New News "at the beach"

Been a lot going on here so sorry about lack of blogs. It was an extremely hot summer here, hottest on record, and a wet fall, wetest on record. So far the winter has been about normal, some warm weather and some cool weather, but nothing like last years cold wave.
     We had friends down from Lancaster for the month of November and enjoyed sharing Thanksgiving with them at our house. We have friends in town now from Canal Winchester and others on the way from Lancaster and Florida. If any of you want to come down, we can have a Lancaster reunion right here.
     In local news, a 20-year old building that once housed Carlos' n Charlies's at Broadway at the Beach may be coming down to make way for a new two-story structure that will house a Paula Deen restaurant. The design rendering shows a Paula Deen's Family Kitchen and retail store with glass entry-ways next to Crabby Jack's General Store. (Now if we can just get a Trader Joe's). Also, at Broadway at the Beach, plans are in the works for the opening of the area's first Dave & Buster's, a new American Tap House, and an ever changing OZ nightclub. And Hard Rock Cafe submitted plans to leave its 70-foot-tall pyramid for a new renovated location where Broadway Louie's was housed.
     For those of you contemplating a move south, South Carolina remains the second most popular destination for state-to-state moves, according to a new study from United Van Lines. Oregon was the most popular destination for the third straight year, but South Carolina wasn't far behind. Real estate prices are still low here but the tide is turning. Come on down and let me find you a condo or home before the market turns into a sellers market instead of a buyer's market.
     I have been doing several book signings and presentations lately. My upcoming book "Death on Mt. Pleasant" is just about finished. Who knows, you may find a character in the book who reminds you of you.
     That's about it for now, see ya.  Steve & Bev

                                                         Book Signing at Brightwater.

                                                          October flood in our backyard

                                                  Thanksgiving with Dave & Sharon Reynolds

    
    

Great News "At The Beach"

     It is HOT at the beach. The temps have been in the mid 90's since Friday and the forecast is for 90 plus the next seven days. The worst part is that we have had very little rain to go along with the heat.
     I usually do book signings each evening at Harbor View Golf Complex but it has just been too hot these last few nights. I did a book club luncheon Wednesday at Patio's and it was a lot of fun. The Sea Gate Village Book Club read my book "Cougars" for their June meeting and decided since Patio's was in the book, they would come up to Little River for their meeting.  They invited me to join them to answer questions and to tell them about my upcoming book, "Death on Mt. Pleasant". We had a great time.
     Speaking of "Cougars at the Beach", the great news is that the book is now on the shelves and available at Barnes & Noble at The Market Common in Myrtle Beach. It is very difficult for an independent author to get their books into a major Book Store these days.
     Some other good news is that someone nominated me as best author for 2015 in the Myrtle Beach area. The Grand Strand Happening Magazine runs the event each year. The contest runs until the end of June. I need your vote. Please go to  (grandstrand.happeningmag.com) "click" on Happening List, "Click" on People, then "Click" on Author and vote for me. Tell all your friends, family and neighbors to vote as well.
     Real estate is picking up. Deals are still available but prices are beginning to go up. Come on down, we're dealin'.  See ya, Steve and Bev

                                                         Thirteen women and me

                                                                Don't forget to vote

                                                               Cherry Grove Beach



    
    
    

Lots of Friends "at the beach"

