My Favorite Writing - Jungle Jeopardy

Marketing for Romance Writers has a 52-week blog writing challenge, and I've decided to join. The first week is "What is your favorite piece of writing and why?"

Jungle Jeopardy, my Indiana Jones kind of novel, has to be the most exciting, fun piece of writing I've ever done. It starts on the island of Antigua where my heroine lives, then heads to Costa Rica and goes up to Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Our first trip to Antigua a few years ago was the real inspiration for this book. It all began with a visit to the director of the history museum on the island. He shared so much with me that I was immediately hooked on writing a book that would include some of the things I learned.  

Secrets by the Sea was my first book with Antigua as the setting, but it didn't tell the whole story so I wrote Jungle Jeopardy. Billy, the jaguar, became a character in that book. If you love animals, casting an animal in an important role in the story will intrigue you.

Costa Rica is the only one of the four Central American countries we have visited, but I had developed strong interest in the Mayan Ruins of Mexico. I pulled that knowledge into my new story that I set in the jungle. The fictitious ruins in my book rely a lot on what I learned while visiting the Mayan sites at Palenque, Chichen Itza, and Cozumel. I had already created a series of large Mayan Ruins paintings, so writing a story that included ruins was a perfect follow-up.

In my imagination, I see Jungle Jeopardy as a magical movie. It is a true adventure story and romance with an actor who is a young version of Harrison Ford. Who might that be?

Journey to Costa Rica

"Last Evening in Costa Rica" ©Olen Sikes

Last summer, when I went to pick up my painting and piece of sculpture from the Chesapeake Bay Pen Women show at the Bay School in Mathews, several women urged me to support the Bay School endeavors by purchasing a raffle ticket. The Bay School Community Arts Center has been a wonderful facility for area artists, providing classes, a gallery for display, and much more, so, of course, I wanted to buy a ticket.

Although I didn't have a pocketbook with me at the time, I remembered the emergency money stashed away with my cell phone. I found a $20 bill there and purchased the ticket, expecting only to make a donation and nothing more. I forgot about it, so you can imagine my surprise when Pam Doss, executive director, called at the end of September with the news that I had won the trip to Costa Rica.

The prize was round trip airfare for two, along with a stay at one of two Marriotts located there. After researching both resorts, we chose Los Suenos Marriott Ocean and Golf Resort at Herradura, partly because it was available in January when Virginia is often cold and dreary.

I was especially excited because the only "Passenger to Paradise" book I have ever written without visiting the location is Jungle Jeopardy which features part of its setting in Costa Rica. Now that I have been there, I can feel most confident about the details I researched.

The Los Suenos Marriott Resort is lovely, situated next to a luxury marina that was hosting a three-leg fishing tournament which appeared to be quite an important event. I know nothing about fishing nor related tournaments, so I could only observe the setting up efforts and imagine what would take place later.

The resort pools were magical. The buffet breakfast (included in our package) each day was outstanding. We were happy to enjoy many of the features at the resort, including a zumba class and Spanish lessons.

I'm happy I found that hidden $20 bill and that Olen and I enjoyed the luxury of Los Suenos Resort. Thank you, Bay School, for a magical and memorable trip to Costa Rica.

Promoting Two Books That Have the Same Lead Characters #MFRWauthor

When I started writing Jungle Jeopardy, I had not planned to connect it with another book in my Passenger to Paradise series. Then, as often happens to a writer, my characters took over. Dana Sinclair and Clifton Wilder were the heroine and the hero from Secrets by the Sea. They decided they should be part of Jungle Jeopardy as well, and thus their new adventure began.

I have a special attachment to Maya Ruins, and Dana and Clifton got involved in a treasure hunt that led to  unexplored imaginary ruins in Central America. The couple also continued their quest for a precious gold coin, the Brasher doubloon, that Dana's grandfather sought for many years to find. Along the way, my characters are kidnapped and then face a variety of dangers in the jungle.

This is the fifth book in the Passenger to Paradise series. Eventually I want to write another book in the series, all of which are stand-alone novels. Whether or not , Dana and Clifton will be part of that next book, I do not know yet. We will see what they have to say.

In the meantime, I am working on a new novel scheduled for publication later this year. Dragonflies in the Morning is a mystery set in a fictitious small town in Virginia. Since no exotic destinations are involved, it cannot be a Passenger to Paradise book. Unless those wayward characters decide otherwise.

