Part psychological fiction and part mystical fiction with a dash of magical realism, Floating Underwater follows a woman’s astonishing journey through the extraordinary and, ultimately, to her self-actualization and power.
Fearful that her lifelong premonitions not only predict the future but can also change its very course, Paloma Leary is devastated when her latest vision foretelling a third miscarriage comes true.
Falling into a mystifying world of
increasingly bizarre phenomena, including a psychic connection with her
mysterious neighbor, out-of-body experiences, and visits from her long-dead
mother, Paloma grows desperate for answers. She is also desperate to start a
family. But when a life-changing vision reveals a tragic secret from the past,
Paloma learns to accept her gifts and embraces a far different future than she
ever could have imagined.
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Reed patted her hand. “It is going to work out this time, Paloma…”
Paloma smiled, then took a bite of her sandwich. Maybe Reed was right; everything would be okay—the future did not have to be defined by the past.
And then, out of the corner of her eye, Paloma saw her. Bone-thin Serena raced across the street and planted herself next to the bumper of a parked car. In her ragged skirt and barely there T-shirt, Serena could be mistaken for one of Sunflower Beach’s many homeless people, who tucked themselves into alleys, behind bushes dotting the hillsides, and around trash-strewn paths by the railroad tracks. Yet the bedraggled Serena lived with her family, who tried their best to care for her in their own, private way. Serena stared at Paloma with her mismatched eyes, one blue and the other an unnatural shade of milky green. Slowly, Serena shook her head as her gaze misted over with what looked to be pity. Even though she had followed Paloma around ever since she’d moved into town when she was in sixth grade and Paloma in fifth, Paloma’s heart raced now, and nausea returned.
Reed leaned away and averted his face from Serena’s scrutiny. “She’s been showing up, even more, you know.”
“I know,” Paloma whispered. “I think she’s trying to tell me something.” Paloma shoved her plate away. Eating would be impossible now.
“She’s not trying to tell you anything.” Reed sighed. “She’s just more unhinged than usual.”
Paloma dared to look again. Serena pinned her down with those unnerving eyes, and then her mouth suddenly twisted into a grimace. Not knowing what else to do, Paloma waved. Serena turned abruptly. Passersby shook their heads and stared as she skipped barefoot down the street. Paloma watched the last coiled ends of Serena’s long, tangled hair as it floated out of view.
Ten Things You Might Not Know About the Novel Floating Underwater
by Tracy Shawn
1. The first working title for Floating Underwater was The Girl from the Edge of the Ocean. Author Tracy Shawn decided that Floating Underwater was a bit more poetic, if not a lot shorter!
2. Sunflower Beach is a fictional beach town in Floating Underwater. It was inspired by the small beach towns near San Diego, California, where Tracy has enjoyed several beachside vacations. Also, Sunflowers are symbolic of the hope that we can turn to something bigger than ourselves (as the sunflower turns to the sun) and learn to embrace our authentic selves—themes that run through Floating Underwater.
3. Tracy Shawn named protagonist Paloma Leary’s husband Reed because he eventually learns to be less rigid and “bend with the wind,” as reeds naturally do.
4. Floating Underwater went through so many revisions that it took over nine years to complete. During the last two years that Tracy was working on it, her mom was diagnosed with uterine cancer and later died in 2020 (Floating Underwater was released in 2021). The scenes in which Paloma misses her mom hit Tracy that much harder, and she found that like her character Paloma, she, too felt connected with her mom’s spirit.
5. Tracy’s first childhood dog was named Bonnie and after Bonnie died, Tracy’s mom sang the song “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” to try and make young Tracy feel better. That was one of the reasons Tracy Shawn included this song in her story, as it has always reminded her of love and loss.
6. Ramiro Summers was inspired by Tracy’s grandfather John, who was quite spiritual and often visited with ghosts over tea in his Devonshire cottage.
7. Tracy wrote Floating Underwater because she wanted to write about a character who is dealing with the grief of miscarriage, while at the same time, learning to accept a life that is different than the one she had planned.
8. The name Serena means calm and serene—and is also very similar to the word sirena, which is Spanish for mermaid.
9. Paloma’s spiritual crisis is due, in part, to her having held back her grief for too long.
10. The cover picture was created to depict a dreamlike state—much like Paloma’s visions.
You can visit her website at https://www.tracyshawn.com/ or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
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