations and activities adds to the fun. For this reason, the book makes a great gift or vacation souvenir, especially when personally autographed.

Sandy Shorts is $14.95 and is available at Bethany Beach Books and other locations in nearby coastal towns. For more information, go to www.catandmousepress.com or the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/catandmousepress.