Writers Learn from Readers at Book Signings

Key West Sailboat - ©Mary Montague Sikes

As I reflect on a recent book signing, I realize writers can always learn at least one new thing as they talk with readers. I like to promote the exotic destinations that many of my novels feature.

"Do you like to travel in the Caribbean?" I ask, hopeful I'll learn that he or she has been to one of the islands my books feature and loved the trip.

"No. I've never been to the Caribbean."

"I haven't been to Antigua."

"I don't want to go to Jamaica."

"Where is Trinidad?"

These are the answers I often get. My publisher created the "Passenger to Paradise" series for my books, so those responses disappoint me. I wrote Secrets by the Sea  because a museum director on the island of Antigua intrigued me with his stories about the rich history of this tropical paradise. I hope to find readers who relate to the island's history or to the fact it was settled by the British. I want to find people who have gone to Jamaica and appreciate a fantasy story related to the legend of the white witch of Rose Hall (Hearts Across Forever). I want to discover those who have visited Mexico or Central America and have studied the Maya ruins because of those visits (Jungle Jeopardy).

Perhaps I am approaching potential readers the wrong way. Should I ask, "Are you an armchair traveler who fantasizes about visiting the tropics?"

With the unusual cold weather we have now in Virginia, a warm destination like Key West, Florida sounds perfect. I could curl up with a book set in a nice tropical place where warm breezes blow and sweet floral scents fill the air.

As a writer, what do you do for a positive response from readers? How do you you draw them into your settings? Do you learn from readers at your book signings?

Mary Montague Sikes: Animal Alphabet Art Event

Two years ago, when I created two animal paintings to promote my novel, Jungle Jeopardy, I had no idea those paintings would lead to a new series of work featuring animals for each letter of the alphabet. One of those earlier paintings was of Billy, the black jaguar in my book. I called it my Henri Rousseau painting.

"Billy the Jaguar" acrylic painting ©Mary Montague Sikes

As the alphabet series developed last April, I painted another more traditional jaguar that is not black. All through April, my fascination with wild animals grew. I borrowed photos from my daughters who had visited Tasmania last November and used them as references for paintings of koalas, Tasmanian devils, wallabies, seals, and more. Since I've never seen a unicorn and needed one for the letter "u", I used photos I took last year in Avon, Colorado of a wild horse sculpture to develop my painting of one. 

Animal Alphabet, an exhibition of these paintings, will be on view at Prince George Art & Frame in Williamsburg from November 1 until November 30. 

"This show will demonstrate Sikes affections for animals as well as her discipline in connecting each animal with a letter in the alphabet," says Fred Miller, owner of the gallery.

Mary Montague Sikes: Animal Alphabet will open with a reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Friday, November 1. Refreshments will be served at the opening to which the public is invited. I'll be available at the opening to discuss my work and also will be at the gallery on Saturday, November 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. demonstrating several of my painting techniques.

Prince George Art  & Frame is located at 107 Colony Square Shopping Center, 1303 Jamestown Road in Williamsburg. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, please call the gallery, 757-229-7644.

Using Personal Experiences in Crafting Your Book

"The Writer's Life - Using Personal Experiences in Crafting Your Book" is the topic I'll be covering in a workshop for the Hanover Book Festival on Saturday. I always seem to pull in personal experiences when I'm writing a book. Why not? After all, who can be a better expert on a happening than the person directly involved?

All of my novels have a spark of an actual experience that inspired them. That's especially true of Night Watch, my story set in Trinidad. We traveled to this nation located off of Venezuela a few years ago for a vacation at a resort located on a small off-shore island. The people who met our plane looked a little shady, and as we traveled along a dark road in the middle of the night, I became more and more convinced we were being kidnapped. More and more things happened that added to our adventure that eventually became part of the adventure of the characters in my book.

Even in my novel, Jungle Jeopardy, I found inspiration from my own experiences. We were visiting the Maya Ruins in Palenque when I found a remote temple ruin with no one else around. When I stared in wonder across the vast jungle that stretched far into Guatemala, I was inspired by all that had gone before, by all of the lost structures hidden beneath impossible foliage, by all the secrets that might lie forever lost. I thought of the possibility of one such place that might be uncovered to become a hiding place for a lost treasure.

We are writers. Our imaginations are always humming. That's why it's so much fun to use real life events as parts of the stories we write.

What about you? Do you use personal experiences in crafting your book?

