Meet Carol Funk

Carol Funk is a first time author who has found a new passion in writing. Keeping journals of short stories, poetry and travelogues continued to stoke her desire to take “the road less travelled” after a long career in professional psychology. She has worked in private practice as well as family court, schools, and mental health facilities.

Having visited many countries and cultures around the world, she encountered and studied many religions, discovering that the need for forgiveness and reconciliation is universal. The author received her doctorate in professional psychology from Rutgers University. Watercolor painting and teaching the sacred art of iconography are favorite activities.

Carol lives with her family in New Jersey.

‘Who you are is not who you work for or how much you make. It is how well you love and allow others to love you.’

Author Background:

Set at the Jersey Shore, the chance meeting between Anthony and Marilyn, from two very different walks of life, blossoms into a unique love story. The challenge of making a life worth living is fraught with twists and turns, but is ultimately nested in forgiveness, reconciliation and faith in God. It is an inspiring story that resonates with all phases of life championing hope and second chances.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a profound realization that life has an expiration date, motivating the author to explore their desk drawer filled with stories and poems. Serendipitously, she joined a local writing group that provided valuable mentorship and encouragement.

One notable moment in this journey was when the author shared a short story set in a Jersey Shore pizza shop. To their surprise, classmates encouraged them to develop it into a novella.

Despite lacking formal writing experience and having primarily dealt with clinical documentation in their profession, the author persevered through numerous rewrites. Eventually, she submitted their manuscript to BakeMyBook, a self-publishing subsidiary of Amazon. This endeavor led to a transformative experience, resulting in the publication of their debut book, ‘The Sea That Binds Us, The Love That Frees Us,’ on September 3, 2023.

This thrilling process of writing unlocked latent creativity, inspiring the author to write more, make new friends, and venture into the world of social media to explore the writing community.

The words tumbled from his quivering mouth like bits of broken shells scattered in the surf.
“I never told her I loved her,” he repeated over and over.’

Things Carol Loves

I love the sea, being by the sea, drinking-in the smell of the ocean air on a cold morning, or during the late afternoon on a summer day. I recall wondering what the sea was before it was a sea. Did the mesmerizing ripples and waves above mirror canyons beneath?

I love to smell the wild beach roses that grow along the sea grass on the dunes bordering the beach.

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindhberg is one of my favorite books.

I love travel. My parents neither had the money nor the time to travel much, aside from our yearly family vacations at the beach or the Catskills. There were road trips to Florida by car, at that time with no air conditioning, and Washington, D.C. (Those are stories for another time.)

‘Marilyn remembered straining pasta over the sink when her wrist slipped and the whole pot hit the floor, exposing her perfect Rotelli, like the curls of Venus, springing fresh from Botticelli’s scallop shell strewn on the bottom of the sea.’

Recent Activities: Fall 2023

Last minute travel company offerings for European trips can be a bargain. Instead of a birthday party for my husband, he decided we should take a trip. Every year we make a list of ten places we would like to visit and then see which ones match up. A trip to northern Italy, visiting Lake Maggiore and the alpine countries, mainly Switzerland and Austria, have been on both our lists for several years. The effects of Covid and war in the Ukraine and the Middle East has made international travel less attractive to travelers. The positive side of the equation is that prices have come down considerably making a visit to Switzerland, one of the most expensive countries in Europe, more affordable. In early October, we took a trip to the alpine countries. Photos cannot adequately describe the natural beauty that surrounds you, when embraced by the flowing arms of valleys cut by glaciers, water, and time. Parasailing enthusiasts abounded; we saw people glide by in their colorful wings, grazing our hotel window.

I wrote some anecdotes about customs and conversations I found intriguing. Notes on sampling the alpine cuisine may make you laugh. We had an unexpected dining experience at Hooters at Interlaken, Switzerland. Except for the menu in German, I could vision myself in retro Clearwater, Florida in the 1980’s, except no one had a tan!