My latest release, Well Tuned, is set in the Ozarks–the first of many books to be set here, I’m sure. So I wanted to take a few moments today and blog about 5 things I love about living in the Ozarks.
- The scenery. I grew up in and lived in Iowa most of my life, and Iowa can be very beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But down here deep in the Ozark mountains the vistas even from my front yard are pretty stunning. If the sunset hits them right–gorgeous!
- The easy winters. Sure, there is more ice than I’m used to, and given that I live more than 2 miles down a gravel road, if it snows more than a few inches, I’m snowed in for the day. And no, they don’t plow the gravel roads, though sometimes the graters will come down and push the top layer of snow off. But I don’t mind the warmer winters, and when my family back in Iowa talks about snow, I’m running around in a t-shirt because I’m hardy like that.
- Having my homestead. I will tell you more than you probably want to know about chickens, and I love them. My homestead is a lot of work, but it’s also my saving grace. It makes me smile, provides me with breakfast, and even lunch or dinner sometimes.
- The easy going way of life. I lived in a “big” city (okay not big to some of you), and the slower pace takes a lot to get used to. But it’s nice not to push-push-push all the time and to live closer in harmony with the seasons.
- The inspiration. From the “Wild Man” to listening to the coyotes howl, when you love writing paranormal like I do, there’s plenty of inspiration here in these Ozarks woods!
Want a taste of the Ozarks?
After being laid off from her job with the National Park Service, the last thing Rose wanted to do was call her dad and have him come get her and her stalled truck. When Brodie comes to the rescue, not only does she discover that he has his own garage, but that a lot of things have changed since she’d walked away all those years ago, starting with his newfound maturity and commitment to her parents’ farm. The problem is she’s never been the kind of woman who built a relationship solely on good sex, no matter how very very good it was, and could be again.
