Welcome to BOOKS BY MY FRIENDS, Wendy! Let’s set sail and chat about Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven-Year Pacific Odyssey.

JH: What’s the blurb for your book?

WH: Imagine spending 24 hours a day with your spouse in 31 not-so-square feet . . . for years; crossing the Pacific Ocean on two gallons of fuel; and tossing spaghetti marinara around your living room, then cleaning it up while bouncing like ice in a martini shaker. Tightwads on the Loose tells the story of Wendy and Garth, lured to sea by the promise of adventure. They buy a 31-foot boat that fits their budget better than it fits Garth’s large frame and set sail for an open-ended voyage, never imagining they’d be gone seven years, or cover 34,000 miles at the pace of a fast walk. They live without most “necessities” and learn that teamwork and a sense of humor matter most as they face endless “character-building opportunities.” “Tightwads on the Loose offers a fun read to the armchair adventurer — or anyone afflicted with wanderlust.” A readers favorite.

JH: What inspired you to write this book?

WH: I grew up a voracious reader. I devoured books and immersed myself in stories to explore and understand the world and to soothe me when I didn’t. A school project in which we assembled our writing into a book left a strong impression on me at a young age. I always enjoyed writing and secretly yearned to be an author of a story that moved people as books have moved me. Before I wrote my first book, I was a magazine editor, but our voyage gave me a clearly defined story with broad appeal and provided a perfect springboard for my writing career. During our voyage, I shared our adventures with friends and family and discovered the audience kept growing as people shared my posts and updates with friends and family. Upon our return from our voyage, I kept getting invitations to do presentations. Many people who’d read my updates urged me to write a book about our voyage. As I wrote it, I imagined bringing joy, laughter, and insight to people as they read my stories. I initially wrote my book for fans of my blog and my email updates not knowing whether it had a broader appeal. People have fallen in love with the narrative voice, which is full of humor. It has been described as a “cult classic” among sailors but reaches far beyond that audience to dreamers of all sorts, to those in need of a little escapism.

Read the rest here:
Joy E. Held Interview with Wendy Hinman, Author of Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven-Year Pacific Odyssey

https://joyeheld.substack.com/p/books-by-my-friends-wendy-hinman

In the March 2023 issue of Pacific Yachting magazine is an article about a scary hiking accident while cruising in Princess Louisa in the wilds of Canada.

Into the Slippery Mist
by Wendy Hinman

“Before hiking, we grinned next to a big yellow sign that read:

“Caution: Access to Trapper’s Cabin. This route is not maintained or signed. It is strenuous and potentially hazardous. The hike to the cabin (elevation 550M) is about 2 hours one way.”

It would be tough, but we were avid hikers, eager to tackle the steep trail.

My husband Garth and I planned a three-week cruise in BC with catamaran owners Laura and Brian. During our second week, Jim and Debbie joined us in Nanaimo from Los Angeles. It was late October, so we urged them to bring warm clothes and be ready for an adventure.
Then news warned of a Bomb Cyclone: a forecasted atmospheric river could intensify into what’s also known as a winter hurricane.”

. . .

What occurred was a scary accident that we were grateful to have lived through, but wouldn’t want to repeat.

Wendy Hinman is the author of two books: Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire and Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey. Sea Trials focuses on her husband’s family’s experiences, while Tightwads on the Loose looks at her and her husband’s travels. Both are now available as audiobooks. Hinman reviews books for Foreword Reviews.

Q: How did writing Sea Trials, about your husband’s family, differ from writing Tightwads on the Loose, a memoir about the adventures you and your husband had in the Pacific?

A: I wrote Tightwads on the Loose first. In some ways it was easier because I was there and didn’t have to do any research.

Initially I started writing scenes that I most wanted to capture—events that stood out during our seven-year journey around the Pacific. I wrote each scene as a stand-alone and in no particular order.

Once I had crafted scenes that highlighted the journey I shaped them as a whole into a cohesive story arc that linked everything together. I think my lighthearted style built on scenes let the reader feel as though they were experiencing the journey for themselves.

One key thing I realized when I began writing was that for any series of events, it’s possible to shape them into various different stories. With an extended adventure such as this, I had to make a lot of decisions about what to include and what not to include.

