Romantic Suspense Plus a Little Magick

  by Rain Trueax

A few years ago, I got an idea for a fantasy romance series, set mostly in an urban setting with characters I saw as ordinary people but born with magical powers, which they could choose to use or not. It interested me enough that I wrote the first two within a few months, the two older sisters in a family of four sisters and their widowed mothers. I saw the grandmothers as playing a role and set it in a place I much like-- Barrio  Viejo. It's right alongside downtown Tucson and made up of old adobe homes that were being restored.

I had come across the neighborhood in looking for El Tiradito, which I've written about before, a shrine to a sinner, who had been murdered in the barrio years ago. The place is full of spiritual and historic energy. 
What I didn't manage to do was carry the readers, who had enjoyed my historicals, along with me for the ride. Changing genres always has that risk. Some writers use two different names to build up a different readership. i prefer sticking with Rain Trueax. The lack of readership hasn't stopped me as there are now five books that only a few have discovered. Hey, that's the breaks of the game when being an indie writer. I originally thought of the books as paranormals, but they are not hard edged enough for that, the heroines don't live forever, and mostly they take place in what is a normal world in outward appearances-- except what most see is not all there is. 
What inspired me to see life that way, though I also don't see that 'other' side, was knowing

those who did. We were taking meditation instruction from a farm neighbor (who incidentally was black) and he came to one of the sessions describing going to a meeting of Buddhists in a nearby town and he saw what he saw as demonic trolls on the back of chairs, like spirit gargoyles. I believed what he said. I just think some see more than most of us.
When I wrote the first five books (another is started), we hadn't had all the trauma we have experienced recently with first the pandemic and then the violence in our cities. I just saw it'd be fun to write about people with the power to do something about what was evil around them. Don't we all wish sometimes for more of that? These women were born with the power of a witch and found it useful in their jobs, especially for the one who was a detective.

My books have always been about people being willing to fight for what is right, willing to risk it all to make the world a better place. The heroes have run the gamut of professions as have the heroines. My concept has been a hero can be a high school principal, an artist, a truck driver, etc. It's what they do when problems arrive that makes them into the hero archetype. 
The problem has been how to get my readers to follow me to a different genre. Likewise how  to find new readers who might appreciate something different. I feel that my fantasies offer the same kinds of characters as all of my books. Because a story is set in contemporary times doesn't mean the characters are that different-- what they face is. They are actually kind of sweet-- except all my full length books have spice. I could take that out but I have believed that

healthy sex is important for readers, that it can be inspirational for their own lives. 
In my case, I don't go on for pages and pages about the sex. I also am not into making them graphic as that doesn't work for me either when I am reading. If a book has too much of the story taken up with one element of the couple's life together, it gets boring to me and misses out on the rest of what relationships are about. What I need to find is readers for sweeter books, those who like Hallmark movies, but can appreciate a harder edge where danger lurks. 
How do I find such readers? What can I offer? Well, one thing is the first in the series will be free from August 21st to midnight the 23rd. A way for readers to try something new with no cost. So we (that is my husband as he handles advertising) will be running some ads, and I thought I'd mention the free part here.
This first book is Dangerous Match. It begins with a murder, which the heroine detective must use all the magick she possesses to solve before the wrong person is accused of the crime. It's the love story of a warrior and a witch-- a potentially dangerous match indeed.
Read the blurb and sample exclusively at Amazon; so that for now, the series can be sound in Kindle Unlimited for borrowing. 

 https://www.amazon.com/ebook/dp/B01GKH4DJA/ 

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Fire is the story

by Rain Trueax

With a year like 2020, a person never knows what to expect next. Writing would be a good thing, if someone could let go of all that's going on and bury themselves in another world. I envy those who can do that and maybe I'll be able to eventually, but right now I find myself immersed in my life and what I read in the news, and finding it difficult to write on my fiction story, one I like the idea of writing, but just haven't had the right energy to give it. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Besides the virus, which has meant my husband and I not returning to the farm, leaving the cattle and sheep to our son's care, Tucson has been hit by one of its most destructive fires in years. It is burning large chunks of the Catalina Mountains, impacting our lives with smoke and concern for where it goes next. It all began with some early monsoon storms-- the night of June 5th, one particularly dangerous dry lighting storm. 

