Hi. I'd like to tell you about my novel: 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND' (the world's first windsurfing novel), which will be published in February (on Amazon).

But first, let me introduce myself . Any members of the now-defunct Boards (UK) magazine forum might remember me as 'Silicon Beach'. I've been a windsurfer since the mid-1980s and I've lived in El Medano, Tenerife, for the past twelve years. When I moved here, in 2007, I wrote a series of articles for Boards called: 'Life on the Reef'.

I started writing 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND' a couple of years ago. It's a journey of self-discovery narrated by a young Australian windsurfer and a celebration of wind, surf, and the human spirit ... and it features some of my favourite locations: El Medano, Cabarete, WA, and Ireland.

I've just released a FREE PREQUEL STORY to whet readers' appetites and this is my invitation to download it.

You'll meet my surfaholic narrator, Nick, discover his eventful back-story and his obsession with the ocean, wind, and surf. 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND - THE PREQUEL STORY' takes Nick from his earliest memory to the day the novel begins-the day he should have drowned.

If you download the Prequel Story you'll be subscribed to my newsletter and be the first to hear when the novel is available.

Please spread the word about the book and 'share the Stoke' as Nick (my narrator) would say

Here's the link to download the story (in all Ebook formats) ... dl.bookfunnel.com/tlq3jvivp6

Hi mate good luck with the Novel! Unfortunately if you go to the GPS team challenge website and check out sboardcrazy's posts you will see that Sue has already written plenty of novels lol.

Everytime I buy a new board / sail / piece of rope I have to come up with a novel's worth of fiction to tell the wife.

Is "Nick" a cleverly disguised reference to the belle of Australian windsurfing Nicole Kidman?

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RichardAttree said..
Hi. I'd like to tell you about my novel: 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND' (the world's first windsurfing novel), which will be published in February (on Amazon).

But first, let me introduce myself . Any members of the now-defunct Boards (UK) magazine forum might remember me as 'Silicon Beach'. I've been a windsurfer since the mid-1980s and I've lived in El Medano, Tenerife, for the past twelve years. When I moved here, in 2007, I wrote a series of articles for Boards called: 'Life on the Reef'.

Thanks - I'll check it out. I enjoyed your Life on the Reef blog

I spent quite a bit of time in El Medano in the early-middle 80's when Stefan had the windsurfing shop on the beach - awesome times

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Cluffy said..
Hi mate good luck with the Novel! Unfortunately if you go to the GPS team challenge website and check out sboardcrazy's posts you will see that Sue has already written plenty of novels lol.

OkeeDookee. Thanks for that. No Worries, I'll add 'allegedly'. It was only ever meant as a jokey kind of claim - I couldn't find any books that I'd call an actual windsurfing 'novel' when I looked on Amazon ... plenty of Surfing novels (e.g. Kem Nunn, credited with inventing the surf-noir genre etc) ... and plenty of technique, travel books feature windsurfing of course.

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azymuth said..

RichardAttree said..
Hi. I'd like to tell you about my novel: 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND' (the world's first windsurfing novel), which will be published in February (on Amazon).

But first, let me introduce myself . Any members of the now-defunct Boards (UK) magazine forum might remember me as 'Silicon Beach'. I've been a windsurfer since the mid-1980s and I've lived in El Medano, Tenerife, for the past twelve years. When I moved here, in 2007, I wrote a series of articles for Boards called: 'Life on the Reef'.

Thanks - I'll check it out. I enjoyed your Life on the Reef blog

I spent quite a bit of time in El Medano in the early-middle 80's when Stefan had the windsurfing shop on the beach - awesome times

Cheers @azymuth ... if you're ever visiting get in touch.

P.S. I'm having a book launch here (El Medano, Tenerife) in March ... if anyone else is visiting Tenerife, please get in touch for an invite.

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Carantoc said..
Everytime I buy a new board / sail / piece of rope I have to come up with a novel's worth of fiction to tell the wife.

LOL. Yep, I know what you mean Luckily my wife is also a windsurfer (we started together, back in 1986 in Vasseliki, Greece, and we still sail together :-) So, no arguements about buying kit.

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Cluffy said..
Hi mate good luck with the Novel! Unfortunately if you go to the GPS team challenge website and check out sboardcrazy's posts you will see that Sue has already written plenty of novels lol.

Mine are more like short stories..

DL and subbed, good luck with it.

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RichardAttree said..

Cluffy said..
Hi mate good luck with the Novel! Unfortunately if you go to the GPS team challenge website and check out sboardcrazy's posts you will see that Sue has already written plenty of novels lol.

