Let's Go Tropical by Paty Jager

Since it is February and the middle of winter, so to speak, I think we should think about warm tropical beaches. Sand between our toes, waves crashing against the rocks, surfers catching those waves...

I have wanted to go to a tropical island since I was a kid watching Gilligan's Island and Fantasy Island. I wanted to stand under a warm waterfall and stand on a warm sandy beach and stare at the clear blue ocean.

This past October, I had my chance, finally. After 40 years, I'd finally convinced my husband he needed to go to Hawaii with me. Of course, our daughters and their husbands help to push my husband to agree. ;)

We went to Kauai. It was supposed to be the least touristy island. It wasn't. It has now become as over populated with tourists as the rest. We had to make reservations to park at beaches. It was crazy!

Even with all of this, we managed to go on a couple of hikes. One took my breath away, literally and figuratively. We had to traverse rock steps that were taller than the lower part of my leg, go straight up in spots, and then wind our way down again. But the views and the beach we found at the end of the 2.5 mile trail were all worth it!

I just finished the next Shandra Higheagle Mystery which is set in Kauai. While my characters don't go on this trail, I used a few of the things we saw, like the wet cave, tall rocky cliff, and jungle like vegetation in the story.

While I hadn't started out on booking the trip to write a book set here, after it was booked and I did my research for our trip, I decided that Shandra should go to Kauai. After discovering a real event that could bring her to the island, I was set on writing this book.

I had a wonderful time revisiting the places we saw and incorporating the island feel into the story. I hope, readers who have visited a tropical island are reminded of their trip, and readers who haven't had the chance to visit a tropical island, will be able to experience it through my story.

The book is with my critique partners right now. I hope they enjoy it. I am looking forward to their feedback.

Here is the cover for Abstract Casualty, book 14 in the Shandra Higheagle Mystery series. 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 43 novels, 8 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

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Photos were all taken by: Paty Jager