I'm over at Write With Fey being interviewed by Chrys Fey on scintillating subjects like Paris, WEP, blogging and more...

Thanks for coming by!

For the next few days I'll be over at Chrys Fey's being interviewed on topics of her choice. Luckily she was interested in my Paris obsession and my love of WEP. 

Please note Yolanda Renee's and my next WEP challenge...GARDENS. Surely all of you in the Northern Hemisphere are so excited to have winter behind you and the gardens blooming. Been seeing some of your great flower shots on Instagram just as we go into winter Down Under (but nothing like YOUR winter! Bliss!) 

Here's our blurb at Write...Edit...Publish for the GARDENS challenge:

This challenge will be a great opportunity for the photographers, but also for writers attempting to describe the most beautiful gardens ever seen. For example, nonfiction on 'The Best Gardens in the World', or historical--'The Hanging Gardens of Babylon', travel- 'The Lingering Garden at Suzhou' or something similar for travelers. Also, as always our fictional pieces with a romantic/unromantic garden scene, or photographs of mind-blowing gardens to motivate people...

Sign up...August 1st for posting between August 17 - 19. 

So..,if you can afford the time, please click HERE and pop on over to Write With Fey. Both Chrys and I would love to see you!

My sister is about to hit Paris for the first time! Pity about the garbage littering the streets...remember seeing and smelling that in Naples (Napoli) in Italy's south where it is a way of life thanks to Mafia control. But the French always fight back when the government tries to change the status quo...rightly or wrongly.

#IWSG post--Chrys Fey gjves us 5 steps to defeat insecurities and also launches her latest release with The Wild Rose Press, Seismic Crimes--and a GIVEAWAY!

Time for us to throw our insecurity hats into the ring for the month of June, or to tell us how to overcome our insecurities.

Many thanks to Alex J Cavanaugh and his awesome co-hosts for the June 1 posting of the IWSG will be Murees Dupe, Alexia Chamberlynn, Chemist Ken, and Heather Gardner! 

Over to my special guest, Chrys Fey...


Tips to Defeat the Insecurity Monster

Writers are no strangers to insecurity. That’s why Alex created this nifty group, right? That’s also why there’s so many of us.

During the course of writing and publishing a book, we can encounter many insecurities. We question our writing skills, agonize over our lack of writing time and even our writing speed. Then we stress over revisions, critiques, and edits. Querying and submitting brings an all new insecurity to the table with the threat of rejections and the torturous waiting game. Once we move on to the publishing gig, new insecurities dawn: release day, marketing, finding readers, getting reviews, and stressing over sales and bad reviews. It is a lot to deal with, especially back-after-back, but the good news is that none of these are insurmountable.

Every write experiences these same insecurities and struggles. While knowing that doesn’t help us in the moment or show us how to deal with them, it should relieve us in knowing that we’re not alone. And because we’re not the first (and won’t be the last) to face these insecurities, there are countless writers/authors out there who can offer us guidance, advice, and help when we need it. One good place to look for that is within our group.

When I was insecure about the release of Seismic Crimes, many IWSGers signed up for my release day promo, blog tour and supported my Thunderclap campaign. In the past, IWSGers rooted me on when I was going through personal problems, offered to beta read for me when I had no one and gave me courage.

I wish there was a sure-fire way to beat insecurities as they come, but there isn’t. There are, however, some techniques you can do to help you move past them.

1. Take a deep breath.

You’re stronger than any insecurity you will ever encounter.

2. Give yourself a break.

We’re not perfect. We make mistakes, and we have to learn.

3. Take a step back.

Put your book away for a few days so you can return to it with fresh eyes. Also try to look at it as an outsider (a reader, not the writer).

4. Make a plan.

When you’re facing an obstacle that seems bigger than you, break it down into smaller (manageable) steps. Then tackle each one at a time.

