I Had to Do It

Last week I (Margaret Daley) went to Colorado for a writer's retreat at Glen Eyrie which is an absolutely gorgeous place to have a retreat and write. Then Vickie and I spent a few days in the mountains of Colorado doing research. She had a historical she was gathering information on while I was soaking in the environment and landscape for my next contemporary romantic suspense in my female bodyguard series for Steeple Hill. This story will be the third in the series and out next year.

The trip reminded me of what it's like to go from low attitude to high attitude and try to do something as simple as climb. Since my characters will be running for their lives and one isn't used to the attitude that was necessary to re-experience that. Also just looking at the landscape and noting it through a writer's eye is so important. I was reminded of what it was like to be in woods that have a lot of pine. The smell of pine is strong--there's little vegetation below pine trees because of the acid from their needles.

While we were there, snow was predicted for the day after we left and I could believe it even though it was June. Snow was on the surrounding mountains and we were over 10,000 feet up. It got cold at night. And on the trip back to Denver, it hailed a lot--so much that it looked like snow was on the ground several inches thick. I can use the snow for my story even though it would be in late summer.

As a writer there is nothing like visiting the place you want to put a book for research. That's not always possible but when I can I grab the chance. Where have you gone that you've had to look at the place through writer's eyes? Or if you're a reader where have you gone that you began noting every detail of the place so you could remember it for later?