Dana Precious, a former North Muskegon resident who now lives in Los Angeles, wrote a book “Born Under a Lucky Moon.”

Beacon: Is “Lucky Moon” based on your family?

Precious: I wish I could say no, but so many people know so many of the stories I have told, the people involved, I can’t say no. My family is crazy, nuts, annoying, and weirdly compelling.

We also stick together. A lot of this has to do with my mom. Her fervent undying wish is that we all get along, that life is good for us, and that we are all happy. She is a vastly unusual person, built out of love, and understanding, and compassion. And I promise to call more often.

An example: My mom and dad bought the Port City Princess about 25 years ago. He just got a wild hair and bought a 200 person dinner/dance cruise ship, still going strong after 25 years. As usual, he turned to my mom and said: “Here you go, Honey. Can you handle this while I work?”

Beacon: Where does the Precious name come from?

Precious: An English aunt who died at something like 105 said the name, like so many, was from occupations. Our ancestors were illegal rum runners across the English Channel. When asked what they did for a living, they said “We run Precious Goods.” There are a few families in the US, Canada, and England. When I first moved to California, it was a huge embarrassment. People thought I had changed my name to “Precious” like Stevie did to “Wonder.”