Saturday morning, June 6th, we were sitting in our backyard, talking. It was our son's birthday and his present was it was the day the shearer could do the sheep. Not much of a birthday present, but he seemed okay with it. It's more troubling to us not to be there for what's been our life for over 40 years. Unplanned as this at this time due to life changes and the pandemic, we felt disturbed and yet understanding. One generation lets go and another takes over. We were lucky we had a son who can take over.

That afternoon, the temperature was about 96ºF, perfect for the patio misting cooling system to make it pleasant enough to be outside. As we watched the birds, good for de-stressing (and who doesn't need that these days), we saw jets fly surprisingly low. We thought they were headed to the airport. Never had we seen ones so big so low. Two of them. We watched to see where they went but lost them. I remember how blue the sky was, so pure of color.  Often, it's that way above Pusch Ridge, the mountain range that is part of the Catalinas and not many miles, as a crow flies, from our house.

Later that afternoon, my husband saw the smoke. That's when we realized the plane we'd seen was a fire fighting jet and had been dropping fire retardant to try to put an inflammable barrier between the fires and homes in a development called La Reserve. We looked for information on it and found the fire, called the Bighorn, because this is part of their habitat was maybe 10 acres to begin but growing. 

When we took photos that night, our concern grew that this was going to be far bigger than taking out some scrub brush that would supposedly make the habitat better for the bighorn sheep. Supposedly, there wasn't much there for the fire to burn. No problem or so they said. To us, it didn't look that way as we saw how it spread.

Seeing the fire fighting plane reminded us how wonderful it was that there are those who are trained to help the rest of us. They give up their free time, face danger, and we count on them. I grew up in a time that was less true.

People, who have never been to Southern Arizona have no idea how important the mountains are to the terrain. Tucson is ringed by mountains as it sets in what once was a river valley, the Santa Cruz as well as others rivers flowing out of the mountains. The tallest of these is Mt. Lemmon at 9157 feet. 

When we first came to Tucson, we didn't know what to expect as we were from the Northwest. What we found was a lot more green than we expected as well as this mountain that was right above the city. The first time we drove up there, we found tall pines, fires, and other deciduous trees. It even had a ski resort as it gets quite a bit of snow up there during the winter. Mountain cabins and a lovely lake, cool when the desert was baking, and a total break from the cactus down below. 

That's what is at stake as the Catalinas are ablaze with canyons filled with oaks and willows, small and bigger streams. A treasure where Tucsonians love to hike and recreate... or did before the night the lightning bolt hit and when the fire wasn't taken seriously enough to begin. 

It doesn't just threaten the mountain but the ridges on the way up covered with saguaro cactus that provide habitat for birds as well as beauty. Often the birds make their homes in them. Where do they go now if they got out in time that and the javelina, bobcats, cougar, and my heart is breaking with all the damage this will do for years to come if it can ever be recovered.

After not being aggressive enough (in my opinion) in the beginning, crews were brought it along with more planes professionals who knew how to fight fires this big, but the fire continued to grow and threaten several directions at once. It is one fire and yet it is not. It got into several canyons along the Catalina Mountains and forced closures as well as some evacuations. 

The thing is, with the extreme heat and afternoon winds, they are limited in how they can fight the fire. They protected the observatory up there, but the cabins are still under evacuation orders. These rugged hills aren't easy for fire fighting; so much has to come from the air like the jet we had first seen and the helicopters with buckets of water.

I'd like to put this aside along with our cultural upheavals and the virus that is still very real. It's hard when it's so visible. When we thought the fire was heading up to the mountain, it turned and came back down to La Canada del Oro Wash, which happens to be the wash that is one house over from ours. They should be able to stop it from getting across Oracle Road, a six lane plus wide boulevard with businesses along it. Shoulds though haven't done much where it has come to this fire or really any fire as Arizona has several bad ones going right now.. 

As it stands, I am stuck staying inside to avoid the smoke, which would cause me sinus problems. A virus, a fire, smoke. What else is out there? Don't bother to tell me. I did see that Mercury is going retrograde...