J is for Jaguar - A Painting a Day

A to Z Challenge

Deciding an animal for the letter "J" was easy. Jaguar. In my last "Passenger to Paradise" novel, a jaguar suddenly appeared in my story. It was completely unplanned. Billy was a black jaguar and became a character in Jungle Jeopardy, an adventure story Indiana Jones-style! I loved this animal. My creation for today is not black, but he reminds me of Billy.

"On the Hunt" -acrylic painting ©Mary Montague Sikes

This painting is 11" x 14" acrylic on gallery-wrapped stretched canvas. This canvas is          1 1/2" deep, giving it more presence than the 3/4" normal depth.

Hope everyone is enjoying the A to Z Challenge.

Discovering Book Reviews Along the Way and a Jaguar

 Authors always enjoy discovering a positive book review for one of their creations. I found this today when I went to the Barnes and Noble Nook Books site. It's part of a five-star review by Sandra Heptinstall for Jungle Jeopardy, my adventure novel set in Central America.

"This book is filled with adventure, suspense, love and mystery. You will walk along with Dana, Clifton, Tyler and Mick, as they make their way through a wild jungle trying to find a lost cave that is filled with all types of treasures that Dana's grandfather hid there.

They are confronted with drug dealers, and a black jaguar that Dana called Billy, that follows them and has saved them more than once. I have really enjoyed this book, and know that if you like suspense, adventure, mystery and a romance that came alive again you will enjoy this book. It has something for everyone. Rated G"

"Billy, the Jaguar" copyright MMSikes

Knowing that someone else has discovered and enjoyed your book is always satisfying for the author. I'm glad this reviewer mentioned Billy, the jaguar. I hadn't planned to include a jaguar in my story; then, suddenly, he just appeared. At first, I thought he would be dangerous, but things changed, and my heroine, Dana, gave him a name...

I hadn't planned to paint him, but I did. And I hadn't planned to write about him today.

But I did.

--Mary Montague Sikes



I'm being interviewed at Romancing the Heart. Please stop by and visit.

Views from a Book Signing in Williamsburg VA

People View Art Work Displayed Outside B and N Last Sept.

A book signing event at the William and Mary Barnes and Noble in Williamsburg VA on Saturday presented many learning experiences for this author. Because of the prime location in the heart of the historic colonial area, many people who enter the store are wearing Colonial Williamsburg neck lanyards.

Many of the people who spoke with me were from other states and visiting for three or four days. The first several people I talked with are no longer buying paperback books. One said she had traveled for many years in her job. Now that she has a Kindle, she loads it up with books. Another woman says she likes her Kindle because of the light that enables her to read at night. I gave these readers my card and noted that all of my books are available for Kindle and that most are also obtainable as Nook Books.

One lady visiting from Pennsylvania explained that she has a book coming out in several weeks. She's excited and had lots of questions about marketing.

A local author pulled out a copy of his self-published math book. He wanted my opinion of the cover. He also had questions about marketing. I asked him about social networking on Facebook and Twitter. He was unfamiliar with that route but expressed hope the company that published his book would help him with the marketing process.

When a man wearing an Indiana Jones hat and vest entered the store, I spoke to him and encouraged him to purchase my Indiana Jones-style adventure story, Jungle Jeopardy. I was delighted when he came back and got a copy.

During the four hours of my signing, I spoke with people from all over the country. Some had recently moved to Williamsburg. Others were weekend tourists.

My free gift of a signed original art card with each book purchase attracted some buyers. I didn't wear my Indiana Jones outfit for this signing, but I might wear it next time.

Writing for a Small Publisher

Several years ago, my small publisher and I worked together to create an ambitious project that resulted in a hard cover coffee table book, Hotels to Remember. Not only was the writing in this book my own, but I also took all the photographs and created all of the paintings--one for each of the 20 hotels featured in this book.

"St. Louis Union Station" Painting by MM Sikes Hotels to Remember

My publisher, Billie Johnson, was located in California at the time. On several occasions, my husband and I flew from Virginia to the John Wayne Airport in Orange County and met with Billie. I brought with me hundreds of slides and photographs, and we spread them out on one of the large breakfast tables at a La Quinta where we were staying. It was on that table that many of the choices for the final version of my book were made.

This was in the early days of Oak Tree. I was learning as a writer, and Billie was learning as a publisher. We've had interesting experiences and challenges along the way. It has been rewarding to work directly with my publisher on projects. We've met other times and places--in Denver when my first novel, Hearts Across Forever was released, in New Orleans where we were working together on another project, and in Las Vegas at the Public Safety Writers Conference where several of my later books were released. These include:  Secrets by the Sea, Night Watch, and Jungle Jeopardy. Because my books are with a small publisher who is concerned with every one of her published books, the earlier books are still available. Books with large publishing houses often are no longer available after several months, sometimes after only one month.