OkeeDookee. Thanks for that. No Worries, I'll add 'allegedly'. It was only ever meant as a jokey kind of claim - I couldn't find any books that I'd call an actual windsurfing 'novel' when I looked on Amazon ... plenty of Surfing novels (e.g. Kem Nunn, credited with inventing the surf-noir genre etc) ... and plenty of technique, travel books feature windsurfing of course.

That was a joke also. She does not write novels but her posts are very long!

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Windxtasy said..

RichardAttree said..

Cluffy said..
Hi mate good luck with the Novel! Unfortunately if you go to the GPS team challenge website and check out sboardcrazy's posts you will see that Sue has already written plenty of novels lol.

OkeeDookee. Thanks for that. No Worries, I'll add 'allegedly'. It was only ever meant as a jokey kind of claim - I couldn't find any books that I'd call an actual windsurfing 'novel' when I looked on Amazon ... plenty of Surfing novels (e.g. Kem Nunn, credited with inventing the surf-noir genre etc) ... and plenty of technique, travel books feature windsurfing of course.

That was a joke also. She does not write novels but her posts are very long!

Yeah ... I got the joke after posting my reply (a pom grappling with good old Ozzie sarcasm :-)

I'm waiting for someone to counter-claim to be the first windsurfing novel ... but for sure it's not a crowded market. I wrote a piece about it on my website: richardattree.com/authors-commentary/

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ChrisD67 said..
DL and subbed, good luck with it.

Thanks Chris. As I mentioned, my main character is an Ozzie windsurfer and roughly half the novel is set in WA ... so as a pommie author I'm slightly nervous (and intrigued) about what you guys will make of it :-)

... while I'm here ... I just got the finalised files from my cover designer. This what the book will look like:

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I'm waiting for someone to counter-claim to be the first windsurfing novel ... but for sure it's not a crowded market. I wrote a piece about it on my website: richardattree.com/authors-commentary/

Hi Richard,

I've had this book since the early nineties.

Congrats on your book mate.... hope it sells great.

Cheers,
Paul.

Interesting....

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Metzenthen

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Flying Dutchman said..

I'm waiting for someone to counter-claim to be the first windsurfing novel ... but for sure it's not a crowded market. I wrote a piece about it on my website: richardattree.com/authors-commentary/

Hi Richard,

I've had this book since the early nineties.

Congrats on your book mate.... hope it sells great.

Cheers,
Paul.

Aha ... yes, interesting ... I'll check out 'Danger Wave' - looks like being the first. Anyway, as I said, it's not exactly a crowded market.

Interestingly the blurb: "Windsurfing is Tommy's only escape from his problems ..." sounds quite similar to mine: "Windsurfing is his obsession, his escape from self-loathing ..."

Thanks for your encouragement, Paul.

Actually, talking of blurbs, this is my complete copy:

'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND'
Nick has always been an outsider. Half Aboriginal, half Irish, he escaped from an impoverished fishing town in Western Australia. Now he's running from a drug deal gone wrong, living like a ghost in the Canary Islands and his only friends are the wind and waves.

Windsurfing is his obsession, his escape from self-loathing. But when his rig falls apart, like his life, he finds himself drifting alone in the Atlantic. As the sun rises on his last day alive, a yacht appears and offers him a lifeline. But there's a price to pay .

The owner, an enigmatic figure known to his crew as the Master, is the leader of a shadowy cult. He offers Nick a way out of his stalled life-a series of missions: to the haunted Haitian rainforest, the remote Australian outback, and the wild west coast of Ireland.

The puppet master pulls the strings-Nick's quest is to discover why.

TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND is an incredible story of survival, an epic travel adventure, a dark journey into the unknown, and a celebration of wind, surf, and the human spirit.

Gotta admit reading danger wave when I was 13 or 14 got the juices flowing. I guess it was a good part of the reason I got into the sport.

I'm pleased to announce that 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND' - the only windsurfing novel to be published this century - has now been released.

If you read the (free) Prequel Story you'll have met Nick (my surfaholic narrator) and followed his story to the day the novel begins-the day he should have drowned. Now you can discover what happens next .

'Too Close to the Wind' is available as an Ebook and paperback from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MY6LZ99

Just bought it!

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AUS1111 said..
Just bought it!

Same, paid 5.49 $AUD that's cheap but I see via your link to Amazon US it's 0.99
I enjoyed the teaser so I look forward to reading the book Richard

Cheers Guys. Hope you enjoy the book. I'm particularly interested in your feedback as roughly half the book takes place in Australia.