Except, more is going on than the fire and the virus. For fun, try this for what Elle Marlow and a group of writers got together to create. If you want a break from bad news, read some romances-- guaranteed happy ending.

 

Why Arizona

by Rain Trueax

What draws someone to a place? Why do some places touch our souls and others leave us eager to leave? There might be an explanation, but I don't have one. Just that several areas have touched me with the love that never changes. 

The Columbia River Gorge was one of the first as I grew up at its mouth. Arizona came next. I first saw it when I was married and my husband and I drove down there for him to attend graduate school. Oregon and our farm with the creek wandering through it was next. And then came Montana. I've loved them all and still do but one is where I am likely to live out my days-- Arizona.

There are many diverse areas within the state, from tall forests and deep canyons to deserts with their rare waterholes. My home sets in The Sonoran Desert, which stretches from Mexico in the south to the Mogollon Rim to the north. I am from here within easy reach though of those mountains as well as Mt. Lemmon which reaches above Tucson and at 9,159 feet even can provide some winter skiing. A drive up there is like passing through many climate zones to reach what would typically be in Canada. 

When I first came to Tucson, being young and having friends also here for graduate school (Diane and her husband), we had a lot of fun, explored washes, and even took an Easter break in the White Mountains where we rented a cabin (which we shared with our cat, Sheba). Arizona was where I got pregnant with what was to be our daughter. That made me eager to return back to Oregon for her to be born. 

It wasn't long though that we began to plan vacations back to Arizona. We bought a small travel trailer and the four of us went on many trips back down, sometimes with a tent, sometimes with motels, but it was the destination and usually Tucson the goal after exploring other areas. 

The first book I based in Arizona was written long before we bought Casa Espiritu in 1999. Desert Inferno is a contemporary romance between a border patrolman and an artist. It mostly happened around and out of Nogales with a brief trip north to Sedona and Scottsdale. I based it on my desert experiences and research regarding the Border Patrol at that time. It was full of the desert.  The trails the couple walked all were where I had been-- minus the danger they faced, of course. :)

Arizona is also where I set 8 books in an historical romance series beginning with 1883 and the last one (for now) happening in 1905. Mostly, they were set in Southern Arizona. They follow two families, with some characters in the whole series as secondary after being heroes or vice versa. It's fun to write that way and find who the next romance will be along with the historic events at that time. Arizona is full of rich historical stories. It's possible, when I get to writing fiction again, that there will be a ninth. It's been rolling around in my head for a few years but just hasn't been the right time.

We were driving through the historical neighborhood of Barrio Viejo when I saw the potential for another series. It would be contemporary with a mystical, magical element of fantasy. Set in the real world, there would be powers and enemies to combat-- often not of the flesh. It has had a hard time finding readers because I've had a hard time finding a niche to set it in. It's romance for sure but not quite what some want in paranormals. Anyway, I had great fun writing that series giving people mystical powers to deal with

very real threats-- who wouldn't like that?

So this house has been inspiring to me spiritually and for my work as many books have been written here (many in Oregon too, of course) and some in our travel trailer while we explored new areas. 

Why Arizona for me? No answer but it has spoken to my heart and I always love my time here. 

All photos are May at Casa Espiritu, the name we gave our desert home when we bought it.

Set in Arizona--  Historicals are in Kobo, B&N, etc; but all contemporary romances are exclusive to Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited for borrowing:

Historical:

Outlaw Way 

The Marshal's Lady 

Forbidden Love 

Rose's Gift  

Echoes from the Past

Lands of Fire  

Destiny's Call 

Frederica's Outlaw

Contemporary:

Desert Inferno

Magical Realism-- contemporary:

Dangerous Match  

Vislogus

Complicated Bargain

Unfinished Business

Ever as Before

Dream Work

by Rain Trueax

 at the entrance to the Native American section at Arizona State Museum

Some keep dream journals. It seems a good idea. I don't and mostly it's because when I wake at night I want to go right back to sleep. Sometimes I remember a dream long enough to tell my husband. I count on that to hold the dream for a while. It doesn't always work. I've wondered many times why certain characters show up in my dreams, often nobody I know in real life at all and nobody I had been thinking about. Dreams are really the brain having fun with us. Maybe the energy of the dream stays with us even when we forgot the details.

