Murder at Granite Falls

I've been adding to my Big Sky Secrets series for Love Inspired Suspense this year...with Murder at Granite Falls coming out the beginning of April (in just a few weeks!) followed by the the fifth in the series, Duty to Protect, in December.  Though my books have been set in many different parts of the USA, I keep coming back to the West--Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas.  I love the grandeur of the Rockies and the wide open spaces of cattle country!

But even as I write these words, my thoughts and prayers keep winging back to the people of Japan.  I can't even begin to imagine the destruction and the horrific loss of life there, even though the TV, newspaper and Internet provide constant updates.
We were in Hawaii when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan.  All through the night, loudspeakers blared throughout our beachfront hotel, warning but also reassuring the guests....and in the middle of the night, the first three floors of the resort were evacuated to shelters at the local high schools.  As I was moving our rental car to higher ground, I saw a steady stream of families with fearful children trudging out to shuttle buses, clutching pillows.  The tsunami didn't affect the coastline where we were, so we were fortunate.   But Japan has faced such a tragedy, I can hardly comprehend it.

What part of the country are you in?  We see tornadoes and blizzards in the upper Midwest.  Have you been through terrible weather situations?  How did you cope?

Roxanne
www.roxannerustand.com
http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com

Big Island Fun

Aloha, Terri Reed here, just returned from a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. What fun! I've been to Maui, Oahu, Kauai but this was the first time on the big island. There was so much to see and do. Waterfalls galore, beautiful beaches, lava beds and sea turtles.

I went to the southern most point of the US, hiked a mile and a half along a dusty terrain to an amazing cove called green sand beach. In the picture you can't really tell the color of the sand, but up close you definitely see the green hue.

I explored a botanical garden and marvaled at all the interesting and fabulous plants.

I walked on the lava which looked like the top of brownies, slightly shiny with cracks and crevices.

Oh, and the best part was swimming with the sea turtle. I was playing in the water at Hapuna beach when along comes this turtle, motoring within arms length of me not the least bit concerned by the people in the water.