Birth of a Story Part Two of Two



Big Horn Storm is also a hodge-podge of experiences and ideas. I’ve always loved the Big Horn Mountains, so I wanted to set a story in that area and something involving horses made sense. Some of my favorite books and movies have those scenes in which you find yourself holding your breath until it’s over, such as when Nullah, in the movie Australia, stands at the cliff edge facing down a stampeding cattle herd or when the Man from Snowy River follows the brumbies over the edge. I wanted to write those scenes and I believe I have accomplished this, in part due to my own horseback experiences.

But what would force a person into daring actions far outside their comfort zone? It would have to be something extreme, a “do or die” situation, such as a widespread invasion by a foreign enemy. But, why would any foreign military care about a sparsely populated area in Wyoming? That answer came to me after taking public tours of decommissioned missile silos at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base and Minute Man National Historic Site. Though most of the missile silos that once dotted the landscape of the West and Great Plains have been decommissioned, the possibility was all I needed to push forward (see blog post on 08/18/12, Missile Silos of the Great Plains, for more information). And, last but not least, there are few stronger catalysts for action than love. So, with all the pieces in hand I carefully assembled the puzzle to create an action-packed contemporary western romance intended to excite and entertain a host of readers. I hope you enjoy the ride!