There were many places where we had encounters with ships or storms that threatened to turn our floating home into kindling and thrilling experiences with nature or foreign cultures.

I kept asking myself “What is the story am I trying to tell?” From there I made choices that supported my themes and the pace of the story. I also figured if it was fun to write, then it’d be fun to read.

The writing of Sea Trials went faster, probably because I had more experience by then and it had a dramatic, clearly defined story arc. While there’s humor in the story, I didn’t feel as free to joke about someone else’s hardships as I was about my own as I did in Tightwads on the Loose so the voice is more serious.

Q: Of the various experiences you’ve written about, do any of them particularly stand out in your mind?

A: The many intimate moments in nature—frolicking in waterfalls, playing in the rain, enjoying a sunset—remind me that nature puts on an amazing show every day if only we stop to appreciate it.

We visited islands so tiny that maps rarely featured them and met native people who live much as they did thousands of years ago—people content with a simple way of life surrounded by family and community. That left a strong impression on me and changed the way I approach life.

I am glad that I wrote Tightwads on the Loose first because the events in Sea Trials were so dramatic, I might otherwise have considered my own sailing adventure less worthy of sharing.

In hindsight, what I realize both books show is how important one’s attitude is in defining one’s experiences and the outcome. That’s a life lesson that sticks with me.

A couple of events come to mind that demonstrate that attitude is key are an incident when I spilled spaghetti marinara all over the interior of our boat; and then a miserable, wet passage from New Zealand to Fiji during a storm. In both circumstances, when I stopped to consider the absurdity of the situations and saw the humor in them, it made everything more bearable and enjoyable.

Likewise, I think it was humor and optimism among the family members that pulled them through challenging times when they were shipwrecked, sinking, or suffering from scurvy. I don’t think any of us realize what we are capable of achieving until we push ourselves and that’s what makes life exciting.

Whenever I feel dissatisfied with life, I find I need to ask myself whether I just need to readjust my attitude to embrace a challenge. I think of a friend and fellow writer who jokes “Plot twist!” whenever life gets hard.

Read more about Wendy’s inpiration and writing process here as well as discover other great books and authors:
https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2022/09/q-with-wendy-hinman.html

Travel the world through the pages of a book.

Here are two such adventures:

Wendy Hinman’s hit book, Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven-Year Pacific Odyssey, details her seven year adventure afloat. You can find it in paperback, eBook and audio, too!

Her second book, Sea Trials tells the gripping story of her husband Garth’s family in a tireless quest to sail around the world despite daunting challenges including a shipwreck, rebuilding a boat on a remote island, and threats from wild weather, pirates, gun boats, mines and thieves, a broken rig, scurvy and starvation. It is a story of grit and determination. Sea Trials has been named a Kirkus Best Book of 2017. And a Foreword Reviews Best Book! And a Readers Favorite! Available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. You can order it here.

As the Seattle Review of Books once said, “Both books are a blast to read.”

Here’s the full quote: “Hinman’s award-winning books, Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials, document both adventures with honesty, humor, and spirit. Both books are a blast to read.” –Seattle Review of Books

Now also available in audiobook format from most major audiobook sellers.

Or you can order here:

https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Hinman/e/B007Z6TRRO

#inspiration #settinggoals #dreambig
#giftideas #giftsforher #giftsforhim #giftsfordad #giftsformom #giftsforthem #giftsforbookworms #giftsforbooklovers #holidayreading #holidaygifts

Wendy Hinman’s hit book, Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven-Year Pacific Odyssey, details her seven year adventure afloat. You can find it in paperback, eBook and audio, too!

Her second book, Sea Trials tells the gripping story of her husband Garth’s family in a tireless quest to sail around the world despite daunting challenges including a shipwreck, rebuilding a boat on a remote island, and threats from wild weather, pirates, gun boats, mines and thieves, a broken rig, scurvy and starvation. It is a story of grit and determination. Sea Trials has been named a Kirkus Best Book of 2017. And a Foreword Reviews Best Book! And a Readers Favorite! Available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. You can order it here.

As the Seattle Review of Books once said, “Both books are a blast to read.”

Here’s the full quote: “Hinman’s award-winning books, Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials, document both adventures with honesty, humor, and spirit. Both books are a blast to read.” –Seattle Review of Books

Buy from your local bookstore and they can wrap for you!

