Have you ever experienced something so unusual that you thought someone should write a book about it? Like most of us, this question has crossed my mind upon living through many random events. This time, though, after a particularly memorable evening at the Marco Town Center in January 2023, I decided to follow through!

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I'm Melissa Waters. I grew up in upstate New York, lived in and around Clifton Park, New York until 1999, then moved to Staten Island, New York where I raised my daughters and established a professional career in human resources management with the State of New York.

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When I first visited Marco Island in 2015, I knew I'd eventually make this beautiful island my home. In July, 2023, I retired from the position of HR Director for South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island and moved to Marco Island. At long last, I'm grateful to enjoy every day in my favorite place in the world.

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An Authentic Adventure is my first published book. I started writing the story shortly after the actual adventure took place and finished writing, illustrating and designing the book for publication after I retired. As I've always enjoyed watching out for our adorable burrowing owls, it was exciting to help rescue one and tell its amazing story.

 

Living in Marco Island inspires me to share tales of the natural beauty of this wonderful island paradise. So enjoy this fun adventure, and stay tuned for more!