5. Ask for help.

After you’ve done all you could with editing, promoting and marketing, it’s time to seek help. There’s no shame in doing this. It’ll take a lot of stress off you, and you’ll be surprised at how many people want to support you.

While writing and preparing for the release of Seismic Crimes, I did each of these techniques for every insecurity I encountered. And guess what? I’m secure now! There are some things in the future that may bring new insecurities (book signings/events, etc.), but I’ll do these steps and I’ll defeat it!

Title: Seismic Crimes

Author: Chrys Fey

Series: Disaster Crimes Series (Book Two)

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Format: Digital and Print

Page Count: 282

DIGITAL LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

NOOK / KOBO / All Romance eBooks

PRINT LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

 The Wild Rose Press

BLURB:

An Internal Affairs Investigator was murdered and his brother, Donovan Goldwyn, was framed. Now Donovan is desperate to prove his innocence. And the one person who can do that is the woman who saved him from a deadly hurricane—Beth Kennedy. From the moment their fates intertwined, passion consumed him. He wants her in his arms. More, he wants her by his side in his darkest moments.

Beth Kennedy may not know everything about Donovan, but she can’t deny what she feels for him. It’s her love for him that pushes her to do whatever she has to do to help him get justice, including putting herself in a criminal’s crosshairs.

When a tip reveals the killer's location, they travel to California, but then an earthquake of catastrophic proportions separates them. As aftershocks roll the land, Beth and Donovan have to endure dangerous conditions while trying to find their way back to one another. Will they reunite and find the killer, or will they lose everything?

BIO: 

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes, Book One in the Disaster Crimes series, as well as these releases from The Wild Rose Press: 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. She is an administrator for the Insecure Writer's Support Group and has participated in the Blogging from April A to Z Challenge. 

When Fey was six years old, she realized she wanted to be a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. 

Fey lives in Florida and is always on the lookout for hurricanes. She has four adopted cats who keep her entertained with their antics, and three nephews who keep her entertained with their antics. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and through her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers! 

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

HURRICANE CRIMES 99¢ SALE!

DIGITAL LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon UK 

Amazon CA / NOOK / KOBO 

All Romance eBooks

The Wild Rose Press

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for talking to us about insecurities, Chrys. Here's my best wishes to you for an avalanche of sales for Seismic Crimes! 

• Please leave a comment and wish Chrys well!

Carol Riggs tells us about the birth of Bottled, her about-to-be-released genie novel for Clean Reads.

Hello, and many thanks to Denise for inviting me to do a guest post on her blog!

THE (long, extended) BIRTH OF BOTTLED

 On a winter’s day in February of 2011, I happily finished my YA sci-fi, SAFE ZONE…the novel that will release in October of this year, 2016. That very same night, I tossed and turned with a brand new idea for a novel. It would be a story about a genie, a light fantasy that would be mostly contemporary with a twist of magic. It could have a dual point of view, one from the genie and one from the master. There would be romance! adventure! danger! but I’d have to make it different enough from Disney’s “Aladdin” and the old TV show, “I Dream of Jeannie.”

At the time, I didn't know of any genie novels being published, so it was fresh and different from the vampires, werewolves, angels/demons, fairies, etc. that were popular then. Time passed while other stuff happened. I signed with an agent for my debut (THE BODY INSTITUTE) and worked on that. She suggested that one point of view might be better, so I dropped the dual POV idea. I wrote on BOTTLED  when I could, mostly in 2012 and 2103. My agent preferred another novel over BOTTLED, so we shelved it for a while.

After my agent and I amicably parted ways in 2015, I dusted the manuscript off and shaped it up. By that time, there actually were genie novels being published, about a dozen of them (rats, so much for being unique and beating the trend). In 2015 I tried out a Twitter pitch during #SFFpit to agents and editors, and got some responses that didn’t pan out. In December of 2015 I threw out some more tweets during another Twitter pitch: Transformed into a genie by a scheming man, Adeelah searches for her human love while protecting her new intriguing master. #PitMad #YA

One small press showed interest, and I submitted to them. I then remembered another small press I’d heard about, Clean Reads, and looked them up (not to be confused with Clean Teen Publishing). I loved their policy of no graphic violence, profanity, or sex. I submitted via their online form, and viola! FOUR DAYS LATER I found a contract in my inbox. Whoa! I emailed the first press (as is professional/courteous to give them a chance to offer), and ended up signing with Clean Reads. 

