Warm Blue Waters
A Novel by Kai D. Waddell
Warm Blue Waters is a vibrant, deeply felt story of escape, self-discovery, and the unexpected warmth found in the most chaotic circumstances. Sarah Lindell, at 22, is running away from a disaster: a failed college semester, chronic depression, and a lifetime spent meeting the impossibly high expectations of her corporate father, Tim. Rather than accept the dreadful fate of a job in an Orlando call center, Sarah makes an impulsive choice, tossing nearly all her possessions in a dumpster and hopping a last-minute flight to the Far East. Her destination? The coastal town of Phan Thiết, Vietnam, and the welcoming arms of her beloved grandfather, Ted, on his sturdy sailboat, the Ella Revela.
The quiet life Sarah seeks is immediately disrupted by the demands of life at sea. Her carefree, often dramatic attitude quickly clashes with the harsh realities of ocean sailing. The stakes rise critically when Ted falls ill with gallstones, requiring an emergency detour to the Philippines. To manage the challenging passage, Ted hires a temporary skipper: Lucy Flores. Lucy is everything Sarah is not: intensely focused, rigorously disciplined, emotionally stoic, and profoundly competent. The volatile mix of the chaotic American "princess" and the pragmatic Filipina "boba boss" creates immediate friction, especially when the two must weather severe storms and navigate deadly shipping lanes alone while rushing Ted to a hospital.
Confined to the small, rocking cabin and stripped bare by exhaustion and fear, their relationship shifts from antagonism to deep, vital reliance. This closeness ignites a powerful, unexpected romance, sealed by a desperate kiss in the dark. This new connection forces Sarah to discard her past self, rejecting her father’s control and choosing to stay by Lucy’s side. Meanwhile, Lucy struggles with deep-seated insecurity and fears—worrying that Sarah is merely "experimenting," or that her poverty and professional vulnerability mean Sarah will eventually "dump" her. Sarah fights hard against these doubts, proving her commitment by declaring she has "no plans to go back" to her old life. Their journey becomes a commitment to each other and a refusal to be parted by social expectations or distance. The couple’s voyage culminates in a joyous return to Vietnam and a hopeful family reunion, where Sarah finds clarity about her mother’s painful departure and proudly introduces Lucy as her girlfriend to her newly reunited family. Having found direction—and each other—Sarah and Lucy decide to continue sailing, heading East toward Palau and the open ocean ahead.
Release Date: Early Spring 2026
Contact writerkai@proton.me for a pre-release full length PDF.
