From Movie Memory to Beacon Bay
When I was younger, I watched an old movie called The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. It’s about a ghost who haunts a cottage by the sea and a young widow who moves in. Over time, they become friends, and for some reason, that story stayed with me.
Years later, when I finally got up the courage to write a book, that movie popped back into my head. But I didn’t want my ghost to be dark or scary. I wanted her to be more like your favorite aunt. You know the one. She’s always looking out for you, always has an opinion about your life, and isn’t afraid to step in when she thinks you’re making a mistake.
I thought about my aunts. They were loving, wise, and sometimes a little meddlesome, but everything they did came from the heart. That’s how my ghostly matchmaker began to take shape. She became the character who nudges people together and refuses to give up until they find their happily ever after.
Thinking back, I realize The Ghost and Mrs. Muir probably influenced more than just that character. But may have inspired Beacon Bay itself.
There was something about that cottage by the sea that captured my imagination. The sound of the waves, the salty air, and that feeling that something supernatural could happen.
When I created Beacon Bay, I wanted a town where everybody knows each other. But I also wanted it to have a touch of mystery. A place where ghosts might linger and old secrets refuse to stay buried. And, of course, every seaside town needs a lighthouse. Perched high above the waves, the Beacon Bay lighthouse watches over the town, its light sweeping across the harbor night after night.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but Beacon Bay became my own version of those seaside stories I loved so much. A place filled with friendship, romance, second chances, and a little bit of magic.
It’s funny how inspiration works. Sometimes a movie you watched years ago plants a tiny seed in your imagination. Then one day, without even realizing it, that seed grows into a story of your own.