When I've remembered a particularly interesting dream with some surprising elements, in the morning, I will head for an online Dream Dictionary to see if it has a message from the muse or my subconscious. 

With full moons, my dreams are often particularly vibrant, colorful and unique. With the world outside so troubled, having a dream that promises something good, is of great value. I had this one some years ago.

The hummingbirds were all around. When my cat caught one, I got it away, assessed it was unharmed, and freed it. It flew to land on my shoulder. 

Since hummingbirds flit around our house all the time, to dream of them isn’t unexpected. The unique part was its landing on my shoulder. Surely, that would have a message-- not that I found. I even went so far as to look for birds landing on your shoulder. Apparently, that doesn’t happen often enough in a dream for a meaning. They did though have one, which if this ever happens to me I’ll be sure and remember-- if you dream a bird got its beak stuck in your neck, it means you have been gossiping too much! 

In books, when it fits, I have used my own dreams as dreams for a character. Some of my dreams are like watching a movie with characters and plots. One gave me an opening scene, and I saw what the hero looked like, for a contemporary romance that became Her Dark Angel. Another led to my paranormal, Diablo Canyon. If a movie dream interests me enough, they don’t all, I spend the usual time figuring out the flesh of the story as they are very much bare bones. Logic is not required for a dream but definitely is needed in a book.

Some years back in a dream, I was told I had been a Yaqui in an earlier life. The people in the dream (none of whom did I know) told me that they were my family and in the next room was my Yaqui soul mate. The dream ended before I went through that door. I did a digital painting though of what I had felt in the dream. It was peaceful, beautiful and very connected to community and the land.

My interest in the Yaqui culture has led to collecting books, like the two below, on their view of their place in the cosmos: 

Yaqui Deer Songs Maso Bwikam, a Native American Poetry 

by Larry Evers & Felipe S. Molina 

Yaqui Myths and Legends by Ruth Warner Giddings

The Yaqui concept of the five enchanted worlds and their teaching regarding seatakaa (more on it in Yaqui Deer Songs) are at the heart of their culture even today when many of them practice Catholicism but have not left behind rituals like the Deer Dance. 

from the Yaqui section in the Arizona State Museum 

Yaqui characters and their beliefs have been in some of my Arizona historicals and the paranormals. Learning about a people connected to spirituality and nature seems particularly beneficial to think on right now for our own troubled times. 

Some years back, for our desert home, we found several what I see as deer dancer figures that had been created in Mexico. One is at our front door here. One is where we feed the birds. They offer comfort to me as giving me a little of what the creator perhaps imagined when putting the metal together.

In two of my historicals, Yaqui culture plays a part-- [The Marshal's Lady] where the heroine is very interested in spirituality and what might be. In [Forbidden Love], the hero is Yaqui in a time where that's causing some to be suspicious of him for an earlier Yaqui uprising in Mexico.  In the contemporary, witch family, the Hemstreets, they are descendants of that earlier Yaqui hero. Mysticism is in many Native American cultures.

Dangerous Match

Vislogus

Complicated Bargain

Unfinished Business

Ever as Before

Magical Realism

by Rain Trueax

Writers generally, I believe, start with a genre where they feel more natural writing. If they are fortunate, it's one that resonates with readers. If they continue to love writing in it, they can do it for their entire careers. I know writers like that and have enjoyed books by some of them. I actually envy them.

It didn't work that way for me. From the first book I wrote, back in my mid-20s, I would vary between historical and contemporary. I'd write what caught my interest. Since I wasn't trying to publish, sales didn't matter. I could and did follow the muse, wherever it took me. When I began to publish, that changed and I did think whether something would appeal to my readers. I can't say I wrote for getting readers, but I did think about that end of writing. Historicals definitely were more liked than my contemporaries. I might not meet the genre expectation where it comes to contemporary romances-- or I haven't found the right place to get them seen.

