Welcome to the Rhode Island Authors Showcase! Each day in November, this blog will feature a different Rhode Island author. Read the post and leave a comment and you are eligible to win this day’s giveaway!
Leave a comment every day this month for over 30 chances to win either our Grand Prize (a $250 Amazon gift card), our Bonus Prize (a $100 Amazon gift card), or a Cheer-Up Prize (amount to be determined), just in time for holiday shopping!
A winner will be randomly selected one week after the publication of the blog post, and the Grand Prize and Bonus Prize winners will be randomly selected on December 7, 2021. For the daily giveaways, the author will contact you directly to coordinate delivery. Print books for delivery within the US only, please.
Elizabeth Devlin grew up sailing the waters of Narragansett Bay and never forgot it. After a doctorate from Oxford and years serving in U.S. embassies around the world, she returned to Rhode Island to teach at the Naval War College in Newport. She left that job to build a house with a view of the water so she could fulfill her lifelong ambition to write stories focused on what fires her passion. Home Waters is her sixth book, but the first she’s “let out into the world.”
Can you have fun while doing good? Enjoy a compelling story set on Narragansett Bay and 25% of all royalties go to Save the Bay, a member-supported nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and improving Narragansett Bay and all the waters that flow into it.
Here’s the premise: On windswept Narragansett Bay, an oceanographer and his personal nemesis—linked by two little girls—battle ecological disaster and their own demons.
World-famous oceanographer Becket Fallon plunged himself into work after his son’s death. But just when he discovers toxic algae threatens Narragansett Bay—and the entire East Coast—his sharp tongue costs him his research funding. And, as he struggles to find a solution, the three-year-old grandchildren he’s felt duty-bound to avoid show up on his doorstep … in the arms of their attractive step-aunt Lainey Carmichael.
When he refuses to take in the orphaned twins, Lainey makes him an irresistible offer: Let them stay for the summer, and she’ll secure fresh sponsors. Stunned when she succeeds, he loses himself in the environmental battle. He’s terrified he’ll only repeat past mistakes if he lets his new houseguests wriggle their way into his life and heart.
Can Becket save the ocean he loves … and the family he never felt he deserved? He has a deep hole in his heart … can his fight to protect the ocean fill it?
“When I first got the idea for this book,” Devlin says, “I enlisted the help of oceanographers at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography to brainstorm ideas for a realistic threat to the bay. While Becket’s struggle for personal redemption is the heart of Home Waters, his story would not make sense without the Black Tide threat.”
Elizabeth is offering a physical copy of Home Waters or a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner. Just answer this question in the comments section: What charitable organization is near and dear to your heart?
Join us on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the CROWNE PLAZA in Warwick for the 9th Annual Rhode Island Authors Expo!
Martha Reynolds Writes 
Scituate Rotary Club
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Scituate Rotary Club- I’m a member and we do many things to help our community
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St. Jude’s
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Great cause!
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Who doesn’t love Narragansett Bay!!! I like to work with the Arthritis Foundation. Good luck with you book!! Zulu Delta
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Glad you share my love of Narragansett Bay! And the Arthritis Foundation is a great cause.
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hhf.org is my nearest and dearest. I became fond of Oxford when I found out that Gina attended.
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Thanks for posting, Thomas!
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Médecins Sans Frontières or in English it’s Doctors Without Borders.
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That’s a great cause, Joann. Thanks for posting.
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I love Pet Helpers of James Island, South Carolina.
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That’s one I hadn’t heard of, Audrey. Thanks for posting.
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The description of your story drew me right in. I’ll look forward to reading it while hoping to win it! I give to my home church, EWTN and other things or people that need my help.
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Glad to hear you found my story description compelling. I hope you give the book a try, whether you win or not. You’re a generous soul to those who need your help.
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Elizabeth, I believe you have us all in awe and very much wanting to read Home Waters to get to know you better and touch on all your interesting experiences. My first love is supporting a Native American family and their Reservation in Montana where so many of their young people live in despair with little opportunity for jobs and education. Every since I saw Little Big Man in 1971 my heart has gone out to the plight of the Native American people. We also support Heifer International and Bethany House, a ministry that supports men and women in prison.
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I hope you enjoy Home Waters when you read it. It was fun to bring to life the challenges to our bay and the ocean. I’m so interested to hear about your support of Native Americans and your other charities. Inspiring!
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Home Waters is a great read! I followed Elizabeth as she developed it and finally put it out into the world. I know you all will enjoy it.
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What Janet doesn’t mention is the book is dedicated to her, in thanks for her getting me back to it and finally getting it out to the world. I’m ever grateful to her.
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This book sounds like a great read, I will be adding it to my TBR list. Womens’ Shelters and Rescue Dogs.
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Thanks for posting, Alicia, and thank you for adding Home Waters to your TBR list. Womens’ Shelters and Rescue Dogs are great causes.
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I donate to several charities. Most of them are for Arts and Preservation. Occasionally, I donate to a few others such as the Gender Health Center in support of the LGBT community.
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You’re clearly a generous person, Bonnie! So interested to hear about your charities.
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What an interesting career path. That’s awesome. If I win I’d love to read the book! A charity that’s close to my heart is The Libraries of Foster. That organization does so much with so little! Thank you!