As a girl, I used to watch "I Dream of Jeannie" all the time (yes, I am that old), along with "Bewitched." I loved those shows. Except sometimes Jeannie drove me NUTS with all the scrapes and tangles she got her master into. Such chaos! I wanted my novel to be a more serious tribute to the enchantment of the show. Unlike Jeannie, my genie has limited powers and isn't able to use her abilities to reach her own goals. Having limitations with the magic made things more fun and challenging plot-wise.

YOUR WISH. If you had a genie like Adeelah, what would you wish for? Tell me in comments. Here are her limitations:

1. The wish must be tangible. No wishing for abstract things like world peace, true love, or happiness.

2. The wish cannot directly change another person or deal with them against their will (NO healing, making people fall in love with you, bringing someone back to life, giving you long life, materializing the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend/chef/bodyguard/parent, etc).

3. The wishes are not limited to three like some genie stories. They are unlimited.

```````````````````````````````````````

BOTTLED
At seventeen, Adeelah Naji is transformed into a genie and imprisoned in a bottle. For a thousand years, she fulfills the wishes of greedy masters—building their palaces, lining their pockets with gold, and granting them every earthly pleasure. All that sustains her is the hope of finding Karim, the boy she fell in love with as a human. When at last she finds a note from her beloved, she confirms he has access to the elixir of life and that he still searches for her. 

But someone else also hunts her. Faruq—the man who plots to use her powers to murder and seize the life forces of others—is just one step behind her. With the help of a kind master named Nathan, Adeelah continues to search for Karim while trying to evade Faruq. To complicate matters, she begins to experience growing fatigue and pain after conjuring, and finds herself struggling against an undeniable attraction to Nathan.

As Faruq closes in, Adeelah must decide just how much she’ll risk to protect Nathan and be with Karim forever. How much power does she really have to change her future, and what is she willing to sacrifice for an eternity of love? If she makes the wrong choice, the deaths of many will be on her hands. 

Carol Riggs is an author of fiction for young adults (and adults!) who lives in the beautiful green state of Oregon, USA. Her debut novel, The Body Institute, released Sept 2015 from Entangled Teen, exploring body image and identity. Her fantasy YA, Bottled, will release from Clean Reads on July 7, 2016, and her sci-fi YA, Safe Zone, will release from Entangled Teen in October 2016. She enjoys reading, drawing and painting, writing conferences, walking with her husband, and enjoying music and dance of all kinds. You will usually find her in her writing cave, surrounded by her dragon collection and the characters in her head.

CONNECT WITH CAROL

Website: http://www.carolriggs.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/artzicarol

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolRiggsAuthor?sk=wall

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8055261.Carol_Riggs

 Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads

 

Thanks Carol for lighting up my blog today with your genie Adeelah!

• How about you, dear reader. Are you into genies? Do you remember Bewitched or I Dream of Jeanie?

Misha Gericke reveals her writing insecurities for #IWSG. Endless blog tour post. And a China sneak-peek--the Great Wall of China.

Welcome to the May #IWSG posts. Many of you will be battle fatigued after participating in the A - Z Challenge. I was busy touring China, so I'm not sure which was the most exhausting. I'll give you a pic or two of China at the end of the post for those who have been begging to see some, but today my blog belongs to Misha Gericke who is sharing her insecurities on writing then introducing us to her new book.

Thank you to Alex J Cavanaugh and the team of co-hosts for May!
 We have: Stephen Tremp, Fundy Blue, MJ Fifield, Loni Townsend, Bish Denham, Susan Gourley, and Stephanie Faris! If you have time, visit each one and say hi!

******************************************************************************
Now, take it away, Misha!

About Insecurities

