Little did I know, when I downloaded six audiobooks to listen to as my dog Quinn and I drove from North Carolina to Montana and back this past week, that I would be so enthralled with our landscape and country that I would not listen to even one word of ANY of them.
Nebraska!
What a country! What landscape! What history.
I have driven cross-country before. Not this time of year. It was planting season in the middle states. Calves stood with mama cows further west. Train tracks and rivers flowed parallel to many of my east/west roads. Snow still encased upper elevations. It was grand.
This was a long-awaited journey back to Montana, Wyoming, and the Yellowstone National Park region. It is where my next novel is set, and I wanted to refresh my thoughts on landscape and setting. I wanted to feel my surroundings again. It was perfect.
One day, I hope to circle through again to take more notice of our land’s history. So much has happened over plains, along riverbeds, in harsh climates, both hot and cold, as well as dry. So many lives have shared these lands. And not shared.
Traveling with Quinn, my constant pal, was heartwarming. Watching her sniff new scents, feel new breezes, and walk on new soil brought incredible joy. We have our travel routines down pat. I drive. She rides. She explores. I follow. We sleep and repeat.
I can’t wait to share this landscape in my upcoming novel. Expected release is in September 2023. Please join my newsletter group to learn more as I know more. I only send news once a month at most (and sometimes much less frequently) unless I am close to releasing a new novel.
Be well, dear Readers!