Tuesday, August 20, 2019

SurfWriter Girls Celebrate Eight Years


Channeling Our Energy!


Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Like the waves in the ocean, eight is a symbol of infinity and a constant flow of energy and power.


That's good to know because for SurfWriter Girls it's our 8th year! Since writing our first blog post on July 20, 2011, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel have written 264 feature stories about the people, places, events, organizations, and more that have an impact on the quality of life on our planet, whether it's the ocean, beach, environment or lifestyle. 

And, with the launch of our sister online publication Surf'n Beach Scene Magazine four years ago, we've been able to bring you even more stories!

Some of the stories we've shared with you this year include:

Surfrider's Rate Your Beach Report


World's Largest Ocean Cleanup


Best Winter Surfing Spots


Surf Artist Drew Brophy's Wonders


Dumbo Octopus Discovered


New Era for Tiki Bars


Women Making Waves


Puerto Rican Parrots Endangered


International Surfing Day


Wabi-Sabi - The Beauty of Imperfection


Catch the Sustainable Fashion Wave!


Vans US Open of Surfing


SurfWriter Girls Best Beach Books


Eight years. "It's hard to believe," says Sunny. "We're having so much fun the time goes by really fast." "Yes," says Patti. "And there are an infinite number of stories to tell."

Thanks to our followers worldwide for your support...especially the Surfrider Foundation Huntington/Seal Beach Chapter...


and Patti's husband Greg Kishel. We're excited to bring you more stories and to celebrate this eighth year with you! 


Sunny and Patti




Please post your comment below. Comments will appear the next day.


Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given. 

Saturday, August 3, 2019

SurfWriter Girls Best Beach Books 2019


Thrills and Chills On Board


Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Summertime is thrills and chills time on sea and land. Whether you’re out on your surfboard or sitting in a comfy chair with a cool drink and a good book.

Mysteries, thrillers, surfing exploits, romance and more, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel have it all here for you.


The Burglar, by Thomas Perry, puts you in the shoes of professional thief Elle Stowall as she matches wits and skill against killers out to silence her when she robs the wrong house and discovers a murder scene. One of SurfWriter Girls favorite authors, SoCal-based Perry never fails to deliver with fast-pacing and plot twists. The Wall Street Journal calls Perry, an author of more than 20 books, “formidable.”


Unsolved, by James Patterson and David Ellis, is the perfect summer page-turner with a string of not-so-accidental deaths and an FBI profiler hot on the trail of a serial killer who is always just one step ahead. Mega-selling author Patterson and Ellis know how to weave a story and keep the excitement going.


99 Percent Mine, by Sally Thorne, combines unrequited love and a dilapidated cottage remodeling job into an unexpected romance. Calling it “equal parts funny, heartfelt and steamy,” Booklist says, “Hand this to fans of Sophie Kinsella.” SurfWriter Girls agree – 100 percent.


Learning to See, by Elise Hooper, is a historical novel about Dorothea Lange, the award-winning photographer of the photo Migrant Mother and numerous other Depression Era pictures. A fascinating read, “Hooper excels at humanizing giants.... seamlessly weaving together the time, places and people in Lange’s life,” says the Washington Post.


The Matchmaker's List, by Sonya Lalli, is a rom/com about a young woman who reluctantly agrees to let her grandmother play matchmaker. With Raina’s 30th birthday fast-approaching, her Indian-immigrant family wants her to find a nice man – any nice man! But, can her nani find the right one?


The River, by Peter Heller, takes you on a canoe journey with best friends Jack and Wynn that goes from idyllic to frightening with a raging fire headed their way and killers in the woods. Heller, a best-selling author and writer for National Geographic Adventure, knows his terrain well. The River was one of the New York Times “most anticipated books.” For SurfWriter Girls, too. After reading his surfing book Kook and mystery Celine, we have become big fans.  



Warm Winds and Following Seas: Reflections of a Lifeguard in Paradise, by Mike Brousard, a SoCal lifeguard for four decades in San Clemente and Huntington Beach, tells what it’s really like to be a lifeguard. From dangerous rescues to camaraderie with other lifeguards this book gives a view from the tower and what it takes to keep the beach safe.   


The Average Surfer's Guide, by Simon Short, is far from average, telling the author’s own story of a life focused on surfing, starting in England and then around the world. With no apologies for his passion for surfing, Short writes honestly about both its good and bad aspects and holding onto the stoke…even when everything falls apart.


The Travelling Cat Chronicles, by Hiro Arikawa, is one of those little books that leave a big impression, the story of a man and his cat on a road trip across Japan. An international bestseller, this life-affirming buddy tale is stunning in its simplicity with a feline narrator you won’t forget. Publishers Weekly describes the book as “gentle, soft-spoken and full of wisdom.” SurfWriter Girl Patti loved it. 


The Moroccan Girl, by Charles Cumming, opens with espionage writer Kit Carradine recruited by Britain’s MI6 agency to take on the role of a spy and track down a mysterious woman. Caught up in intrigue and danger, Kit must learn on the run how to really be a spy… while managing to stay alive. The exotic locales and plot surprises add to the suspense. 



P.S. SurfWriter Girls Bonus Book Selection:


SurfWriter Girls friend Jeffrey Sakamoto just recommended this book to us by his friend, who is an award-winning Hawaiian author. We can’t wait to read it!

Molokai Nui Ahina, Summers on the Lonely Isle, by Kirby Wright, is an epic novel based on the life and times of Wright’s grandmother, a pioneer woman on Molokai, which shares the secrets of her wild past and the intensity of her struggles on the Lonely Isle.



So, get comfy, start reading and let the thrills and chills begin!






Please post your comment below. Comments will appear the next day.


Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.