     There are lots of friends in town right now, Lancaster friends and high school friends. We are going to dinner tonight, with some of them, at Midtown Bistro. Spaghetti & meatballs night, $4.99, what a deal. Tuesday night everyone is coming to our place for corned beef and cabbage, and Thursday night we are going to one of their places for dinner. Busy week "at the beach".
     News from the beach: Allegiant Air is starting non-stop air service from Columbus to Myrtle Beach. This will make things much easier to fly back and forth from Ohio.
     Springmaid Beach Resort, which anchors the south end of Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach, has been sold for 40 million. The resort which opened in 1948 is a private getaway for employees of Springs Mills, and  includes a 500 room hotel, conference center, camping facility and pier. The resort will be managed by Hilton World Wide until it is fully renovated and repositioned as a Double Tree Resort by Hilton.
     "Dinosaurs: The Exhibition" will open at Broadway at the Beach March 16th between Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville and Ripley's Aquarium in a roughly 8,000-square-foot space known as the "boat building" . The $1million attraction will have 25 animatronic dinosaurs that will move and roar, including the signature piece: a 20-foot-tall, 25 foot-long Tyrannosaurus Rex. In addition to those figures featured in the "dinosaur walk", there will be a soft play area where kids can climb over dinosaurs, a sandpit where kids can dig for dinosaur "bones" and a gift shop.
     A new 15,000 square foot wine hub is under construction off U.S. 17 at Barefoot landing next to Alligator Adventure. The new Doplin Wine Family location will give drinkers the chance to see the bottlling operation-one of the most popular features at the family's sprawling winery in Rose Hill, NC.-then sample some of the brand's 42 labels at three tasting bars, mingle and snack on some of Duplin's other products, such as cheese dips and fudge.
     On the book scene, I am still working on my upcoming book DEATH ON MT. PLEASANT and sales for my other two books, MURDER ON THE FRONT NINE & COUGARS AT THE BEACH are still strong. For more info go to my website, www.stevenmcmillen.com.
     Real estate has really picked up. I have more and more people looking to either move this way or purchase a second home or condo "at the beach". Y'all come on down, we're dealin'.

     

                                                     Book signing at Dead Dog Saloon

Best Restaurant In America "at the beach"

     First of all. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year for all my blog readers.

     OpenTable, a provider of on-line restaurant reservations has named Sea Blue Restaurant & Wine Bar in North Myrtle Beach as the #1 2014 Diners' Choice Award winner in America. The awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 20,000 restaurants in all 50 states. Sea Blue was followed by: Sushi Nakazawa-Sishi Bar, New York, Fearington House Restaurant, Pittsboro, NC., n/naka, Los Angeles, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, Santa Rosa, Calif., Ski Tip Lodge, Keystone, Colo., Twenty Eight Atlantic at Wequassett Resort, East Harwich, Mass., Kai-Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort, Chandler, Ariz., The French Room, Dallas and Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, Ala. If any of you have dined at any of these restaurants, please let me know. We have never been to Sea Blue but it is now at the top of our list.
     Golf course ownership is changing along the Grand Strand. Chinese investors are buying courses left and right. Within the last couple of weeks they have purchased The TPC on the South Strand for an undisclosed amount; The World Tour for 9.9 million; River Hills for 2.45 million, and Aberdeen for 3.3 million. Previous to those purchases, they bought Burning Ridge, Indian Wells, Founders Club, Black Bear Crown Park, Colonial Charters and Sea Trails Resort.
     The real estate market has slowed down over the holidays, but should pick up again after the first of the year. Now is an excellent time to purchase that retirement home you've been thinking about or that second home or condo. Come on down, we're dealin'.
     Book sales for my latest book, COUGARS AT THE BEACH, is progressing nicely and I am working on the next installment in the Mickke D Grand Strand Murder Mystery Series, DEATH ON MT. PLEASANT, set in Lancaster. See my website (www.stevenmcmillen.com) for an excerpt.
     If any of you get down our way this winter, please contact us at smcmillen.sc.rr.com or 843.995.0766.
     See ya, Steve & Bev

                                                              Book Signing last week

                                                      Skaters at Myrtle Beach Mall

                                                                    The Beach

Large Holes & Ice Skating "at the beach"

     Sorry I've been away so long. Lots going on down here. Myrtle Beach Mall has an ice skating rink in front of Radio Shack. Open from 4:00 to 8:00 during the holidays. Seems strange to see a rink in Myrtle Beach but the kids are having a ball.
     The hole just got larger at Azalea Sands golf course. All 18 holes on the course have been enlarged to 8". They are trying this to see if it will help in bringing in some new golfers. The course is also home to the girl caddies in kilts. They even have blue tooth in the carts as well as music. Haven't tried this yet, but it might improve my putting.
    Speaking of golf, I have played with Lancaster's own golf star Samatha Swinehart several times lately. Her family lives in North Myrtle Beach and she is working in the pro shop at River Hills, where we live. She has a sweet golf swing and a great attitude. If only she would give me more strokes!
      Real estate has slowed down but that usually happens this time of year. There are still lots of deals down here, so come on down for the winter. You may decide to stay.
     We were back in Ohio in October for the fair, our class mini-reunion and a book signing at The Ohio Glass Museum for my latest book,  COUGARS AT THE BEACH. We had a wonderful turnout at both venues. Also did some book signings at Tiki Lanes while in town. I am working on my third installment in the Mickke D Grand Strand Murder Mystery Series. The new book is DEATH ON MT. PLEASANT and as the title suggest, the setting for this tale is Lancaster. Anyone looking for a great and unique Christmas gift for that "reader" in your family? Signed books are available at The Ohio Glass Museum and Tiki Lanes in Lancaster.
     Hope to see y'all soon,
     Steve & Bev

