It's a thrill to live in this wild and wacky world of fiction writing! Most of the time, people don't believe me when I tell them I've written thirty books or more. I think it's because I'm also a third grade teacher and they just can reconcile the two. "What's the best thing about writing fiction?" they ask. Easy. Research trips! There is fodder for books everywhere, of course, but the coolest thing is when you can travel to a neato locale and then make it come to life in a book. That's why I'm particularly excited about my November release, Dangerous Tidings. I went to Coronado Island in Southern California to do some sleuthing. Since the story takes place at Christmas time I was SUPER thrilled to take pictures of the outdoor ice rink at the historic Hotel Del which is right ON THE BEACH! Wacky, huh? The lovely Del, which features prominently in my book, was also the spot where L.Frank Baum used to stay and write some of his Oz stories. This was extremely cool for a Oz fan like myself.
So if you could travel to any spot you've read about in a book or seen in a movie, where would you go? I'm giving away a copy of Dangerous Tidings to one commenter!