I took this picture the first time Michael and I stayed at Nick’s Cove, right off Highway 1 in Marshall, California. Our kids were at home, and we were tucked away in Ruthie’s Cottage. I remember how precious time alone, quiet, and peace felt back then. When we pulled into the gravel lot, I loved the place instantly. It was cold, which is always a plus in my world.
The pier sits just off the restaurant at Nick’s Cove. Long planks of weathered wood stretch toward the water, ending at a small “Boat Shack.” So much of Northern California looks like this, green and blue tucked into gray mist. There was nothing remarkable happening in time. It was simply a weekend near the water like so many others we’d had—to-go coffee and tea, long walks, and lots of uninterrupted talking.
This pier, and the row of cottages at Nick’s Cove, eventually became the backdrop for Vacancy – A Love Story. My version of Nick’s Cove is where Hollis and Matt share their first kiss in the water just off that pier, and where they find each other again years later.
Our room had a leather couch, a giant bed, and heated bathroom floors. The window in the small kitchenette of Ruthie’s Cottage stayed with me long after we left. It returned when I wrote Millie spying on Drake over her toast and coffee, Pop-Tart at her feet.
My writing is informed by so many things: the places I go, the people I overhear, and sometimes the lives I’ve longed to live. Whether it’s a single crumb or an entire town, inspiration pops up everywhere, and it’s always a joy to see how it works its way into my next story.