                                                              Ice rink at the mall

                                                            Sam & me at River Hills

                                                             Me, John & Twanger

                                                           Jannie, Bev & Mark




    
    

Lancaster Book Signing, at the Beach

     The tourist are leaving the beach. This will be the last big week because schools started in SC and NC. The weather has turned "hot" with temps reaching mid to high 90's this week with heat index above 100. These are the first really hot days this entire summer. The weather has been perfect.
     Real estate sales are pretty much staying level and prices are remaining moderate. There are still plenty of deals down here, so come on down, we're dealin!
     For all of you in the central Ohio area, I just had conformation that The Ohio Glass Museum will host a book signing for my latest book, COUGARS AT THE BEACH, on Saturday October 4th from 1:00 - 4:00. Tell all of your friends to put this date on their calender. While in Lancaster, I will also be doing book signings at Tiki Lanes the following week for those of you who can't make the 4th.

                                     Bev and Susan Hines Butler at Book Signing, Pawleys Island

                                   Ellen Testa and Bev at book signing, La Belle Amie Vineyard

                                                                      The Beach

Tourist are "at the beach"

     Tourist season has arrived. The restaurants and beaches are full, the economy is booming. It's time for all of the locals to stay on the fringes of the beach.
     Readers of USA Today were asked what golf destination they believe is the best in the world and they chose Myrtle Beach.  Myrtle Beach was one of 20 golf destinations chosen by a blue-ribbon panel. Following Myrtle Beach was Kiawah Island, Pinehurst, Sea Island, Georgia and Naples, Florida.
     The Dunes Club and the Grande Dunes Resort Course are the host for 312 PGA club and teaching professionals from across the country. The top 20 finishers, who will play Sunday through Wednesday, will qualify for the $10 million PGA championship.The Golf Channel will be broadcasting the tournament.
     In other golf news, a dozen professional golf hopefuls have come to the Grand Strand in search of their big break. The 11th season of the Golf Channel's golf skills competition reality series "The Big Break" is being filmed in the Myrtle Beach area for the first time over a couple of weeks this month. "Big Break Myrtle Beach", will be broadcast for 11 consecutive weeks from October 7th thru December 16th and will air Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m.
     Go Browns! Former Coastal Carolina quarterback Tyler Thigpen was signed to a one-year contract with Cleveland. Speaking of the NFL, I was doing a book signing at Harborview last night and met former wide receiver Roger Carr, who played with the Baltimore Colts back in the 70's and 80's. He lives in North Myrtle Beach and is the minister of a Baptist Church on Sea Mountain Highway in Cherry Grove.
     Brunswick County, NC which lies just over the border from Horry County, SC, is the fastest growing county in NC. A new development was just announced this week. The development named "The Charles" will be located near Southport (Bald Head Island, where my book Murder on the Front nine begins) and will have as many as 2250 single-family and multi-family residences. "The Charles" will center around senior residents looking for a continuum of care with out a large, upfront deposit that similar developments often require. Rather residents will buy or rent their homes and select among a menu of on-site medical services that they will pay for individually.
     My new book Cougars at the Beach just went back to my editor for a final look before going to the publisher. Hopefully by July 1st, it will be available. I still haven't decided on my cover, but I will do that this coming week. Thanks to those of you who gave me an opinion.
     My TV interview, during our recent visit, about my book Murder on the Front Nine will be aired on Tuesday July 8th at 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Channel 9 in Lancaster.

                                                                Lunch at Roots

                                                                Dinner at The winery

                                                        Sunset over Buckeye Ocean

                                               View from Snookey's in Little River