Tourists and Trashy Romance Novels

It is a beautiful day here in America's Paradise - St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. The sky is blue, the clouds are white and puffy, and the tradewinds are blowing to keep it cool. A perfect day for the tourists from the cruise ship docked at the pier in Frederiksted.

And what a perfect opportunity to mingle with the tourists and let them know that a "famous author of trashy romance novels" is alive and well on St. Croix. I will be handing out postcards and selling copies of my novels to the tourists as they walk the streets of Frederiksted.

Oh, the "author of trashy romance novels" comment? That's what a friend of mine here on St. Croix tells everyone that I am. If the shoe fits...

If you aren't among the lucky tourists from the cruise ship here in St. Croix, you can still purchase copies of my novels from Amazon.com.

Margie Kennon Tovrea (aka Kristie Leigh Maguire) Presents Autographed Book to Governor of U.S. Virgin Islands John P. deJongh, Jr.

Margie Kennon Tovrea (aka Kristie Leigh Maguire) Presents Autographed Book to Governor of U.S. Virgin Islands John P. deJongh, Jr.

Margie Kennon Tovrea (aka Kristie Leigh Maguire) presented an autographed copy of her book, From the Far Side of the Sun: A Friendship That Spanned the Distance, to Governor John P. deJongh, Jr. (U.S. Virgin Islands) at the 1st Annual Pool Party Mixer held at the the Estate Carlton Condos on the West End of St. Croix on Sunday August 9, 2009.

Frederiksted, St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands) – August 11, 2009

The residents, management, and Board of Directors of the Estate Carlton Condominiums were delighted to have Governor John P. deJongh, Jr. and Lieutenant Governor Gregory R. Francis fly over from St. Thomas to be the guests of honor at their 1st Annual Pool Party Mixer which was held on Sunday August 9, 2009. Many other Island residents who have ties to the condominium complex joined with the residents of Carlton Condos in welcoming the Governor and Lt. Governor to St. Croix and to the party. The sunny skies and tropical trade winds added just the right touch of zest to the delicious food that the residents of the condos contributed to the occasion.

Margie Kennon Tovrea (aka Kristie Leigh Maguire), the “resident published author” at Carlton Condos, presented Governor deJongh, Jr. with an autographed copy of her book, From the Far Side of the Sun: A Friendship That Spanned the Distance. Ms. Tovrea chose this book, out of the six books she has published, to present to the Governor because it is her memoirs book of her expatriate days which began on St. Croix back in the early 1990s when her husband accepted an assignment to Hess Oil Refinery (now HOVENSA). Ms. Tovrea considers St. Croix as the beginning of her expatriate days even though it is U.S. Territory because it was her first experience of living outside the Continental United States.

From the Far Side of the Sun: A Friendship That Spanned the Distance is published by Star Publish LLC and is available online at Amazon.com. From the Far Side of the Sun includes many pictures of Ms. Tovrea’s globetrotting days, and is the re-release of her book Emails from the Edge: The Life of an Expatriate Wife which did not include pictures. Ms. Tovrea, writing romance under the name of Kristie Leigh Maguire, is also the author of Affairs of the Heart: Desert Heat and Cabin Fever (Collector’s Edition), Desert Heat, Cabin Fever, and No Lady and Her Tramp which she co-authored with Mark Haeuser. She has also contributed to several anthologies.

Affairs of the Heart was a Number One novel in sensual romance at Amazon.com. Desert Heat was voted Romance of the Year and Kristie Leigh Maguire was voted Best Up and Coming Author of the Year by the Affaire de Coeur Magazine Reader/Writer Poll. Cabin Fever and No Lady and Her Tramp placed in the Top Ten at the Preditors & Editors Poll.

Visit Kristie Leigh Maguire online at http://kristieleighmaguire.com/.


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The smallest library I've ever seen

As many of you who follow me know, I have a foot in two worlds ... southern Nevada and St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. I have a condo in both places and divide my time between the two. Nevada is as different from St. Croix as night is from day. One is a tropical paradise and the other is a desert, both beautiful in their own way.

A few years ago while exploring my Island paradise, I ran across the smallest library I have ever seen. I just had to stop and check it out. I couldn't believe that it really was a library but it was indeed, complete with a librarian. I just happened to have a copy of my Desert Heat, Cabin Fever and Emails from the Edge with me in the car because my good friend and author and world-class promoter Janet Elaine Smith taught me to never leave home without a couple of copies of my books just in case I needed them. I asked the librarian if I could donate my books to the library and she gladly said yes. Sooooo ... if you are ever in St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, stop by the Sunny Isle Public Library and look for my books.

Oh by the way, Janet, if you are reading this you will be happy to know that I also donated a copy of one of YOUR books that I just happened to have on hand. You will know which one if you look closely at the picture below. :)

Tonight's the night!

Yehaw! Tonight I will be on the plane flying from Las Vegas to St. Croix! America's Paradise and my tropical island home! I can hardly wait. It's been almost a year since I left St. Croix and came back to spend some time at my desert home in southern Nevada. It has been hot, hot, hot here in the desert ... and will only get hotter as we go into August. I'm looking forward to the tropical breezes and liming on the beach in St. Croix.

The Virgin Islands are U.S. territory. There are 3 islands in the Virgins: St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. St. Croix is the largest of the United States Virgin Islands, 82 square miles in area. There are two distinct towns to visit: Christiansted and Frederiksted.

The towns of Christiansted and Fredriksted each has its own distinctive style. The architectural quality and historic interest of the one-time Danish West Indies capital has made part of Christiansted (founded in 1734) a National Historic Site.

In Christiansted, you can shop the day away through quaint shops filled with French perfumes, china, crystal, batik clothing and jewelry. You can visit Buck Island, one of the world's finest dive spots. Frederiksted has its share of shops and shopping. It also has a tropical Rain Forest and Whim Greathouse, a plantation restored to the way it was in the 1700s.

Some interesting facts about St. Croix: Christopher Columbus landed at Salt River on the North Shore in November 1493. And you've gone as far as you can go in the United States on the easternmost point of St. Croix, Point Udall.

See ya'll on the other side! I will be offline for a while.

Counting Down!

The annual migration countdown has begun ...

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I left St. Croix to return to my home in southern Nevada. It has been nice being at my desert Stateside home but I am soooooo ready to go back to my tropical Island home.

In a little less than 2 weeks, I will once again be back in St. Croix (US Virgin Islands). I am so excited! I want to feel those tropical breezes blowing in my hair and caressing my skin once again. I can hardly wait to feel the hot sand beneath my feet and jump into those warm ocean waters. To see those vivid island flowers and smell their sweet fragrances. To hear that Cruzan dialect and their "everyting'll be all right, mon!" attitude.

Perhaps the change in scenery will make my creative juices flow and help bring on new ideas for new books for me to write. Or perhaps I will just lime on the beach or while away the hours at the pool with a pina colada in one hand and my Kindle in the other.

Have I enticed you to join me in the Islands? Come on down, mon! We'll have a partay!