The Illusive Eddie Jones (part two)...

We're back, again, with Sonny Cay, talking about the illusive Eddie Jones...

author of

 BAHAMA BREEZE 

ready to pick up where we left off, yesterday, when we ran out of time. Let's see, I believe we were discussing a certain heart to heart talk you two were having about Eddie putting you through all those trials...

Yeah, I asked him if he could back off a bit, on account of I really didn't think I was up to all that. But he just said, "Every story is like a track heat." 

In what way?

It's like this. You start out of the blocks, strong. Then, in turn one, you confront your first hurdle. It’s usually small and easily overcome. Shortly after that, there's another, and then another. Until finally, on the backstretch, the journey is nothing but disaster after disaster. Each obstacle is more difficult than the one before. Pretty soon, I could hardly land before I was forced to jump over the next barrier. I think Eddie’s idea was to build hope in my heart, but at the same time, create such intense opposition that I became convinced I’d fail. 

Did that work?

It worked. But if you asked me before all this started if I thought I could do any of that stuff, I'd have said, what -- are you kidding? Not even half. I mean, what ordinary person ever tries to sail a rented sailboat in the middle of a tropical storm while dealing with a stage four cancer? Or gets locked up for destroying a golf cart, chased by a deranged Cuban terrorist, accosted by a presidential candidate polling in the single digits, tossed into shark-infested waters, or stranded on a deserted island? Then, as if that isn't enough, I'm forced to surf hurricane swells before I get dropped from the eye of the storm, right onto some Russian submarine. All this in the same week! It's a miracle I'm even sitting here, Lilly.

I'd have to agree with you. Speaking of which, does Bahama Breeze have any significant underlying message for its readers?

Oh sure. It’s about pursuing your dreams. About taking life by the tail and trying not to get bit too hard and often. My message is, even when you think you've failed, you have not. For instance, a long time before the book was even finished, the manuscript won first place at a writers conference. The award put a THOUSAND DOLLARS in Eddie’s pocket. 

I didn’t receive a penny, of course, but… as a character in the book, my job was to bring glory to the author, not shine the light on myself. As it turns out, it’s a good thing the book took first prize. Because when our Mr. Eddie Jones got back to his campsite later that evening, his tent had collapsed and lay in a puddle of rain. So you see, no matter how hard it rains, there’s always a rainbow on the horizon: assuming you live long enough to see it. That's all I have to say about that. I think that's all the talking about Eddie Jones I better do, too.

Why, are you starting to feel guilty?

 No, I'd just like to work for him, again.

Oh, I see. Well thank you for visiting with us, Sonny, and here's wishing you and Eddie all the best with Bahama Breeze. I certainly enjoyed reading it.

Glad to be here, Lilly. You want to take a peek at the real Eddie Jones, before I leave?

You mean know where to find him? 

Sure. He sort of leaves a trail everywhere he goes. You'll understand him a whole lot more after you watch this video...

Well, that definitely explains a lot of things for us. And I can see why you two seem to have something in common.

You mean boats?

Boats, too. 

Yeah, there's a lot more to him than meets the eye. I haven't even touched on his association with pirates. But you can find out more about that over at www.EddieJones.org. You can get in touch with him on his blog, too. Of course, he pretty much tells all in that other book of his called Hard Aground... Again. Wherever he is, he's always up to something. 

Most interesting people are. Especially the illusive ones! Well, fair winds and calm seas, Sonny. Come back, anytime.

Same to you, Lilly. And I will.