Heather, A New Novel on the Way

In anticipation of writing Heather, Hot Springs Bride in the National Park Brides series, my husband and I drove to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and toured the park. I'm so glad we did because it turned out to be different than I expected, and seeing it helped me to capture the true essence of the area. I don't think I could have done that without seeing the park for myself.

Unlike most other national parks, the main portion of the park is in the downtown portion of the city. It incorporates eight historic bathhouses along Bathhouse Row - two of which (Quapaw and Buckstaff) still operate as bathhouses for the experience. The Fordyce, which is the new one when Anson visits in my novel, is now a great museum.

The hot springs are bubbling out all over the place, but today, many of them are capped because people kept throwing trash in or misusing them. And just because the most visited part of the park is in the city doesn't mean there's not plenty of nature to see within the park. Hot Springs Mountain has a tower rising 216 feet above the summit and offering panoramic view from 1,256 feet above sea level. Gulpa Gorge Campground is operated by the park system and has camping, picnic areas, and an amphitheater. This is where the photo for my cover came from.

Good research is essential to writing a novel, especially a historical one like this, and there's nothing better than firsthand experience. Accuracy and authenticity help bring the story to life. Perhaps that's what makes this novel so special to me, and hopefully to readers as well. Heather, Hot Springs Bride will release on October 3 and is now available for preorder.

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