What I was not expecting was another change-- that my inspiration would turn to the realm of fantasy for those contemporary romances. The idea for books about witches came from driving around Barrio Viejo in Tucson. It's an old, historic neighborhood and has a strong feeling of mysticism about it. How could it not with El Tiradito, a wishing shrine dedicated to a sinner, in its heart? 

That year, as we drove its streets, I thought what if there were witches here, women who were dedicated to protecting their community and using their powers, women who were very human in all ways other than their ability to apparate, throw plasma bolts, communicate with other beings, etc. In front of one of the homes, I saw a motorcycle parked and it brought it to the physical world.

What if it was four sisters, their widowed mother, and their grandmothers? Committed to their family, these women would work together on all the dangerous things they faced. Although they had powers, they would be perfectly normal in all other ways with needing a job, wanting a purpose, finding a mate, and having a normal lifespan where they could be killed. I kept their powers to the ones I've heard mystics and others have when they are open to receiving earth energies-- things like communicating with the other side-- seeing what others cannot. Now, I have not heard of mystics throwing power bolts but why not if they needed them, since the plasma is from the earth.

Two of the books came pretty fast-- Dangerous Match and Vislogus. I put them out. The inspiration slowed down as I waited for the next ones. The romance of the youngest sister was Complicated Bargain. It took longer to find the last sister her mate, Unfinished Business.  

All along, I knew the mother had to have a romance, but who would be the man at her side? That took another year. Ever as Before went in a direction I had not expected, always fun. It came out end of January, right before Imbolc, when it is set. (I hadn't expected that there would be more in that family's story but there are going to be-- novellas though as these were all full-length novels).

When you are a writer and change genres, which although these are romances, they are also different from the historicals for the plots-- especially the magick, you hope to bring your readers with you. It doesn't always happen. I brought a few but for many, who prefer historicals, a witch is a bridge too far. 

What I've thought about recently is what drew me to write fantasy romances-- especially since I know that historicals are what my readers have wanted. It has to take a strong motivation, and I had it with my desire to tell a story of a mystical family's dedication to community. I saw that they wanted to protect humans, who did not have their powers from enemies they could not see.

I was attracted to the idea of 'spiritual/magical' powers due to the times in which we live. We see so much random violence. We have times we see things going on that we wish we could change. What if we had the power to do just that? How would we use it? Sometimes short-term bad can lead to a higher good..maybe. It would take a family dedicated to teaching a wise use of those powers.

When writing a fantasy, which I also call paranormal but it doesn't really fit the genre's requirements today, it's fun to be able to control the world, to determine which fantasy creatures make the cut. In my books, it's often gnomes, but also elementals, ghosts, and monsters. Not all fantasy creatures are on the side of humans, but some ghosts can be,as they repay a karmic debt. My information on mysticism and especially monsters came from researching prehistoric peoples and the beings they saw and believed were out there. How did their shamans deal with them?

I've written now 7 books in Mystic Shadows. They are not all connected to the Hemstreet witches. The first, Sky Daughter, was written in the '90s where I first explored the idea of a world beyond our normal senses and what witches might actually be. As I wrote that one, I debated whether there would be something 'out there' or was it all the heroine's imagination. The second, Diablo Canyon, in 2014 came as a result of a spiritual dream that led to a desire to share it in a romance. Then came the Hemstreets finally concluding (I thought) with the mother's story-- which went a direction I had not expected.

Little by little, I came to better see the world I had created, where I am currently writing a sixth about the witch family (eighth in the Mystic Shadows series)-- It is more though about being 'different' while it explores family dynamics. What happens when one doesn't fit with the others? 

My books come because of the muse/Muse. And what is the muse? I don't know, but it comes through to me with dreams, coincidences, and being open in my own life to new influences. I follow it to keep it coming.

Following inspiration where it takes me may not make me a lot of money. It does satisfy my creative desire to share what comes to me. I also believe that fantasy will be what readers will come to want as the zeitgeist changes (and it always changes). My stories are more whimsical than violent. These stories of magical realism are set in a world that I'd like to think is out there even if I don't see it. 

Fantasy writing can be exploring imaginary worlds or our own. I don't plan a long ways in the future for my writing (only two stories are lined up). I could go back to historical (I had some in mind for that) but for now, I like setting myself into romantic fantasy with what might be...

