I'd "volunteer" to go to Tennessee anyday!

Sorry about the pun (Tennessee Volunteer fans will get it )...

I just got back from our family vacation--had a wonderful time.  My favorite part was the chance to spend all that close, quality time with my family--including my parents from Missouri and my teenage son who's going off to college next week! Aagh! (I'm so excited for him, but I'm starting to feel a little of the empty nest syndrome ).

It has become an annual tradition for us to take a multi-generational trip each summer--it's easier on my parents to travel that way; it gives my hubby (who never got to travel much growing up) a chance to see the country/world and learn from a couple of experts (my folks are well-traveled); it's educational and fun for my son (a nice mix of historical/educational stuff plus time to mini-golf, drive go-carts, drive wave-runners on a lake, go tubing behind a speed boat and--best of all, watch his mom feed a tank of sting rays --very soft, gentle creatures until they try to eat shrimp from your hand--the rays' eyes are on the opposite side of their bodies from their mouths, so they do everything by touch--having one crawling up my hand and arm in an effort to feed was startling at first--and quite amusing to my son as I yelped and apparently jumped into the air about 3 feet!  I got better--I enjoyed petting the rays more than feeding them); and, the trip gives me the chance to do two things I love--spend time with my family and travel!

At any rate, I also get to write off part of this trip because one of our destinations was Nashville, Tennessee, and the nearby Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's home/estate/museum--fixed up beautifully, btw!--if you love history or old homes at all, I recommend it--plus, Andrew and Rachel's love story is quite touching.).  But the rolling hills of central Tennessee--with a few short stops in busy, noisy, wonderful Nashville--is the setting for the Blaze I'm currently finishing up--THE RIDE OF HIS LIFE.  It's the second book in the "0-60" drag racing trilogy coming from Blaze in 2009.  Alison Kent and Jennifer LaBrecque are writing the trilogy with me, and Lori Borrill is writing an online prequel to launch the trilogy.

The people everywhere we stopped down south were so friendly--we also went to Paducah, Kentucky--another town in the process of being beautifully restored, and right on the Ohio River--much more blue and clear than the Missouri and Mississippi I'm used to)--and helpful.  And, of course, I'm partial to my big brother, whom we visited in southern Illinois (he has a lake cabin--much to my son's delight--I particularly enjoyed swimming/lounging in the water away from the ski/powerboat areas--the lake was warm like bath water--delightful!).  The people and places--like Broadway St. in Nashville--really triggered some great ideas to enrich my story and characters.  We took a fun "ghost-tour" carriage ride through Nashville, narrated by the lovely Nicole and accompanied by two wonderful draft horses and an Australian cattle dog named Gage.  I met some friendly--and hot!--cops (wonder where my motivation comes from? ) while we were waiting for the ghost tour to start.  And we ate some coffee ice cream at Mike's Ice Cream (some cutie-patooties were working in there, too!).

At any rate, before I ramble too far off my point--I had a terrific vacation.  I'm pooped, but I'm also psyched to get back to my writing (my editor is too, I'm sure!).

I hope eveyone is enjoying their last few days of summer as much as I am.

Happy Reading,

Julie 

PRIVATE S.W.A.T. TAKEOVER (Holden's story)--Intrigue--Oct. 08
KANSAS CITY CHRISTMAS (Edward's story)--Intrigue--Nov. 08
OUT OF CONTROL--Blaze--April 2009 www.juliemiller.org
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