Mary Jo Putney

Mary Jo Putney

Patricia Rice

Patricia Rice

Susan Fraser King

Susan Fraser King

Anne Gracie

Anne Gracie

Nicola Cornick

Nicola Cornick

Andrea Penrose

Andrea Penrose

Christina Courtenay

Christina Courtenay

Safari

Seeing the elephant!

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This is an oldie but goody post from 2016 because I was just in the mood for lions and elephants!

Giraffe 3by Mary Jo

 September 8th, 2016, late in the evening, I pressed "Send" to email the manuscript of Once a Rebel to my editor. And the next morning we flew to Africa.  I wrote 7K words that last day in order to have a semblance of an ending.  I do not recommend this. <G>

But the safari in Botswana was wonderful.  Nothing like going off the grid when you've just finished a book!  I'd had no particular awareness of Botswana until I read the first No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith.  Born in what is now Zimbabwe, McCall Smith was a law professor at the University of Botswana for many years, and his love and understanding of Southern Africa is profound.

 

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Safari!

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6a00d8341c84c753ef01bb093b9b3c970d-pi (480×640)Seeing the Elephant

by Mary Jo 

Once more I'm crashing toward the end of a story, in this case a Christmas novella scheduled for the A YULETIDE KISS anthology that will be out this October.

Sooooo….I'm also once again recycling an older travel blog, this time of our marvelous safari in Botswana.  Just rereading it made me want to go there again! 

So once more:

On September 8th, 2016, late in the evening, I pressed "Send" to email the manuscript of Once a Rebel to my editor. And the next morning we flew to Africa.  I wrote 7K words that last day in order to have a semblance of an ending.  I do not recommend this. <G>

But the safari in Botswana was wonderful.  Nothing like going off the grid when you've just finished a book!  I'd had no particular awareness of Botswana until I read the first No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith.  Born in what is now Zimbabwe, McCall Smith was a law professor at the University of Botswana for many years, and his love and understanding of Southern Africa are profound.

 

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Travels with my Armchair

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Flip flopsCara/Andrea here,
Here we are in August, those last few weeks of summer lassitude before Labor Day signals that we all House partymust slough off our flip-flops and shorts and buckle back down to work. (Never mind what the calendar says about the Autumn equinox, here in America, the first Monday in September means the beach party is over.)

Victorian beachNow, in Europe, August has long been the traditional month to go away on vacation—France and Italy basically shut down as everyone takes the opportunity to venture far and wide for a break from the familiar. It’s been coming increasingly the same here.  Where I am, there’s a noticeable absence of the usual crowds, and many of my friends are heading off for visits to summer beach or mountain houses, or exotic globe trotting adventures. (I can’t help but think of our Regency era characters, for whom August signaled the start of the country house party/shooting season, or the city Victorians, who could take advantage of the new railroad systems to vacation at the seaside!)

SailboatAlas, I am not sailing off to any exotic ports, save in my own imagination. (If you read a note of longing in the statement, well . . . maybe just a little!) I love to travel, so despite the fact that I’m staying close to home, I’ve decided to settle into my armchair and do some mental peregrinations. So where am I going? Since money and logistics are no object, I let my imagination run free . . . here are some of the spots that top my Travel Wish List:

Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands
The austere beauty of the Highlands has always struck a chord with me. I’d bring my hiking boots and walking stick so I could explore the loch and moors and tiny villages—along with plenty of buttery shortbread to fuel the trekking! 

 

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