For now, these books are exclusive to Amazon for purchase or to borrow in Kindle Unlimited. That will change at an uncertain date, later this year, when they go wide. If you are in KU, you might want to give them a try now.

Dangerous Match

Vislogus

Complicated Bargain

Unfinished Business

Ever as Before 

Blurb for Ever as Before:

Widowed for 16 years, Maria has devoted herself to fighting evil, using her powers under the authority of the Light, and raising her daughters. Now, she has an empty nest, with the last one married, and soon to have her first grandchild. For many women, that would be more than enough, but something new is threatening Tucson, created by a ranking demon with the intent of destroying Maria's family. She uses her degree on psychology to start a talk radio program in order to draw the new risk to her and keep her daughters safe. It won't be enough. She will need help, and it is coming from the other side-- She won't welcome it.
 

Looking for a new read for Imbolc with a vibrant older woman. How about throwing in a few of the living dead as a threat? A particularly determined demon, and a 'surprise encounter' as the seasonal veil is drawn thin before the new light?

Natural born witches, of course as this is 7th in the Mystic Shadows series stories that move beyond what we consider physical reality to something else— something that might be possible says quantum science. With gnomes, warlocks, shamans, and an alchemical aspect to how evil can be fought and contained? A mix of physical reality and what might be?

Creating a title

Writers know how important a title can be to getting attention for their book. The title draws the reader to the blurb and sample. Blah or misleading titles doom sales or lead to unhappy readers.

 

With writing as many titles as I have with 25 books and hundreds of blogs, I should be used to coming up with names. I found with this new 5 book series, I was not so. The series began with a neighborhood in Tucson. Such a cool place and I love its name. I felt though that using it in a title might mislead readers into thinking the book is ethnic. It’s not. 

Moving into a new genre complicated it for me. What would readers of urban fantasies be expecting in a title? How would I let them know that the books were also romances?

For those who may not be into them, urban fantasies are where you have ordinary folks going about their business, with no clue that alongside them are diviners, shapeshifters, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches, warlocks, shamans, conjurers, elves, trolls, and so forth. The fey try to keep the un-fey from knowing they are around—unless they threaten them or see them as prey.   

One thing that helped, on the otherworldly end, is that I had done research on it for two earlier paranormals. So, I put together my timelines, got a feel for the setting, photos for characters for the books and trailers. I came up with five general plots. Five potential covers... but still didn't have titles.

Some writers get the titles while writing the books. I have often done that, but this time, this was a series. I wanted the titles to go together and wanted all five before I began the first book. 

Often to get titles, I scribble down inspirations based on aspects to the books. Nothing though worked for me. Finally, I resorted to looking online for title creating tips. I found some good ones. Using them, I came up with keywords, and finally my needed titles began to flow—more scribbling but with purpose. 

A few titles, that I had liked, ran into roadblocks—already in use. One of my favorites was used by a famous author in a series nothing like mine but still it didn't seem it'd be smart to use it. I am not averse to using a title that is out there but not by a well-known author and not in the same genre I am writing. 

Finally, I found five where no one has them—yet. Since it’ll be months before they are all out, that could change. Unfortunately, there is no copyrighting a title—if there was, I’d do it as I put a lot of time into these.

Here are the title creating tips I found helpful:

    1. Have the title make a promise that the reader will find appealing

    2. The title should be attention grabbing.

    3. Memorable so the reader won’t forget if they didn’t buy it that day.

    4. Informative as to what is in the book.

    5. Easy to say.

 

Bound for the Hills-- coming in March

When I have finished a rough draft, my mind is still into the story. But, immediately I must transition to figuring out promotions for when it comes out. Those are required if I want anybody but me to see it. So I write a blurb, some promotional material, and research various ad sites (so far haven’t done ads, but I try to get informed on what worked or did not for other authors *hint hint*). 

Bound for the Hills is set in central and southern Arizona and is seventh in the Arizona historical romance series. It is also the third involving the Taggert brothers, er make that the surviving Taggert brothers-- Vince, Cole, and Jesse.  