Now also available in audiobook format from most major audiobook sellers.

Or you can order here:
https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Hinman/e/B007Z6TRRO

#giftideas #giftsforher #giftsforhim #giftsfordad #giftsformom #giftsforthem #giftsforbookworms #giftsforbooklovers #holidayreading #holidaygifts #winterreading

Her second book, Sea Trials tells the gripping story of her husband Garth’s family in a tireless quest to sail around the world despite daunting challenges including a shipwreck, rebuilding a boat on a remote island, and threats from wild weather, pirates, gun boats, mines and thieves, a broken rig, scurvy and starvation. It is a story of grit and determination. Sea Trials has been named a Kirkus Best Book of 2017. And a Foreword Reviews Best Book! And a Readers Favorite! Available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. You can order it here.

As the Seattle Review of Books once said, “Both books are a blast to read.”

Here’s the full quote: “Hinman’s award-winning books, Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials, document both adventures with honesty, humor, and spirit. Both books are a blast to read.” –Seattle Review of Books

Buy from your local bookstore and they can wrap for you!

Now also available in audiobook format from most major audiobook sellers.

Or you can order here:
https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Hinman/e/B007Z6TRRO

#giftideas #giftsforher #giftsforhim #giftsfordad #giftsformom #giftsforthem #giftsforbookworms #giftsforbooklovers #holidayreading #holidaygifts #winterreading

Wendy Hinman’s hit book, Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven-Year Pacific Odyssey, details her seven year adventure afloat. You can find it in paperback, eBook and audio, too!

Her second book, Sea Trials tells the gripping story of her husband Garth’s family in a tireless quest to sail around the world despite daunting challenges including a shipwreck, rebuilding a boat on a remote island, and threats from wild weather, pirates, gun boats, mines and thieves, a broken rig, scurvy and starvation. It is a story of grit and determination. Sea Trials has been named a Kirkus Best Book of 2017. And a Foreword Reviews Best Book! And a Readers Favorite! Available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. You can order it here.

As the Seattle Review of Books once said, “Both books are a blast to read.”

Here’s the full quote: “Hinman’s award-winning books, Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials, document both adventures with honesty, humor, and spirit. Both books are a blast to read.” –Seattle Review of Books

Buy from your local bookstore and they can wrap for you!

Now also available in audiobook format from most major audiobook sellers.

Or you can order here:
https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Hinman/e/B007Z6TRRO

#giftideas #giftsforher #giftsforhim #giftsfordad #giftsformom #giftsforthem #giftsforbookworms #giftsforbooklovers #holidayreading #holidaygifts #winterreading

Joy E. Held, Nov 29, 2022 publication

Welcome to Books By My Friends, Wendy! Happy to have an adventurer on board today! *grin*

JH: What’s the blurb for your book Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire? (That title is an attention grabber!)

WH: Sea Trials is the story of a family’s epic journey around the globe. Together they overcome daunting challenges–from shipwreck and wild weather to threats from pirates, gunboats, mines and thieves, a broken rig, scurvy and starvation. Glimpses of the fascinating cultures they encounter along the way enhances the suspense and keeps readers of all ages hooked until the “nail-biting” end. * A multi-award winner with rave reviews, including a Kirkus starred review.

JH: What inspired you to write Sea Trials?

WH: Over the years I’d been hearing snippets of the epic voyage my husband had taken with his family sailing around the world and their shipwreck when he was fourteen. Family dinners had been filled with “you remember the time when …

• gunboats forced us to sail across mines in the Red Sea?

• when our pilot Abdul got lost in the Suez Canal?

• the boat starting sinking in Israel?

• mom tried to poison us?

• we ran out of food and nearly starved?”