I hope you don't think it impertinent / out of order for a Pom to write about your own backyard ... It's a measure of the impact the place had on me, really.

And it would be much appreciated if you could post a review on Amazon and 'share the stoke' as Nick (my narrator) would say.

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RichardAttree said..
Hi. I'd like to tell you about my novel: 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND' (the world's first windsurfing novel), which will be published in February (on Amazon).

But first, let me introduce myself . Any members of the now-defunct Boards (UK) magazine forum might remember me as 'Silicon Beach'. I've been a windsurfer since the mid-1980s and I've lived in El Medano, Tenerife, for the past twelve years. When I moved here, in 2007, I wrote a series of articles for Boards called: 'Life on the Reef'.

I started writing 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND' a couple of years ago. It's a journey of self-discovery narrated by a young Australian windsurfer and a celebration of wind, surf, and the human spirit ... and it features some of my favourite locations: El Medano, Cabarete, WA, and Ireland.

I've just released a FREE PREQUEL STORY to whet readers' appetites and this is my invitation to download it.

You'll meet my surfaholic narrator, Nick, discover his eventful back-story and his obsession with the ocean, wind, and surf. 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND - THE PREQUEL STORY' takes Nick from his earliest memory to the day the novel begins-the day he should have drowned.
www.indieroyale.com/download-lucky-patcher-apk/ inro.in/9apps/ inro.in/vidmate/
If you download the Prequel Story you'll be subscribed to my newsletter and be the first to hear when the novel is available.

Please spread the word about the book and 'share the Stoke' as Nick (my narrator) would say

Here's the link to download the story (in all Ebook formats) ... dl.bookfunnel.com/tlq3jvivp6

Something a bit different ... My novel: 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND' (the world's first windsurfing novel) will be published in February. I've just released a FREE PREQUEL STORY to whet readers' appetites and this is my invitation to download it.

You'll meet my surfaholic narrator, Nick, discover his eventful back-story and his obsession with the ocean, wind, and surf. 'TOO CLOSE TO THE WIND - THE PREQUEL STORY' takes Nick from his earliest memory to the day the novel begins-the day he should have drowned.

If you download the Prequel Story you'll be subscribed to my newsletter and be the first to hear when the novel is available.

Please spread the word about the book and 'share the Stoke' as Nick (my narrator) would say :-)

Here's the link to download the story (in all Ebook formats) ...
dl.bookfunnel.com/tlq3jvivp6

I have read the prequel and will read the book when it comes out. I think you have the Aussie stuff down pat for this type of book. It's perhaps not at the Tim Winton level, but it's not in that genre. Definitely the book is steeped in the windsurfing sport and culture (albeit wave sailing in particular). You write in a fluid easy to read style, but I can also see you take character development seriously.

So good luck with it, and keep us updated.

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ChrisD67 said..
I have read the prequel and will read the book when it comes out. I think you have the Aussie stuff down pat for this type of book. It's perhaps not at the Tim Winton level, but it's not in that genre. Definitely the book is steeped in the windsurfing sport and culture (albeit wave sailing in particular). You write in a fluid easy to read style, but I can also see you take character development seriously.

So good luck with it, and keep us updated.

Thanks Chris. 'Too Close to the Wind' (the novel) is available from Amazon now: www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07MY6LZ99

I hope you enjoy it. The reviews, feedback and support I'm getting from the windsurfing community makes it all worthwhile. It may be a relatively niche tribe but wow are we passionate about our sport ... and that's what motivated me to write about it.

P.S. Tim Winton is one of my all-time favourite authors (especially 'Cloudstreet', 'The Shepherd's Hut', and 'Breath').

This month's WindsurfingUK magazine has an article/interview ('Sharing the Stoke') about how and why I wrote 'Too Close to the Wind'. After 33 years as a very average windsurfer, it's slightly surreal to see pics of me jumping and wave-riding spread across the pages of a magazine featuring some of the best windsurfers in the UK

www.windsurfingukmag.co.uk/home/windsurfing-uk-subscriptions/

I'll be 'Sharing the Stoke', live from Tenerife, this Thursday (11//04) ...

I'm doing a radio interview about 'Too Close to the Wind' - the world's first windsurfing novel - this Thursday (11//04) at around 13:30 (UK time). You can listen to a live stream on www.radiosuradeje.com/ (click the play button at the bottom of the page) ... and I'll put a link to the recorded podcast after the interview.

For more info about the book etc - follow me on FaceBook: Richard Attree - Author