Vince was the hero in Echoes from the Past; Jesse in Lands of Fire. Cole appeared as a secondary character in the first and in the epilogue for the second, where his sisters-in-law wonder what he's been doing, but even more hope to get him a match, so that he'll be around more. Their reasoning is that when a man gets married, he is more interested in family. With their own families growing, they are into nest building.  

For the third Taggert book, the challenge, as a writer, was finding a woman who would attract a man who doesn't want much to do with family and most especially avoids the kind of woman with whom he might fall in love. Cole had too many years of doing for others. He's now experiencing freedom. No way does he want a wife. What kind of woman would change his mind? I found her in Willy, my first author heroine. 

In a way I am surprised, after twenty-five books, that Willy is the first writer, but despite having heroines in the arts-- sculptors, painters, photojournalists, musicians, I hadn't had an author. A writer heroine enabled me to play around with literature and the question of what makes some books considered literary while others are regarded as pulp.

Then I had to decide where the story would have most of its action. An Arizona historical romance has a lot of possibilities. I had set most of the Arizona series around Tucson but had delved south to the border and north to the White Mountains. This one ended up between Tucson and the Mazatzals.

For my writing, settings for my books are characters in the story. They will always be where I have been and know the scents on the air, what would be in the small, dark places, the energy of the earth, the trees, the water. My desire, to stick to places where I have spent time, may come from my early love of Zane Grey's books where he always made the land come to life. I don't go for lengthy descriptive passages. I am not writing a travelogue, but I want the reader to know how the land will impact the characters, how its energy permeates their lives. Arizona is perfect for that sort of writing.

Some don't know that it was not until February 14, 1912, that Arizona became the last state in the continental United States. It wanted to be a state much earlier, but those already in the Union didn't want it admitted. After all, it was a place of feuds, unruliness, violence, and law breakers. As an author, those elements of danger, added to its diverse cultural history, are what make it such a great place to set a romance.

The new book trailer is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzytwKPgJ9o. I don't know that trailers ever help a reader decide to buy a book, but I enjoy creating them. I like mixing up the characters, landscape, words, and music to add a more physical element to the words I just wrote.

Bound for the Hills will be out early in March, not sure of the exact date yet as it needs one more edit. Then I will be writing a few shorter, contemporary, Tucson-based, suspense romances (still trying to come up with a title for the series). I have had over a year of writing long books (Bound for the Hills is 110,000 words). I also want a change from historicals to something in my own era. The next books will all be set in Tucson and probably Barrio Viejo (wish I could use that for the series name, but I fear readers would assume it's primarily about Spanish speaking peoples, and it's not).

Google Earth and the writer by Paty Jager

Not Arizona.
This is our property in eastern OR.

When I came up with the idea for the third book in my Isabella Mumphrey Adventures, I was sure it would be the easiest book to write. It's the only story written in the United States, which would make it easier.

The first book in the Guatemalan jungle required research, but once she left the Flores Airport and entered the jungle, I only had to know where she was in relation to the rivers they used to get into the jungle. Terrain and all that could be fudged because who really can see the exact terrain in a jungle.

The second book was in Mexico City and a museum. Both of which I could find maps and tours and use You Tube to navigate and get the feel and lay of the land.

Google Earth shot of the area of my story.

This third book is set in southern Arizona on the Tohono O'odham reservation and the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge.  I've gathered half a dozen maps of each area and of course they don't all have things marked exactly the same. I wanted to see what kind of country some roads crossed and see what kind of terrain my heroine needs to cross to get to her destination. Because I wanted a bird's-eye-view and one from the ground, I used Google Earth to "walk" my character's path.

My problem...It is taking me twice as long to write by trying to stay so stuck to the  correct boulder, pebble and bush. To get this book written in the space of time I have left before deadline, I've decided that no one is going to read the book and walk the same path she does, so I don't need to know exact details. Once I got that notion set in my mind, I've been getting closer to my word goals each day.

As a reader, does it matter to you if you just get a feel for the setting and the obstacles that challenge the character or do you want to be able to walk the character's path exactly?

Theme for Secrets of a Hopi Blue Star: The Truth Can Be Ugly

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