After Oak Tree moved to Taylorville, Illinois, Billie had a writers conference that I attended. While there I discussed my hotels book with another author. I lamented that hotels are always changing and updating. One in my book almost doubled in size right before publication. He told me my book was a snapshot in time. I mentioned that to Billie, and last year she created "A Snapshot in Time" books for some of my hotels.
I loved the idea because I could use much of the material from Hotels to Remember and update it as well. Would this have happened with a larger publisher? Perhaps.


The publishing industry has changed drastically over the past several years. E-books have gained prominence. They are outselling print books and will become an even bigger market. Although I love to hold a book in my hand, I thought when I left on a trip recently that the two large paperbacks would be much nicer to take in an e-reading device.

I'm excited about writing for a small publisher. I'm excited to have a marketing team to help me. I'm excited about all the potential for growth and opportunity writers now have.

Do you write for a small publisher? What are your experiences?

Loving Indiana Jones

An old poster of Indiana Jones hangs on the wall in a small bedroom in our house. I love the poster and I loved Harrison Ford in the movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

As I wrote my novel, Jungle Jeopardy, I visualized a young Ford as the almost-hero of my book. Tyler Hunter (my character) is an archaeologist who knows a lot about ruins of all sorts, including the Maya which are depicted fictitiously in my story. Another character, Clifton Wilder, the hero of a previous book, Secrets by the Sea, wears an Australian-style hat similar to Ford's in Jungle Jeopardy. A jaguar figures prominently in my book.

Were there any jaguars in Raiders? I don't remember.

Earlier today, I studied the Indiana Jones poster and decided it would be great fun to create an outfit for book signings that links a little to the Ford image from the movie. I have an Australian bush hat my children brought home from a trip there. I'm going to wear that hat, a brown jacket with the look of one from the movie, and a silk shirt with a jaguar image on the front to my next signing. I already have a painting I created of a jaguar to go with my story. Although I look nothing like Harrison Ford and I don't have a gun to strap around my waist (think that would be illegal in Virginia), I'm excited about this branding project for Jungle Jeopardy.

Will I attract readers? I don't know, but it should be fun trying!

Rainbow for Christmas Wins First Place

Although I didn't get to attend the Virginia Press Women Conference in person, I was thrilled to learn that A Rainbow for Christmas won first place in Young Adult Fiction.  I was one of 39 members of Virginia Press Women who received awards in the 2012 Communications Contest in a ceremony held during the Spring Conference in Harrisonburg. Categories such as newspaper writing, public relations, advertising, photo journalism, Internet and magazine writing, and books were judged by 11 experienced journalists and public relations professionals. Entries that received first place advance to the National Federation of Press Women contest.

 “The author brings history to life for YA readers! The thoughts and fears of these very real characters are timeless, which gives readers something they can relate to as they are transported back in time to experience a unique perspective about the hardships and injustices in the west and what it might have been like for a girl to travel toward uncertainty in a covered wagon.” 

What a lovely comment from the judge! 

My other novel published in 2011, an adventure story, Jungle Jeopardy, won honorable mention in fiction, novel. “The fast moving plot pulled the reader along, and the details about Maya culture and archeology were interesting,” the judge noted.

Another nice comment!

Congratulations to all the Virginia Press Women winners.

Mystery and Mystique - Who Are the Maya?

"Early Evening Sky" - MM Sikes

Since I first visited the dramatic, expansive ruins of the Maya that lie buried deep beneath the thick, green jungles of Mexico and Central America, I've been hooked. Then, when I started reading about the end of the Maya Calendar in 2012, I was spellbound. It's like gazing at the sky in wonderment as early evening settles in.

Did the Maya know things we do not? Is the end of their calendar on December 21, 2012 the sign of a doomsday event?

Because of their advanced abilities in mathematics and their primitive knowledge of astronomy, the Maya were able to develop a calendar that was considered by some to be the most accurate in the world. Their Long Count calendar begins in 3114 BC and ends December 21, 2012. The calendar has time divisions of 144,000 days (a little more than 394 years) called Baktuns. The 13th Baktun ends December 21, 2012. Long ago, the Maya predicted a solar shift at that time. A stone tablet found in the 1960s at the Tortuguero archaeological site in the Gulf of Mexico tells of the return of a Mayan god at the end of the 13th Baktun.

