During my summer hiatus from writing, I’m doing some traveling.  My next book will be set in the Appalachian region so I wanted to visit the area.   Appalachia has to be one of the most fascinatingly diverse areas in our country.  Rolling hills grow into mountains, technology is valued less than family, and there is a depth of history that is tangible.  The poverty can be overwhelming while the landscape takes your breath away.  My husband and I stopped by a roadside stand–which was really a pick-up truck–to buy a bundle of firewood for our campfire.  The young man and his even younger brother who sold us the wood will surely find their way into my book.  The excitement from the younger boy at having a customer, the downcast face of the older brother who most certainly would have rather been out doing what teens do best——they touched my heart in a way that told me they needed a place in my story.  I guess I’m cheating on my self-imposed break from writing, but it’s pretty hard to quiet the voices in your head.