Such tantalizing anecdotes intrigued me. Then I got possession of the famous letters the family mailed home during the voyage. Hundreds of them. In them was more detail than any writer could hope for. Too much, sometimes. But by combing through them I fleshed out the outline of the story that I’d developed in my mind of the voyage. I asked a lot of questions of family members and took copious notes. What I uncovered was an even more dramatic story than I already knew, and I could hardly believe anyone had truly lived through it. Especially people I knew so intimately. Their story featured pirates, gunboats, mines, thieves, starvation and scurvy in addition to a shipwreck. I also couldn’t believe there wasn’t already a book written about it, since their shipwreck and arrival home hit the papers around the globe. To flesh out their story, I consulted guide books and sailing directions, maps, weather data, and the ship’s log to ferret out the finer details. I read the newspaper articles, listened to the interviews with the family. I started writing and double-checking details with the people who had lived through it. Once I began writing I found my draft came really fast, probably because I’d been thinking about this story for so long beforehand and had so much material. With a rough draft completed, I had them read every word to check for inaccuracies or things that didn’t seem true to their experience. It was a great family bonding experience to write Sea Trials about their journey.

Read more about Wendy’s inpiration and writing process here as well as discover other great books and authors:
https://joyeheld.substack.com/p/books-by-my-friends-9ff

Wendy Hinman is the author of the books Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire and Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey. Sea Trials focuses on her husband’s family’s experiences, while Tightwads on the Loose looks at her and her husband’s travels. Both are now available as audiobooks. Hinman reviews books for Foreword Reviews.

Q: How did writing Sea Trials, about your husband’s family, differ from writing Tightwads on the Loose, a memoir about the adventures you and your husband had in the Pacific?

A: I wrote Tightwads on the Loose first. In some ways it was easier because I was there and didn’t have to do any research.

Initially I started writing scenes that I most wanted to capture—events that stood out during our seven-year journey around the Pacific. I wrote each scene as a stand-alone and in no particular order.

Once I had crafted scenes that highlighted the journey I shaped them as a whole into a cohesive story arc that linked everything together. I think my lighthearted style built on scenes let the reader feel as though they were experiencing the journey for themselves.

One key thing I realized when I began writing was that for any series of events, it’s possible to shape them into various different stories. With an extended adventure such as this, I had to make a lot of decisions about what to include and what not to include.

There were many places where we had encounters with ships or storms that threatened to turn our floating home into kindling and thrilling experiences with nature or foreign cultures.

I kept asking myself “What is the story am I trying to tell?” From there I made choices that supported my themes and the pace of the story. I also figured if it was fun to write, then it’d be fun to read.

The writing of Sea Trials went faster, probably because I had more experience by then and it had a dramatic, clearly defined story arc. While there’s humor in the story, I didn’t feel as free to joke about someone else’s hardships as I was about my own as I did in Tightwads on the Loose so the voice is more serious.

Q: Of the various experiences you’ve written about, do any of them particularly stand out in your mind?

A: The many intimate moments in nature—frolicking in waterfalls, playing in the rain, enjoying a sunset—remind me that nature puts on an amazing show every day if only we stop to appreciate it.

We visited islands so tiny that maps rarely featured them and met native people who live much as they did thousands of years ago—people content with a simple way of life surrounded by family and community. That left a strong impression on me and changed the way I approach life.

I am glad that I wrote Tightwads on the Loose first because the events in Sea Trials were so dramatic, I might otherwise have considered my own sailing adventure less worthy of sharing.

In hindsight, what I realize both books show is how important one’s attitude is in defining one’s experiences and the outcome. That’s a life lesson that sticks with me.

A couple of events come to mind that demonstrate that attitude is key are an incident when I spilled spaghetti marinara all over the interior of our boat; and then a miserable, wet passage from New Zealand to Fiji during a storm. In both circumstances, when I stopped to consider the absurdity of the situations and saw the humor in them, it made everything more bearable and enjoyable.

Likewise, I think it was humor and optimism among the family members that pulled them through challenging times when they were shipwrecked, sinking, or suffering from scurvy. I don’t think any of us realize what we are capable of achieving until we push ourselves and that’s what makes life exciting.

Whenever I feel dissatisfied with life, I find I need to ask myself whether I just need to readjust my attitude to embrace a challenge. I think of a friend and fellow writer who jokes “Plot twist!” whenever life gets hard.

Q: What do your family members think of the books?

A: My family is pretty excited about my books. In Tightwads on the Loose I poked a little fun at my dad, who taught me a lot about how to tell a good story, and I’m touched that he was so proud to be featured in it. I lost him recently and I take great comfort in that.

