Kindle by campfire

We just got back from a two-week road trip across British Columbia and into Alberta. The plan was to see the most scenic parts of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, do a little camping, and visit the acclaimed Tyrell Museum in Drumheller to view the amazing fossils and dinosaur bones.

Everything went as planned, but I have to say I'd forgotten something about sleeping under the stars. It can be pretty boring, once the stars actually come out.

It's dark out there in the wilderness. And because it was mid-to-late September, those stars came out pretty early. And once it gets dark, there's not a lot to do for the next twelve hours. That's where the Kindle, Kobo, iPad, or whatever reader you have, comes in handy.

E-readers take campfire reading to a whole new level. No more need for awkward flashlights, over-bright head lamps, or dangerous candles. In fact, e-readers actually made us look forward to nightfall so we could hunker down and get back to the books we'd been thinking about all day as we trekked along icy rivers and around turquoise lakes, dodging rutting elks and mama bears with their cubs.

I have to admit I'm not a great camper. I prefer motels. But for a few days, every now and then, if the rain and frost hold off, and my e-reader is fully charged, it's good to be out in the bush with more than a campfire for entertainment.

I've been amiss

But my excuses are good ones. First, the old standby--I've been too busy. Between guests from places as far away as England and New Zealand, helping people move house, birthday, anniversary and other celebrations, and preparing for a two-week road trip through the Rockies, it's been hectic.

Oh--did I mention the writing? And the editing? My newest release is due out in 5 days, and last-minute edits were chewing up a big chunk of my precious time. But I think that's all done now, and I can only hope that I didn't miss too many picky little errors in my manuscript. Gift of the Black Virgin is the last of the Black Virgin Trilogy, and wraps up the erotic adventures of my American heroine, Joanna, and her French lover, Luc. Needless to say, they come together for a really big happily-ever-after.

As for the next project, I've just signed a series contract with eXtasy Books for another set of erotic romances. Tracking Tor is the name of the series, and the stories are based on my travels through the Middle East. It features a contemporary Danish Viking--Torval--and Julie, a History major who steals his heart.

Book One is called Mirage, and takes place in exotic Syria (before the current conflicts, of course). Book Two is Oasis, and is set in Jordan. The third book, River, is set in Egypt and Denmark.

But I'll have to put my writing aside as we're setting off tomorrow for Whistler Mountain Resort, our first stop on the way to the Rocky Mountains, Calgary, and Drumheller, Alberta.

Maybe I'll meet a couple of cowboys out there in Alberta--inspiration for another series of erotic romances....