An Exaggerated Adventure

Fishing stories, you’ve heard them, and the concept has become synonymous with exaggeration. No harm is ever intended, but after countless retelling and adequate time the story often morphs into something much more interesting and exciting than the original. The two pound fish that took several minutes to reel in eventually evolves into an eight pound monster which battled valiantly for half an hour before succumbing to your superior skill. This is how many of my real life adventures have infiltrated my romantic suspense novels.

I’ve explored numerous Mayan ruins tucked into steamy bug-infested jungles in several countries, yet I’ve always managed to avoid ruthless kidnappers; I’ve pondered the current of the Rio Grande, sticking my toe in to test the waters, but have somehow suppressed the urge to jump into the churning mud and attempt an illegal border crossing; and I have ridden horseback down a terrifyingly steep slope while I clutched the horn with all my might and scenes from Man From Snowy River flashed through my mind, all without a single gunshot from a foreign enemy aimed at me or my trusted steed.

So, file them away, every last one of those adventures, big and small, and maybe one day they will resurface, and after enough repetition become the fodder for that next great thriller or epic adventure novel.

Check out all my adventures on Amazon here