I always thought Sea Trials was too good a story not to share and am honored the family trusted me with it and are so pleased with the outcome. My mother-in-law is so delighted to have her story out in the world, she has personally been responsible for an impressive number of book sales herself.

What I’ve loved best was being able to have them join me for a few book events and seeing how cathartic it’s been for them to experience the interest and enthusiasm for these stories.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I’m currently at work on historical fiction inspired by my relations. I have some wonderful scrapbooks and photo albums that have sparked some story ideas.

I’m a big fan of history and think seeing history through the eyes of people who lived it helps us understand the past and how it’s shaped the present. It also helps us see how people have faced what appeared to be insurmountable obstacles and found a way to overcome them.

There is so much we can learn from the experiences of the past that can help us cope with difficulties we face now. I love the challenge of working in a new genre and figuring out how to tell a new story from my imagination.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I’m delighted at the warm reception these books have gotten and I’ve been approached about making them into a movie or mini-series. Who knows what will come of that interest; regardless, I feel so lucky to get to create stories and share them with the world. It’s rewarding to meet readers who’ve found these stories to be riveting, amusing or inspiring.

As a lover of books, I know how important books have been in shaping the person I’ve become and helping me cope with the trials and tribulations of life.

Thanks for the interview!

To read more visit:

https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2022/09/q-with-wendy-hinman.html

“The writing is excellent, the story is captivating, especially since it’s a true one, and the pacing is just perfect.”

“When we combine Wendy’s superb storytelling abilities with the considerable skills of multiple award-winning narrator Eric G. Dove, we get something unique, a riveting narrative that I’m convinced will appeal to readers of all ages: from kids to young adults and grown-ups alike.”

These are the voyages of the 40-foot sailboat Vela and the brave Wilcox family. In 1973, they set off to sail around the world on the high seas. Their four-year-long mission will turn out to be five actually and during this epic journey, they will have to survive a shipwreck, reconstruct their boat on a deserted island and face many more other such trials and tribulations. With two teenagers on board, a ship in need of repair, a tight budget, rising problems, and without the benefit of modern devices such as a GPS or instant communication devices, the kids and the grown-ups have to find a way to make this work.

I love the sea, I am fascinated by boats, and if I wasn’t blind, I think I would have been thrilled to be able to buy a boat and to do exactly what this family does in the book and what Wendy did in Tightwads on the Loose, especially since I live in Oslo, and there are probably thousands of boats anchored all around the fjords. Alas, I am blind, boats are really expensive, and a guess that syncing them is not that hard, so all I am left with are these wonderful stories, some true – like this one, and others fiction, like those from Clive Cussler. Luckily, I still have access to the occasional cruises to Denmark, and hopefully, other countries to whet my appetite for life on the sea.

As I said, above, the writing is excellent, the story is captivating, especially since it’s a true one, and the pacing is just perfect.

Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire is brought to life in audiobook format by established singer/songwriter, fiction author, avid cruising sailor, and last, but not least, award-winning narrator, Eric G. Dove.

Eric is extremely well suited for this audio production. He reads in an enjoyable voice, he perfectly pronounces all the confusing terms that are most assuredly so familiar to those spending their lives at sea but sound as complete gibberish to non-connoisseurs. Eric delivers a pitch-perfect performance, complete with unique voices for each of the main characters, and he also infuses urgency and emotion into the narration exactly when the action on the page requires it. I know Eric is a narrator for a long time now, and he is always professional to a fault. It’s clear that he does what he loves and loves what he does.

Reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe and The Cast Away, Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire is a fantastic audiobook filled with epic adventures, unforgettable events, and remarkable characters. If you like true stories and love the sea or sailing, I highly recommend Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire and Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey by Wendy Hinman. Both these books are written from the heart, with humor, with respect, with knowledge and are extremely enjoyable.

When we combine Wendy’s superb storytelling abilities with the considerable skills of multiple award-winning narrator Eric G. Dove, we get something unique, a riveting narrative that I’m convinced will appeal to readers of all ages: from kids to young adults and grown-ups alike.

I hope that Wendy and her husband will embark soon on a new voyage and that she will write about it. I’m always fascinated by true stories, especially when they are so eloquently written.

Read the review here:
https://theaudiobookblog.com/review-sea-trials/