A line of surfers dropping into a powerful ocean wave

01 / 03A life shaped by surf

DROP IN.

Start with the wave. Stay for the stories it carried home.

This Saturday

Meet Peter at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival

Join readers, local authors, and independent booksellers for a free day celebrating stories and community.

DateSaturday, August 22, 2026
Time10 a.m. – 4 p.m. PT
PlaceUniversity of San Diego
AdmissionFree · RSVP encouraged

The Dropping In series

True stories. Hard-won lessons. Plenty of humor.

True stories for young adults and the adults beside them, connecting the everyday challenges of growing up with lessons learned in the surf.

Book cover for Dropping In on the Waves of Life by P. L. McBride

Book one · 2021

Dropping In on the Waves of Life

A collection of first-person stories about friendship, first love, bullies, heartbreak, family, and finding the person you can trust before difficult moments arrive.

Print · Audiobook narrated by Peter

Book cover for Dropping In on the Waves of Life: Something's Brewin'! by P. L. McBride

The newest book · 2026

Dropping In on the Waves of Life: Something’s Brewin’!

More stories where surfing meets real life: from losing face and academic failure to compassion, acceptance, and a final paddle-out that keeps getting bigger.

Print · ISBN 978-1-966799-83-2

Buy on Amazon ↗︎Grab a signed copy at the booth

Meet the author

A life spent teaching, and listening.

P. L. McBride, author, educator and voice artist
“We are not alone in what we encounter and feel.”
P. L. McBride

Peter McBride, M.A. in Education, has spent more than three decades helping people find their footing through education, storytelling, music, and service.

He taught across Los Angeles and San Diego counties, developed music and play programs for young learners, trained educators, and spoke for the University of Phoenix. From 2012 to 2018, he presented Red Cross resources to Navy and Marine personnel and their families before deployment.

His voice can now be heard in exhibits for the California Surf Museum and Oceanside Museum of Art, as well as in the audiobook editions of his own work. He is also a musician, lifelong surfer, husband, father, and coproducer with Stacie Hunt Experiential.

1976–2006Full-time educator
2007–2021Music and storytelling presenter
2012–2018Red Cross speaker
2024–TodayMuseum voice artist

Listen

Stories, exhibits, and ideas, all in Peter’s own voice.

Selected audiobook and voiceover samples from Peter’s working portfolio.

Something’s Brewin’! Preface

Audiobook sample
â–¶ Play full sample on Amazon ↗︎

Chapter 3: Smokey

Audiobook sample

Stars, Cars and Guitars

California Surf Museum exhibit