So much of the Maya history was destroyed during the European conquest that sometimes myths have grown to take the place of knowledge. I love the adventure of uncovering the ruins of the lost buildings of the Maya. I even fantasized about it in my latest Passenger to Paradise book, Jungle Jeopardy.

Who knows what still may lie hidden beneath the lush, tropical jungles?

Mexican tourism will take advantage of the 2012 phenomena. A year-long celebration is planned for the heart of the Maya ruins that lie buried in southern Mexico. Palenque in Chiapas is one of those sites. As many as 52 million tourists are expected to flood the area. That compares with about 22 million during an average year.


Who knows what we may learn? Perhaps we will know more about who the Maya were in those long ago lost times.

Busy, Crazy, Insane Weekend and a New Book

Holiday Marketplace at Tides Inn

Combining a book signing with an art event is trying, cumbersome, and exhilarating. For as long as I can remember my first love has been both, and try as I might I can't seem to change that. The love of color and form is far too strong to separate myself from art, and my love of words is equally compelling. It has reached the point that when I didn't still have the painting that became the cover art for Jungle Jeopardy, I had to create a new painting to show with my book. There it is, far left, in the photograph.

Earlier this week, I received the first copies of my latest book, A Rainbow for Christmas. This is my first western. It's a sweet romance set in 1869 on a wagon train traveling from Missouri to Denver, Colorado. During my research I read the dairies of many women who experienced the hardships of crossing the prairie amidst all types of challenges. I was intrigued and lost in the journey of my heroine as she careened along a rough wagon train trail learning to drive a team of oxen along the way. It was thrilling to sign the first copies of my book in the middle of a festive room at Tides Inn filled with artisans of all kinds, including jewelry-makers, painters, potters, and two writers.

Crazy, busy! I love the excitement. Art and writing. I live for the confusing mixture of the two!

Jungle Jeopardy, An Adventure Story

Jungle Jeopardy, an adventure novel, will be featured during my book signing today at Discover Teas, Village Shops at Kingsmill in Williamsburg. I'm excited about this book because it's my first adventure story--think Indiana Jones--and it focuses on the Maya ruins in Central America, a subject that fascinates me. Dana and Clifton, the heroine and hero, from Secrets by the Sea  continue their search for the Brasher doubloon in this book. Tyler Hunter is a new character who intrigues me.

While Jungle Jeopardy is a stand-alone book, readers may want to first learn about Dana and Clifton in Secrets by the Sea before opening the new book. I still find it amazing that characters come in and take over their own stories. Things have a way of turning out not at all the way I planned!

Getting Things Done and Organized

Organize your schedule.

Easier said than done.

Do all writers have the problem of organization? Or are some folks naturally more organized than others?

I have two new novels coming out this year. Jungle Jeopardy, an adventure story set in Central America, was recently released by my publisher. A Rainbow for Christmas, a sweet romance set on a wagon train, will be out in late October. That means I now have a double problem of organizing and promotion because I have two new books.

Unfortunately, although I know better, I have done little to promote either book. During the summer, we took trips that I would be unable to undertake any other time of year. Those trips put me way behind in setting up events for my books. However, those trips also gave me background and exotic settings for future books.

I have scheduled a radio interview with Neil Steel, several book signings, a talk, and a tailgate art show which sounds like lots of fun. But there is way more to be done. Jungle Jeopardy has a big tie-in with Maya ruins. A few years ago, I painted a big series of large acrylic paintings of the Maya ruins we had visited. Now, I want to set up art exhibitions with those paintings tied to my book signings. Hopefully, I can figure it out by connecting with art departments of the universities I attended.

So much to do.

I'm making a list of all the possibilities. Of all the potential. There is more to do than will fit into a normal seven day week.

It would help a lot to be organized.

I'm trying ...

Are you organized? I would love to know how other writers think.

One Hot Day in July and Book Promotion

It's hot today here in Virginia, and I am thinking about book promotion for the fall. My publisher has my new novel Jungle Jeopardy on the fast track for release at a writer's conference in Las Vegas later this week, so I need to get on the fast track for promotion.

What is best--focus on one type of promotion, or do everything?

