Under the Gulf Coast Sun
by Skip Rhudy
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Pub Date Apr 22 2025 | Archive Date Aug 31 2025
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Description
This coming-of-age tale set against the sun-soaked beaches of 1970s Port Aransas, Texas, is a love letter to the people and culture of the Texas coast and the enduring allure of the Gulf of Mexico.
Eighteen-year-old Connor O’Reilly isn’t ready to leave his beloved hometown until the tourist girl he met the previous summer, Kassie Hernandez, returns to Port Aransas for one final vacation before college. Their tumultuous summer fling is wrecked by a freak accident in which Connor is lost at sea. His long years of surfing and fishing in the Gulf, as well as Kassie’s desperation to reunite with him, are pitted against the enormity and utter indifference of the sea.
A Note From the Publisher
Skip Rhudy grew up surfing in Port Aransas, Texas. He has translated poetry and prose from German to English, and translated Wolfgang Hilbig’s novella Die Weiber for his master’s thesis in 1990 at the University of Texas. His short stories were published in numerous small press magazines in the mid 1990s, and his novella One Punk Summer was published in 1993 and reprinted in 2021. Skip works as a software developer. He and his wife live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have two daughters, three dogs, and a horse named Pierre.
Advance Praise
“Under the Gulf Coast Sun will enchant you as it follows a group of young-adult surfers coming of age on the Texas coast in the late 1970s. This book captures it all, from junk surf frustration to the joy of seeing storm swells arrive, all amidst the ever-present scents of salt air, coconut tanning oil and romance.”—Dan Parker, editor of the Port Aransas South Jetty newspaper and co-author of Surfing Corpus Christi and Port Aransas
“Under the Gulf Coast Sun is not just a story; it's a heartfelt journey of love, ambition, and second chances that will stay with you long after the last page is turned.”—Sherri Shackelford, Bestselling author and professional editor
“Kassie, the math whiz daughter of a NASA scientist, is dealing with feelings of womanhood and leaving home for college. She would rather embrace the fine arts than follow in her father's footsteps. What better way to sort all this out than to have a summer fling with surfer boy Connor at an iconic beach destination on the Texas Coast? Here, Kassie and Connor get to know each other better while navigating boorish beach crowds, tiger sharks and storm-driven surf.
It's tourist season on the Texas Coast and readers better bring some strong sunblock because the Kassie and Connor romance heats up like a Mustang Island sand dune at high noon in July.”—Phil Shook, author of author of Flyfishing The Texas Coast
“The Texas Gulf Coast in the late seventies is a nonstop beach party until Kassie, a tourist who can ride the barrel like a pro, becomes the obsession of a cluster of young surfers. Every gathering is a jockey for a position near her, but she singles out Connor, who actually listens to her talk of a future in aeronautics. The rolling surf with its fickle waves and ever-present danger serves as both the backdrop and the catalyst in this sharp coming-of-age story about two young people trying to savor their last carefree days before facing the inevitable transition to adults.”—USA Today bestselling author Deanna Roy
Marketing Plan
National PR and social media campaigns, author events/signings
National PR and social media campaigns, author events/signings
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781965766040 |
| PRICE | $22.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 284 |