The first time I managed to finish a book, it was a huge, almost terrifying tome that took me six months only to figure out the concept.

So when the time came for me to write Endless, my second story, I was terrified of starting it.

All because it felt like I didn’t have enough understanding of the story to write it. Endless started as a concept; more than two years before that I only thought of tangentially while drafting The Vanished Knight and The Heir’s Choice. Sort of: “I wish I could write a story about an amnesiac immortal.”

Then I had a sudden blast of inspiration right before NaNoWriMo. I didn’t have anything else to write, so obviously Endless was the best option. But I didn’t think about the world. Didn’t even know any of the characters. (Which was a new experience for me.)

I freaked out for the whole week before NaNoWriMo started, which of course meant that I couldn’t figure anything out either.

This sounds like the recipe for a disaster, doesn’t it?

Well… actually...

I started on November 1 with no clue other than the main character having amnesia.

I finished the rough draft in fifteen days. (Which was my personal record from November 2011 to September 2015.)

The rewrite took me three weeks. (I rough draft in pen.)

The book basically wrote itself. Twice.

Which does go to show you.

Sometimes, we really freak out about the stupidest things.

What has caused you to be insecure about your writing, only to turn out not to be worth worrying about?

About the Book

“First, do no harm.” Blake Ryan swore that oath to become a doctor. Ironic, given that he spent most of his thousand year life sucking souls out of other immortals.

Things are different now. Using regular shots of morphine to keep his inner monster at bay,

Ryan has led a quiet life since the Second World War. His thrills now come from saving lives, not taking them.

Until a plane crash brings Aleria into his hospital. Her life is vibrant. Crack to predators like him. She’s the exact sort of person they would hunt, and thanks to a severe case of amnesia, she’s all but defenseless.

Leaving Aleria vulnerable isn’t an option, but protecting her means unleashing his own inner monster. Which is a problem, because his inner monster wants her dead most of all.

AmazonUS | Amazon Universal | Apple | Barnes& Noble | Kobo |Goodreads

About the Author

Misha Gerrick lives near Cape Town, South Africa, and can usually be found staring at her surroundings while figuring out her next book.

If you’d like to see what Misha’s up to at the moment, you can find her on these social networks:

Tumblr | Twitter | Google Plus | Writing Blog

Excerpt

This had to be what dying felt like. Floating outside my body, waiting for that final link to my life to be severed, only vaguely aware of indescribable pain. More screams than I could count rose up around me. Hundreds of footsteps beat against tiles. I couldn’t open my eyes if I wanted to. Not when it was easier to listen and wait. People shouted for a doctor or an IV, or a thousand other things that made no sense. I listened to all the chaos, trying to untangle it in my thoughts.

Soon, I could go. The peace around me was so relaxing, completely out of place in the clamor I heard. I wanted it. To rest forever in that peace. Why not? There was a very good reason, but I couldn’t call it to mind.

A numb buzz shot through my body and shattered my serenity.

It happened again. Only this time was more of a sharp pulse. The third time jolted like lightning. The fourth…Hell. Suddenly, the screams were coming from me. My heart’s relentless thundering added to my torment.

Pain.

Everywhere.

My chest burned like fire. It hurt to breathe. Cold air drove down my throat and into my lungs, amplifying the inferno in my chest. My skin felt scorched. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t right.

I had to see. I had to understand why pain dominated my existence like this. My eyes were fused shut. My breaths grew shallow, trying to draw air when there was none. I tried to clench my teeth. I bit hard plastic. A pipe. Cold air suddenly forced back into my lungs, out of time with my own breathing. This was wrong. It wasn’t safe. I had to see. The best I got was a little fluttering of my lashes.

A high-pitched beep shot through my head. It repeated again and again. I wanted to reach over and slam my fist into its source. My arm wouldn’t lift. Something kept it trapped. A scream rose up from the depths of my soul, but the pipe jammed inside my throat stifled the sound. I only managed a whimper, trying my best not to gag. More air blasted into my lungs against my will. What was going on? I was trapped in my own body, but why?

