The Story Behind the Story of Hidden in the Everglades

The Story Behind the Story of Hidden in the Everglades
By Margaret Daley

I have always been fascinated with swamps (and jungles but that is a whole another story). As a child I could remember going through a swamp in southern Georgia. I can still see the snake slithering away in the water, an alligator sinking below the surface. Later I had another opportunity to visit a swamp in Louisiana as an adult and a writer. This time I took notes and noticed more than the snakes and alligators. A lot of beautiful animals live in swamps. The birds alone are engrossing to watch.


I’m not sure why I think swamps are fascinating, and I certainly am afraid of snakes--even more than alligators. Which is strange since alligators are far more dangerous than snakes. In Hidden in the Everglades I give Kyra the same fear. I felt I could write that character.

It was interesting researching the Everglades, a huge swamp area in Florida. Its size has been reduced because of human development, but it still encompasses a large part of the state. One of the most interesting pieces of information I learned was that pythons are not native to the Everglades, but they are now found all over the swamp because people have release their pets into the wilderness. They are multiplying and reproducing. Of course, I had to use that bit of info for my story.


The reason I picked the Everglades is I wanted a place that was primitive, wild and had dangerous possibilities. It fit all those criteria. A person can get lost in the Everglades. All those scenarios make for exciting scenes in a romantic suspense.