Signs and Wonders free today and Tuesday

Here’s the handy link:

http://www.amazon.com/Signs-and-Wonders-ebook/dp/B005FFTMTU/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1312244189&sr=1-2

And as for whether Finding Grace will ever have free days, the answer is no. Too many hours devoted to it to just give it away. Besides, I need to start earning even a little money if you folks expect me to become a full time author someday 🙂

Out West Day 8: Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

It was scorching hot but that didn’t take anything away from how beautiful this garden is. Having lived for half of my life on the East Coast and half in the Midwest, there were so many things here that I don’t normally see.

Out West Day 7: Hoover Dam, Route 66

Taken from the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge:

And a view of the bridge, the second highest in America:

The turbine room at the dam:

A little town along Route 66. The part of the road we drove is not for the faint of heart.

And another sunset. Because you can never watch too many sunsets.

Out West Day 6 — Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce is one of those other-worldly type of places. It has these totem pole like stone formations called hoodoos that look like they were planted by aliens. If you are a hiker, you really want to come here and hike to the canyon floor.

Nearby, is Valley of Fire State Park:

And last, but not least, Germans riding Harley’s. For some reason, lots of Germans like to come to the Southwest, put on their leathers, and drive around rented Harleys:

Out West Day 5: Zion National Park

Zion is a testament to what nature can do with water and wind and a few million years. It’s so amazing that it doesn’t actually look real if that makes any sense. It’s also at a much lower elevation than the Grand Canyon or Bryce NP, so it’s a good 10 to 15 degrees warmer.

Near Zion is Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park:

Out West, Day 4: Slot canyon, Kanab, Utah

It’s one of those places that’s a good half hour off the highway that you need a Jeep to reach but once you get there, oh my goodness it’s amazing.

It’s someplace you don’t want to get caught during a thunderstorm because of the flash floods. I confess I couldn’t help but imagine a chase scene in here for a screenplay — it would be quite the thrilling climax!

Out West Day 3 — Monument Valley is amazing

This is where a ton of Westerns have been filmed … As well as the snake scene from “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” You must go there sometime — it is spectacular.

Out West, Day 2 — Grand Canyon

I know you’re going to ask, so: (1) No, we didn’t hike to the canyon floor and (2) We didn’t do that walk with the glass floor on the north rim. (I couldn’t even see it, in fact. Did you know the canyon is 16 miles across in some places?)

Desert View Watchtower (1932) on the east side of the South Rim

That little line at the bottom is the Colorado River. It’s 300 feet wide, believe it or not.

The canyon says goodnight.

Out West, day 1

Montezuma Castle National Monument, north of Phoenix

En route to Sedona, Arizona

Grand Canyon at sunset

Home again

Just got home from 10 fun days out west — Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce National Park, Monument Valley. (Pictures coming this week.) Avoided sunburn, drank gallons and gallons of water, saw German tourists riding Harleys and South Korean tourists at all the national parks.

The first four chapters of the next Annie Grace adventure are plotted now (but not written). I have to spend the next two weekends polishing a TV pilot for someone but should get the paperback formatted for “Finding Grace.” Then in June I plan to start writing on #3, adhering to the schedule that worked well for me last winter and spring.