I needed to move. I had to move. Now. Before… Even… Even though… Panic gripped me. The beeps increased at a frenetic pace. I needed to move. To be gone. Didn’t matter where. Just not here. Not defenseless. Not trapped.

The air sucked out of my lungs. I gasped, choking on nothing, strangled by invisible fingers. I tried to convulse my body. To twist myself free of what’s holding me.

Nothing.

The air rushed back in a cold flood. Seconds later it left, only to return in the same amount of time.

There was a rhythm to the air. In… out... in… out… The breaths were slow—sleep-like. I concentrated on this rhythm, striving to clear my head. If I wanted out, I needed to think. Calmly. Clearly. Eventually, those irritating beeps slowed. I tried to focus past the sound.

Voices buzzed about me, adding to my need to see, to do something to protect myself. No one seemed to pay attention to me. Good. I could use that to my advantage.

I centered my every thought on moving my little finger. It finally jerked, but collided against something solid. So the thing trapping my arm was physical and too heavy for me to lift. It was better to be trapped than paralyzed. With luck I could escape my restraints. I tried my other hand, but it was cemented stuck as well. Right leg. Left leg. Damn it! Both trapped. I had to move!

No.

No, I needed to stay calm. I tried to make larger movements, biting the pipe in my mouth against the urge to scream in pain. There was no wiggle room.

Fearing that I might be blindfolded, I focused on blinking. It worked. My eyes opened and the blur faded, revealing ceiling tiles. Why would there be tiles? Where was the canvas of hospital tents? The distant sounds of bombs dropping? The power of their explosions rushing through my blood?

No. That wasn’t right. I wasn’t there.

Where was I, then?

I hope you enjoyed visiting with Misha today and that her new book has captured your imagination. Please leave an encouraging reply for Misha. You know how insecure we writers can get.

And here are a few China pics of the Great Wall of China--that climb is a truly exhilarating, yet at times terrifying experience. Coming down is just as dangerous as going up! But I'm glad I've had the experience. For those of you who've asked for more pics/stories, they will be forthcoming in my next post!

Where I climbed the wall.
Base camp at the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall of China
in the Guangou Valley. Upgraded during the Ming Dynasty.
Here Genghis Khan passed through on his thunderous journey to Beijing. 

From my vantage point on the Wall--looking down on the village below. I climbed the largest ancient structure on the planet!! Go me!

#IWSG, Feb 3rd - Guest Post at Lynda Young's blog

Thanks for stopping by today for the #IWSG. Today I'm over at Lynda Young's blog talking about setting in stories. Both Lyn and I would love it if you popped over and said hello!

The Seven Deadly Sins of Writing ... over at Yolanda Renee's blog.

Hello all!

Well, I'm a bit under the weather in more ways than one. I've just been visiting in Northern Queensland and boyohboy is it hot already, then there were huge thunderstorms in Brisbane last night, so my flight home from Townsville was delayed. Got home at 4am!! So, lack of sleep and a good dose of heat exhaustion, and here I am...to tell you I'm over at my mate Yolanda Renee's today, talking about the Seven Deadly Sins of Writing Paranormal Romance.

Please click the link to Yolanda's blog and check out what I've dredged up over the past year or so as I wrote my paranormal, Under the Tuscan Moon.

Once I get a few chores done, I'll be over. Then at 6 in the morning I fly to Melbourne for a few days R&R...and cooler climes I hope (usually is!).

See you for the IWSG!

Then tomorrow, the InLinkz list goes up at Write...Edit...Publish (WEP) for the science-fiction challenge...Holiday Celebrations that are out of this world (literally). Soon I will add the link to my sidebar.

Currently, we have the awesome Alex J Cavanaugh guest posting at WEP, giving us a few pointers for writing science fiction. Please hop on over there if you'd like a little sciency help. You might join us for our December challenge. Postings begin on Dec 16th and continue to the 19th.

