Did you know that Singer Jimmy Buffet is also a Six-Time Novelist?

I must confess, I am a parrot-head. A parrot-head is, very simply, a Jimmy Buffett fan. I have been a fan of Jimmy Buffett's music since the 1970s, when he had a small but cultish following.

Anyway, Jimmy is a bit of an extremist. Or maybe he's just not afraid to try things and he knows how to live life to the fullest. He's a pilot, a deep-sea fisherman and a sailor/boater. And he's been all over the world. In this respect, he reminds me of Ernest Hemingway. He has even frequented Key West, a place where Hemingway lived.

But there's one other thing he has in common with Hemingway: He's a novelist. He has written six novels, and according to the bio on the inside back jacket of one of his books, every one of them has sky-rocketed to the New York Times best-seller list. I guess that's what happens when you are famous.

Anyway, I've read three of his books:
Tales from Margaritaville
Where Is Joe Merchant?
And most recently, A Salty Piece of Land

The last one, which was published in 2004, actually came with a CD of a song of the same name as the book, which of course, he wrote just for the book readers. It was very good.

His books are quite enjoyable -- especially this last one, A Salty Piece of Land. I've been struggling with a decision about whether to move south or not, and this book certainly got me excited about the idea of living in the tropics.

One thing about Jimmy's books is they are very representative of who he is. He writes about what he knows. He knows boats, planes, fishing and tropics, and that's what this book is about. What do you write about? Do you pour all your experiences and interests into your writing and character development?

Salty is also about friendships, accomplishing dreams and people who leave an imprint on your heart. And he does a good job of creating characters who do all three in the book.

If you're looking for a simple, feel good book that you can sit in your back yard and read while drinking a beer and catching some rays, try picking up one of Jimmy Buffett's books.

And while you're reading, pay attention to his character development. His characters aren't complicated, but they grow on you as you read, and there's something to be learned from that.

Enjoy!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.