Author Margaret Turner Taylor features Delaware beaches in new book

Margaret Turner Taylor has spent summers at Bethany Beach for more than 40 years. When her kids were young, she lived there for the summer; when they were older, they had jobs at the beach. Now, those adult children bring their children to the beach. And that is why the area is the setting in her new middle-grade book, "Secret in the Sand."

Taylor decided to write a book for her 12-year-old granddaughter Lane. The story centers on two girl cousins who are staying at their grandmother's cottage at Bethany Beach. While digging in the sand, they discover a buried treasure. It turns out that, during World War II, a German soldier dragged the treasure ashore from his U-boat and buried it with the intention of retrieving it after he immigrated to the United States.

The storyline flips between current time and the height of World War II. The historical thread of the story is fascinating and includes local lighthouses and museums. It’s easy to forget that German submarines encroached on the Atlantic seaboard in the war years. Taylor wanted to share some of this history with children.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Taylor has had careers in secondary and higher education, in the fashion industry and in the field of architecture and design. In 1989, she designed the house she had built in Cotton Patch Hills and won the National Homebuilders Association House of the Year.

Currently, she is writing a book for her grandson. She has five grandchildren. Taylor also has penned some thrillers that reflect her worldwide travels. She spends winters in southern Arizona and takes time out from writing to swim, dine and watch basketball.

The book will be available in hardcover, paperback and ebook formats via Amazon and other online bookstores.