Thanks for coming by...

Talking about settings and WEP at Damyanti's at Daily (W)rite!

Hi there!

Today Yolanda Renee and I are talking about Write...Edit...Publish (WEP) at Damyanti's blog, Daily (W)rite. We'd welcome your visit/comment at the wonderful Damyanti's place.

I won't turn comments off in case you have a message for me, but in the interests of saving you time, please head on over to Daily (W)rite and see what we have to say about the creation of WEP and writing for the Spectacular Settings challenge on August 19th-August 26!

Thank you

Click here to sign up for the challenge!
Or sign up in my sidebar!

Yolanda Renee - Alaska as setting, with photos. Writing what you know...

Hello friends!

I've seen questions raised on facebook and in the blogosphere about guest posts, book tours, book launches, cover reveals. I understand, but with limited opportunity, how do authors let us know a new book has been launched? So I'm happy to do my bit, promoting authors who have written a book that has appealed to me. I try to make it interesting for my blog readers.

Many of you know and love Yolanda Renée. She has been recently published by Curiosity Quills Press. I've read her first book, Murder, Madness and Love and am sailing through her second, Memories of Murder. These stories are chilling and thrilling, set in exotic (to me) places such as Idaho, Seattle and Alaska. 

I've asked Yolanda to give me a first-person eyewitness account of her Alaskan experiences. You know what they say--write about what you know, so Yolanda decided to research an Alaskan setting the hard way...and the results? In her own words...read on...

Alaska - Love at First Sight - and One More Mountain to Climb

 

Yolanda in 1976, about to embark on her Alaskan adventure.

A two-week vacation in Alaska turned into a four year adventure. I arrived in the land of the last frontier – I fell in love, immediately, yes, love at first sight! I originally thought an Alaskan setting would be unique, and when I first started writing Murder, Madness & Love, it was. Imagine -- there was no reality television, no Ice Road Truckers, no Sarah Palin, and no Selling Alaska. In fact, when I started writing my book I think most people still saw Alaska as nothing more than an iceberg!

Atigun Pass

I loved the endless hours of bright sunshine. Was dumbstruck by the views of some of the tallest mountains I'd ever seen. Being from the east coast of the United States, what folks referred to as mountains are really rolling hills in comparison. Millions of evergreens, tall birch trees, and wildlife everywhere you turned greeted me. There is such a sense of adventure in this place.

The spirit of the people I met was the most amazing, as no one was a stranger. I saw most of us like the misfit toys in the Rudolf Christmas tale, on our own private iceberg that no one wanted to be rescued from. I even felt safe hitchhiking, although it wasn't something I did alone. I was part of the University crowd – a clique of intellectuals (but only because I dated one) and in a safe environment. I was on my very first adventure, and felt truly independent. I was in charge of my destiny.

 

Brooks Range

During my first week, I went on a wilderness hike. I carried a 35-pound pack, sported a pair of barely worn hiking boots, and all with no wilderness experience. The group my boyfriend introduced me to - two other couples - let me know that being a novice had not gained me any points. I sensed hostility, and was surprised, but these folks had a plan, and only four days to accomplish it. They were on a quest into the Alaska Range to take pictures of grizzlies in their natural habitat, and they weren't interested in a sightseer.

       

My boyfriend took pity on me and made sure my load was much lighter than what the others carried. Some of them hauled 45 to 50 pound packs. To say I struggled would be an understatement. The temperatures, in the seventies, were still a bit cool for my thin blood, but I quickly worked up a sweat walking across the Alaskan tundra.

 

The tundra in the Alaskan Range

Imagine clumps of earth dotting a bog, and your goal it to make sure you stepped on the clump, and not down into the blog. It took skill, a steady eye, a massive stride, and great balance, something difficult to achieve if you've never worn a pack on your back or heavy hiking boots on your feet. So yes, I struggled; I was 110 pounds, five foot five, and wore size six shoes.