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Cool to hear about your Library charity. Nothing better than a great read!
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Elizabeth, I’d be fascinated to know more about how your life experience (Oxford, US Embassies) fuels your writing, directly or indirectly.
A dear friend of mine is no longer writing as his mental facilities have failed (fortunately, he remains oblivious but cheerful), He incorporated much of his amazing and extensive life experience into novels, two of which are in print. He is a Polish immigrant who served in WWII as a fighter pilot for both Canada and Poland, worked for the US State Dept. as a civilian advisor in one of Viet Nam’s provinces during that conflict, did research for the Smithsonian in both Iran and the Antarctic, and finished up his career designing and developing medical devices at Mass General Hospital in Boston (his last invention being a mouse resuscitator). His attitude about all this is, “Who wants to listen to an old man ramble endlessly about his adventures? They’re easier to share and preserve if they are written into novels.”
I miss our monthly meetings to talk writing over mugs of hot black tea. He was one of the most gracious souls I’ve ever known, and I was blessed that he called me “friend.”
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What a great post! Your friend sounds fascinating. And I totally agree incorporating things you care about in a novel, where the reader gets to come along for the ride, is the more effective way to share your passions.
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Elizabeth, I can’t wait to read your book! My favorite charities are close to home, such as the Martin Luther King Center in Newport and also Save the Bay.
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Thank you, Portia!
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My heart’s cause is the Trooper Black Foundation, a brand-new non-profit that is raising monies to provide financial support to Maine’s first-responder families in crisis – both from permanent debilitating injuries or deaths of first-responders. The president and one board member are the son and widow of Maine State Trooper Charles C. Black, killed in the line of duty when responding to a bank robbery in my home town in 1964.
I’m committed to financing the creation of a website and preparing its web content. One of my current WIPs is a book called “Beyond End of Watch: Police Families Surviving Line-of-Duty Deaths,” which will compare financial, social, spiritual, and mental health and support services and agencies for these families, available in 1964 (read: none) and available now, and identifying gaps in such services with recommendations on how to fill them.
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Best wishes Elizabeth. Home Waters sounds great. We give to dozens of organizations, Save the Bay one of them, but those on top of the list are Salvation Army and World Vision.
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Thanks for reading and sharing, Hank. Glad to learn about your charitable priorities!
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One of the charitable organizations nearest and dearest to my heart is Planned Parenthood.
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Thanks for sharing, Sebastian. And thank you for stopping by — this is a great forum Martha is hosting!
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I love everything about this post, from your life journey to your writing to your charitable impulses.
We donate to five charities, but nearest and dearest to my heart are Rhode Island Community Food Center and RISPCA.
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Thank you for your kind comments, Connie! I’m fascinated to learn people’s charitable priorities.
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Cancer has touched my family many times so Dana Farber and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital are my two favorites.
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Thank you for sharing, Michelle. Cancer has touched my family and friends too and I too try to support those who help.
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I’d love to read your book. I actually donate to animal organizations, my church, the Smithsonian, U.R.I., and the Salvation Army.
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Thanks for sharing, Karen. And I hope you either win my book or get it anyway. You are clearly generous in your giving!
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St Jude Children Hospital.
I lived in Narragansett for awhile and loved playing in the marshes. I would love a copy of your book. Sounds amazing.
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St. Jude’s is a great charity. Thanks for your kind comments about Home Waters. Even if you don’t win, I hope you’ll check it out (it’s cheap on kindle).
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Salvation Army. If I win, I would like a signed copy of your book.
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Check your email, please!
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Salvation Army is a great charity. Thanks for commenting. I hope you check out Home Waters, whether you win or not!
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HOME WATERS sounds right up my alley! I am a kindle reader, I will look for an ereader version.
Their are several charitable organizations I donate to; Wounded Warriors, St. Jude’s Children’ss Hospital, my church..
The book sounds great and your outreach. Is awesome.
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Thank you for posting, Helen. I’m a kindle reader too, so made sure Home Waters was available there at a competitive price. If you win you can get the Amazon gift card and buy my book and one or two others. If you don’t win, I hope you’ll check it out anyway!
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Fascinating indeed! I volunteered a few times with Save the Bay, cleaning my local beach (Conimicut Beach). I love that a percentage of the sales of your book helps protect Narragansett Bay. We have some of the most beautiful beaches in RI.
The charitable organization near and dear to my heart is Friends of PACCC (Friends of the Providence Animal Care & Contol Center). It’s a nonprofit that helps fund the enrichment programs for the pets awaiting adoption at the Providence Animal Shelter. I serve on their volunteer committee, I, too, donate a percentage of my book sales (a children’s book series about a dog) to them. Municipal shelters get the bare minimum of funding, so every dollar counts.
If I win, I would love to have a signed copy of your book!
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Is there a way to edit my response? I caught a typo after I hit send (of course).
I am moving on to Plan B – ignore the comma after “volunteer committee” and pretend it’s a period.
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So interesting to hear about your charitable endeavors, Denise! Thank you for posting and taking an interest in Home Waters.
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What a fascinating life story, Elizabeth. I’d love to hear some of your “war” stories sometime. Best wishes with the “new” career.
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Thank you for posting, Paul. Very much appreciated.
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