Cool Summer Reading and Research

The first blast of summer heat really hit this week in Colorado and much as it may get me down, it also brought new energy for writing and for reading. Growing up in a small town on the Colorado plains before every house had air conditioning meant we were always looking for the coolest place we could find. Often that turned out to be the downtown library, so I spent at least one afternoon a week there getting fresh reading material or just sitting in the cool air before the long walk home.

This past weekend took me on a research trip to southern Colorado and while the heat was crushing, the experience was uplifting and invigorating because it included a stop at one of my favorite places -- an old library. Learning about family roots, the Wild West, ranching, the world of cowboys and the like is always a fun experience, but doing it in the cool of a library while the temperature is rising outside makes for an even sweeter experience. When you spend so much time inside writing, it can be fun to also do it in a place where research is quickly at hand.

       My research was also very interesting and I will soon be putting that into a book I am working on.  Imagine the story of a young sheepherder of the 1870s who is suddenly confronted with this hyper visitor from the 2000s? Quite a complication, right?  And imagine that person from the present suddenly having to deal with that summer heat in Southern Colorado without air conditioning or all the modern tools of today.  I won't go beyond that with my story idea, but it's something I've wanted to write for a while.

I love setting stories along the plains of southern Colorado or northern New Mexico. One of my first romances, Home Fires Burning, was set in the area not too far from where I was visiting, and we had time to take a drive through that area while we were there.  If you're looking for a fun summer read, you might try the romantic story of Bonita and her cowboy, Max.

"I'm going to marry that boy someday."
Little Bonita Dominguez made that pledge the first time she saw Max Cameron. Now it's about to happen, but nothing is going the way she once dreamed. Carrying a secret she has kept since she left the family ranch ten years ago, she would prefer to be back in California where she has built a new life--a life that doesn't include Max. 

Now a chic, sophisticated entrepreneur, Bonita certain isn't the same playful girl Max remembers from his past. For the past ten years he has devoted his life to his ranch. Does he have room in his heart for Bonita? Does she have the courage to admit the truth about her life to him? 

Buy link:

Amazon

Enjoy your reading! And don't forget those libraries for a cool way to spend the day with any book you might want to read or use for research!