It was no picnic. Thousands of swarming mosquitoes attacked us, like flies to a decaying body. Even though I wore a hat with a net over my entire head to keep them out of my eyes, mouth and nose, there were literally millions of the bastards, especially near the stream we wanted to follow up and into the mountains. The constant buzz and swatting of the black swarms soon got to the pros; most of them did not sport the netting I had chosen to wear.

A change of direction was required. We headed away from the stream to higher and cooler territory. We headed straight up a 1000-foot rise. It was a rocky slope that I literally had to crawl up on hands and knees, while the others simply walked to the top. I was slowing down the rest of the group. My boyfriend stayed with me, encouraged me, but I felt his disappointment. You know that inexperienced weakling in all the movies, that was me, although I wasn't a whiner. I stayed tough, well, stoic, at least.

 After two days, the two other couples abandoned me; they got up one morning and left me behind. I felt bad because my boyfriend stayed behind too; this was his adventure as much as it was mine. But while mortified that I was so inadequate, I was glad for the break. They were headed into an area with bears, and I was happy not to have to face a grizzly on top of everything else.

The hikers returned that evening, highly disappointed that they'd not seen one bear, and felt their extended hike had been a waste of time. While my boyfriend and I fished, slept in, well, mostly slept, and explored the general area, they spent the day trekking rocky slopes and not seeing a thing. Honestly, I was grimly pleased. They were a bit like bullies to someone who had never, ever hiked a mountain path, let alone a wilderness where no path existed.

Although, prior to this adventure, I was a walker, and walked over a mile to and from work every day, my walking was done on a sidewalk in tennis shoes; I was nowhere close to being ready for such a huge endeavor. These guys moved with purpose and speed, so when they didn't achieve their objective, and it wasn't my fault, I couldn't help but feel vindicated.

By the end of the adventure, they were a bit kinder, even sympathetic, I think because my boyfriend was constantly apologizing on my behalf, which only made me feel worse. The most surprising thing about the trip was that a two-day hike in, took half a day to hike out. I never did understand that, but I kept up with them and we enjoyed breakfast together at a diner on the road back to Fairbanks.

It was an amazing experience and while at times humiliating, it only made me more determined to conquer Alaska, because while difficult, it was also the most amazing thing I'd ever done! I wish I could show you pictures of that time -- my boyfriend took hundreds, but when we broke up, he kept them.

Everywhere you turn in Alaska there is an amazing view, whether the extensive mountain ranges, the Inland Passage, the Arctic Ocean, or the mighty Yukon River. From the rain forests of the southern panhandle to the mountainous interior, to the frozen almost desert like north – Alaska is an amazing experience. 

****

       

        In book 3 of the Murder trilogy, Obsession to Murder, I plan to go deeper into the beauty that is Alaska. Detective Steven Quaid's new quest will take him deep into the Brooks Range, and all the way to the Aleutian Islands.

        Murder, Madness & Love and Memories of Murder the first two books in the Murder trilogy are now available on Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and B & N and in paperback.

       

       

Thank you Denise, for allowing me the opportunity to discuss how my own adventure in Alaska, helped to inspire my choice of an Alaskan setting. But I am curious, do your readers enjoy the setting of a story as much as the characters, or do they find it fluff that takes away from the action? 

         

You can find Yolanda Renée here:

~ Defending The Pen ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~

•   Please answer Yolanda's question -- do you enjoy the setting of the story as much as the characters -- or do you skip over setting as so much 'fluff'? (Most of you know my opinion -- setting is character to me.
• Don't forget to add your name to the list for the HAUNTING blogfest next week. Yolanda is there!