We just returned from a wonderful family vacation to my favorite places, Henry's Lake in Idaho and Yellowstone National Park. We spent time doing some fishing, eating yummy food (sometimes too much) and lots of sightseeing. We lucked out and got to see so many animals -- eleven bears including grizzley and cubs, elk, coyotes, buffalo, bald eagles -- too many animals to mention. Yellowstone National Park is a beautiful place to enjoy nature. This time of year it was so green and pretty.
On our way home, we stopped at a fun park - Yellowstone Bear World. It's located out of Rexburg, Idaho, and is a perfect way to see bears, wolves, elk and other wild animals up close while in the comfort of your own automobile. As I read about their vision, it brought back memories of the old days when you could easily see bears every day while in Yellowstone. That has changed some, and so the owners of Yellowstone Bear World have created a place where that is possible. You can drive through the park and see all types of wildlife. For the kids, there is a petting zoo where children can actually interact with deer, chickens, pigs, etc, as well as watch bear cubs being bottle fed. It's a great place, and if you haven't had the opportunity to visit, you might want to. Their web site is http://www.yellowstonebearworld.com/
I have to admit, though, that I spent alot of time watching people, looking for new and interesting characteristics for my hero and heroine in an upcoming story. Can't seem to turn my author mind off -- guess that's all right because it's what makes things interesting as I write -- right?
It's always fun to go on vacation, but it's nice to be home. At least it will be when our air conditioning gets fixed!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
What's My Inspiration?
As an author I'm often asked what I use for inspiration as I develop my characters, build their worlds, and pull the story together. The only answer I have is everything!
I grew up around Morgan horses and even today, my father still has registered Morgan horses. They were beautiful animals, trustworthy companions, and I still miss my wonderful friend, my registered Morgan Horse whose name was Rascal. We spent many hours riding, enjoying the outdoors, and I guess he understood what I talked about. Each time we had a conversation -- one-sided of course -- his ears would move and I knew he was listening. Even though he has been gone for many years now, I still use him and his mother and some of the others horses we had as the basis for so many of my characters being horse lovers.
I've been lucky to have been able to travel alot around this country as well as visit places in Europe, Mexico and South America. One of my favorite places is a little place outside of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. My sister lives in Colorado and we often meet in Glenwood Springs to enjoy the surrounding area of Redstone and Marble, Aspen and Carbondale. It's funny how so many of my characters just seem to be from places I've visited in Colorado.
Each character takes on its own personality, but often those personalities are pulled from bits and pieces of people I know, their likes, actions, individualness. For instance, Tricia, in my new romantic suspense, Can You Trust A Cowboy? is based around my daughter who is a commercial truck driver and a really good one. She loves cowboys. She was my inspiration and I hope some of her uniqueness comes through in Tricia as Tricia runs her trucking business and solves the mysteries surrounding it.
We have a lovable yellow lab named Max and I think everyone should have a loving pet. You'll find that many of my characters have a pet -- usually a dog because I'm a dog lover. Pets add so much to our world and I hope they add to my stories too.
As an author, I try hard to create interesting stories with characters you can fall in love with. Each have a little bit of me and my world woven into them, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
Have a great day.
I grew up around Morgan horses and even today, my father still has registered Morgan horses. They were beautiful animals, trustworthy companions, and I still miss my wonderful friend, my registered Morgan Horse whose name was Rascal. We spent many hours riding, enjoying the outdoors, and I guess he understood what I talked about. Each time we had a conversation -- one-sided of course -- his ears would move and I knew he was listening. Even though he has been gone for many years now, I still use him and his mother and some of the others horses we had as the basis for so many of my characters being horse lovers.
I've been lucky to have been able to travel alot around this country as well as visit places in Europe, Mexico and South America. One of my favorite places is a little place outside of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. My sister lives in Colorado and we often meet in Glenwood Springs to enjoy the surrounding area of Redstone and Marble, Aspen and Carbondale. It's funny how so many of my characters just seem to be from places I've visited in Colorado.
Each character takes on its own personality, but often those personalities are pulled from bits and pieces of people I know, their likes, actions, individualness. For instance, Tricia, in my new romantic suspense, Can You Trust A Cowboy? is based around my daughter who is a commercial truck driver and a really good one. She loves cowboys. She was my inspiration and I hope some of her uniqueness comes through in Tricia as Tricia runs her trucking business and solves the mysteries surrounding it.
We have a lovable yellow lab named Max and I think everyone should have a loving pet. You'll find that many of my characters have a pet -- usually a dog because I'm a dog lover. Pets add so much to our world and I hope they add to my stories too.
As an author, I try hard to create interesting stories with characters you can fall in love with. Each have a little bit of me and my world woven into them, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
Have a great day.
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