Taste the salt on your skin and feel the white sugar sand beneath your feet, the sea breeze in your hair, and the 
 sun on your shoulders. Visit Gulf Shore, Florida today.
Annette Mardis
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Newsletter & e-mail/privacy policy
  • About
  • Who's Who in Gulf Shore
  • Fred and Barney
    • Dolphin photos
    • Mangrove snappers >
      • Soldierfish
  • Other marine animals
    • Florida fighting conch >
      • Horseshoe crabs
      • Marine hermit crabs
      • Sea stars
      • Sea urchins

Who's Who in Gulf Shore, Florida

Picture
  • Evan Sanders is the chief photographer/videographer at Gulf Shore Aquarium. He and fiancée Danielle "Dani" Davidson finally will tie the knot in Shore is Scrumptious, Gulf Shore Book 5, to be released sometime in 2017.  Evan previously dated sea turtle biologist Monica Sims before he caught her cheating on him, and he's close friends with head dolphin trainer Paul "Flipper" O'Riley.


Picture
Danielle "Dani" Davidson is a Missouri native who fell in love with marine life during a childhood vacation trip to Florida. After graduating from the University of South Florida with a marine biology degree, she landed her dream job in the education department at Gulf Shore Aquarium, where she teaches guests about the animals, leads tours and gives presentations.   


Picture
Joanna "Jo" Tompkins is a hard-nosed, honorable, often gruff detective with the Gulf Shore Police Department. Her non-nonsense exterior can rub people the wrong way, even her friends at times, but she's fair-minded and extremely loyal. She's also very protective of the love of her life, Kelsey Kramer. With same-sex marriage now legal in Florida, these two became engaged in Shore to Please and will make it official with a waterfront wedding in Shore is Scrumptious. 


Picture
Monica Sims, a sea turtle biologist, is the reformed bad girl of Gulf Shore Aquarium. Her bad behavior causes her at least two relationships and a lot of ill will before her sister lays it on the line: If you don't want people to think you're a B-word, don't act like one. Monica finally meets her match in Cosby Williams, but the sins of her past almost come back to haunt her before she finds her happily ever after.

Picture
Kelsey Kramer is the head marine mammal veterinarian at Gulf Shore Aquarium. She's also a close friend of head dolphin trainer Paul "Flipper" O'Riley, who she once dated before she accepted her sexual orientation. Kelsey brings out the softer side of her fiancée, Jo Tompkins, and is popular among her coworkers. Kelsey also is a natural with animals, which contributed to her quick rise through the ranks in her profession.


Picture
Cosby Williams taught scuba diving in his home state of Ohio before moving to Florida to open a boat rental business with his brother, Gavin. Cosby's a devoted uncle to his two young nephews and an all-around good guy. His biggest challenge is to convince the woman of his dreams, Monica Sims, that she's a better person than her bad reputation would suggest.


Picture
There's more to Paul "Flipper" O'Riley than meets the eye. His surfer-boy good looks and playboy persona belie a sharp mind and a kind heart. Flipper, so nicknamed because of his job as head dolphin trainer at Gulf Shore Aquarium, would love to be a husband and father someday, but for now the animals under his care are his babies. And then he meets animal rights activist Tara Langley -- and it's a classic case of opposites attracting.

Picture
Tara Langley couldn't be more wrong for Flipper O'Riley. For starters, her campaign against keeping dolphins in human care would eliminate his livelihood. And while Flipper's scruffy sexiness appeals to her on a primal level, Tara is attracted to  preppy, white-collar guys, but the last man like that she dated betrayed her trust. Tara isn't going to get what she wants, but she just might get what she needs.


Picture
Kenshin Hamasaki, best known as Flipper's boss, is the perpetually grumpy supervisor of marine mammals at the aquarium. His prickly exterior hides the deep scars from unimaginable losses. He's managed to alienate himself from many of the people who care about him, and it will take a special person to overcome his wariness.  

Picture
Marina Seaward is special, all right. In fact, her very existence defies reality. While she appears to be a normal woman, her secret ability will turn Kenshin's world upside down. A careless man bruised Marina's heart, but she'll risk everything to take a chance on love. Her biggest challenges will be fitting into Kenshin's world and convincing him that love can last.


Picture
Truman Raines is a billionaire playboy who develops an obsession with Monica Sims in Shore Feels Right. His good buddy Wesley Coffey, Jr., Gulf Shore Aquarium's director, thinks Truman is an angel benefactor after he lends his private plane to an effort to save a pod of stranded pilot whales. But Truman is the type of man who wants what he can't have, and that causes problems between Monica and Cosby.

Picture
Like Truman, Wesley Coffey, Jr. also had a privileged upbringing. His father opened Gulf Shore Aquarium specifically for Wesley to operate. While he's generally considered to be a generous boss, his ambition has at times has led him to consider violating ethical standards. Wesley enjoys taking "fact-finding" trips to other aquariums to keep up with his competition.