Unless you're topping the New York Bestseller List week after week, you'd better think about doing everything and more. This is the list I'm making for myself right now:

1. Create or update a media kit.
2. Write press releases for the new book and get them out.
3. Send out a newsletter about the new book.
4. Look for reviewers. (This should be done much earlier but the book wasn't ready.)
5. Plan a launch event.
6. Contact bookstores.
7. Contact college alumni groups. Also, other groups that may relate to the book and its content.
8. Contact libraries about the new release. Do they have book clubs? Do they need speakers for any events?
9. Search for travel organizations and travel groups. Other niche markets. Contact them
10. Set up a schedule for promotion. Set aside time each day for promotion on the Internet.
11. Write a blog. Schedule guests on the blog and become a guest on the blogs of others.
12. Tweet and write on Facebook about the new book, but don't be rude.
13. Make brochures, business cards, and posters for the new book.
14. Follow the marketing plan outline from my publisher, Oak Tree Press.
Much more!

"Jungle Beat" Copyright MM Sikes

One hot day in July has made me think hard about some cool book promotion. I'll keep on working until I have an organized plan, then I'll follow it.


(Take a peek at my painting that will be part of the book cover.)

Signing the End on a Book Manuscript

Signing the words "the end" on a book manuscript has usually been a magic time for me. After weeks of intense work and dedication, it's fulfilling to accomplish a special goal.

Last Saturday, I typed those words on my latest manuscript, Jungle Jeopardy. I was happy, and I was sad at the same time.

You see, along the way, I fell in love with the characters. I relished the adventure in the jungle. My characters took over the story and wandered off in directions I never imagined when I began writing this book in March. I had a villain at the beginning whom I loved in the end. That was certainly never planned nor was it expected. I even had a jaguar play a major part in the plot.

Imagine that!

It was so much fun that I want to return to the jungles of Central America for more adventures. I want to find my way back into the unexplored Maya ruins. And I want to continue to wonder why I never heard much about the amazing Maya civilization in history classes.

What happens when you complete your manuscript? Are you willing to leave your characters or do you want to keep on going?

Getting Lost in the Setting

When you're writing a book, do you ever get lost in the setting you've created? I do.

Right now, I'm writing an adventure novel, Jungle Jeopardy, that's set in the jungles of Central America. I have a wonderful National Geographic map of Mexico and Central America spread out across a third of my desk. As I write about my characters' experiences in lost Maya ruins, I am captivated by the subject. When I leave to proceed with my own daily life, I think about my characters as though they were real living people.

Sometimes for past books, I've made a big chart and stuck post-it notes all over it as things happen. That can be pretty helpful when you want to check on the timing for some event. For this book, I have a little black spiral notebook that's 4 x 6 inches in size. So far, I've almost completely filled it with research notes about the Maya, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. It's amazing what you can find on the Internet, even including the sounds certain animals make.

Since Jungle Jeopardy is a sequel to Secrets by the Sea, I keep a copy of that novel close at hand as well. I also make little notes on sheets of paper scattered about my desk on both sides of the computer. And there are photographs torn from magazines from some of the destinations in my setting.

Getting lost in the setting is a lot of fun. Now, I can hardly wait to see how it all turns out because my characters have taken over. I truly won't know how this book ends until almost the last page. It definitely will not end the way I originally planned.

I'd love to know what happens when you're writing a book. Do you ever get lost in your setting?

"S" Is For Sedona

"Stormy Rocks" MM Sikes

The Passenger to Paradise has found that exotic destinations inspire the creative spirit. As a child I dreamed of travel to far away places, and I read everything I could find with picturesque settings. As an adult I still crave the discovery of magic destinations and am delighted when I find the unforgettable like the amazing Red Rock Country of Sedona, Arizona.

In the early 1990s we made our first trip to Sedona. It was amazing to drive through the awesome scenery I had viewed only in movies as a child. With my 35 mm Minolta dangling from my neck, I trudged over dusty trails searching for medicine wheels along the way. Then, I viewed with reverence those that I found, and I watched, entranced, as a few fellow wanderers chanted softly into the quiet calm of vortex sites.

The rock formations such as Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Courthouse Rock and other fascinating views rose high against a clear blue sky, and we took amazing photographs that I used later to create paintings. Just being in the midst of the vortexes and on the sacred land was a spiritual experience. Although we did not see the flying saucers others have claimed to view over Bell Rock, the sight of that magic formation did inspire a fantasy print I created of saucer images above a rocky landscape. It also inspired my novel, Eagle Rising.

In addition to the "S" for Sedona, I have to claim also the "S" for my novel, Secrets by the Sea. Characters in that book have been revived and are part the book I'm now writing--Jungle Jeopardy. It's fun to be caught up in all sorts of discoveries related to the ancient Maya as I travel with my characters through the jungles of Central America.