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Beth McKnight

Find your strengths...

in Lessons from a Barracuda

Dive into a gripping story of survival, transformation, and resilience.

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Key Lessons

Dive into the depths of resilience and pursue your dreams:
  • Heed nature’s messages
  • Face angry and controlling people
  • Stand up for yourself
  • Do the right thing
  • Help others
  • Lean on your faith
Beth McKnight

Beth McKnight is a creative communications professional who raises public awareness of issues affecting human health and wellbeing. She began her career as a newspaper editor before moving into corporate and agency PR, then launching her own firm supporting organizations like NASA, healthcare systems, and affordable housing initiatives. Her love of nature, space science, and storytelling permeates all her work.

Lessons from a Barracuda is her first novel. It follows Elizabeth, a woman navigating dangerous relationships, workplace discrimination, and life-threatening betrayal. Through her trials, she finds power in her connection to nature, her inner strength, and her faith. It's a fast-paced thriller with emotional depth and universal appeal.

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Beth McKnight

© 2025 Beth McKnight

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By Beth McKnight
Several years ago, my husband and I enjoyed a sailing vacation in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas, where the beautiful turquoise sea is a perfect temperature for swimming and snorkeling.
Our boat was moored out a nice distance from the beach, so I jumped off the boat to snorkel and swim to shore, relishing the perfect temperature of the water and marveling at the variety of fish so close to the surface. I felt like I could stay there all day and commune with these beautiful creatures.
About halfway to shore, I saw a shiny, silver barracuda–longer than any other fish–gliding toward me. I turned to get a good look, and, for some reason, I assumed it was a female. She was not at all aggressive, but she seemed curious about me.
She swam parallel to me for a short distance, and I was thrilled. At one point, she even let me reach out and touch her side, which was soft and smooth. It was such a precious moment! Then, when I looked at her, she was facing me, and I felt a kind of kinship forming. I was grateful to have what seemed like several minutes but was probably only a few seconds with her. I watched her graceful glide as she swam away, leaving me feeling awe and wonder.
The memory of that special connection has stayed with me through the years, so I decided to give that inspiring experience to Elizabeth, the main character in my book so that she could learn from it.