As writers, we find inspiration all around us. Sometimes we
find it in a news article, sometimes it happens while on a moose hunting
safari, or a story comes to us while baking a cake or working in the garden.
One of my favorite things to do is spend alone time somewhere
unique with my DH (which today means Darling Hubby…tomorrow it might very well
mean Damn Hubby. It depends on the day…). For our anniversary, we went to Ouray,
Colorado and stayed in the Wiesbaden Spa and Hotel. It was Amazing!
And I found the setting model for one of the books in my
Holy Water Warrior series.
 |
| The Vapor Caves |
Aside from having quaint, Victorian style guest rooms, the hotel
has its own natural hot springs and vapor caves, a private and very intimate grotto
with a romantic waterfall, and a history which just B-E-G-S a story. Case in
point? Chief Ouray used to hang out at this spring; before it was a resort, the
Wiesbaden was a hospital for the…er…moneyed mentally infirmed; and it has CAVES
under the resort! How cool is that? Also, I’m certain it must be haunted. It
just must be…
Everything about this place is comfortable, old, serene.
This morning, as my DH and I sat in the hot springs, the snow and fog gave the
early daylight a gloomy, surreal feeling. Two dozen ravens sat in the bare grey
limbs of wintering cottonwood trees across the street and watched us. It made
me think of Poe and death and ghosts…
And I realized this was the perfect place for a princess,
brutalized and almost murdered by her captors before the hero saved her, this
was the perfect place for her to heal and fall in love…
Do you ever have a moment when you’re hit with insight, a
realization some particular thing/place/event is going into one of your books?
