Coming from a museum background, one of my favorite parts about the writing process is the research. I know it’s fiction and we can make up whatever we want, but I like to start with some basis of knowledge in the area I’m writing. For example, the book I’m working on right now has a storyline involving a cursed necklace and arson. I’m researching fire crime and it’s fascinating. A big shout out to the firemen who risk their lives every day to protect us!
My new book is set in Sedona, Arizona, so I traveled there recently to scope out locations and get a better sense of the colorful characters who make up that desert city.
The Red Rocks of Sedona
Buddha sculpture at the Amitabha Stupa in Sedona
Selfie at Boynton in Sedona
Sedona Fire Station where the hero of my upcoming book works
Before writing Buried Riches, I traveled to Greece to study their history and culture, and identify locations I wanted to include in the book. I took a Mediterranean cruise with Holland America and it was an incredible experience. Here are some pictures of the beautiful sights I enjoyed on my grand adventure.
View of Athens from the Acropolis
The Parthenon in Athens
Acropolis Museum in Athens
Graffiti on the buildings of Athens
Church of the Panagia, Lindos
Goats clinging to the acropolis of Lindos
A foggy morning in Santorini provided inspiration for a book scene
The classic white and blue of Santorini
View of Santorini from our cruise ship
The aerial tramway at Santorini used in a scene from “Buried Riches”
Windmills in Mykonos
Traditional Greek Dancing
Mykonos mascot, the pelican
The small, winding lanes of Mykonos
The Island of Delos
Lion sculptures on Delos
Ancient Mycenae
Lions Gate at Ancient Mycenae
Selfie at the ancient site of Mycenae
Mycenaean gold including the Mask of Agememnon (upper right)
Ancient Corinth
Ancient Olympia, peaceful and enchanting
A camel relaxes in Turkey
Library at the archaeological site of Ephesus, Turkey
I made multiple research visits to the Getty Villa in Malibu where they display some fabulous Greek antiquities, including vases which I used as inspiration for Buried Riches.
Outer Peristyle of the Getty Villa
Vase Depicting Theseus and the Minotaur, c. 550 B.C.