In Set the Dark on Fire, Luke and Shay are forced to spend the night in a cave that Native American couples once used for fertility ceremonies. My husband and I found a couple of caves in the same general area as the yonis in the Anza Borrego Desert. Again, these are sacred [...]

The fertility signs in the Anza-Borrego Desert are natural rock formations, enhanced by human tools. Native American tribes such as the Kumeyaay used some of the yonis in fertility rituals. The actual location of the carvings is kind of a secret. When my husband and I went yoni hunting last spring, these [...]

Set the Dark on Fire is dedicated to my husband for a number of reasons. First, his interest in Native American culture sparked my own. Second, his enthusiasm for rock collecting and artifact hunting has led us on many unusual hikes. Third, when I told him I was writing a story set [...]

The Anza Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California. Most of the park is situated in East San Diego county, although portions extend into two other counties.
It’s always been one of our favorite places to visit, and is especially beautiful when the wildflowers bloom in April. If I could [...]

San Diego county has more Indian Reservations than any other county in the United States. Two of these reservations, Los Coyotes and Pala, are mentioned in Set the Dark on Fire.

Pala is very close to Fallbrook, where I live. Los Coyotes (not shown on the map) is on the other side of Palomar [...]

Just a quickie repeat post for anyone who needs a pick-me-up. I think I’ll be hiding in my writing cave today, and taking a blog break tomorrow for September 11th.

(My hometown of Fallbrook, CA, from the New York Times)
In Set the Dark on Fire, Luke and Shay encounter a dangerous wildfire on Los Coyotes [...]

I’ve done three photo tours now (the first one is buried in my blog archives) and I’m always faced with the same problem: too many pictures, not enough time. Which shots have the most visual interest? Which ones relate to my book in an interesting way?
The best pics are of the yonis [...]

The hero of Set the Dark on Fire is Luiseño (Native American). Although that culture practices sweat lodges, I don’t mention that detail in my book. I can’t throw everything in there! But I can throw it in the photo tour. Just because.
My husband’s family owns several acres of property in [...]

Tumperkin of Isn’t it Romance? and Jessica of Racy Romance Reviews have both written wonderfully snarky posts about smell. Romance heroes and heroines seem to recognize the most obscure fragrances. Authors also have odd ways of describing how a character smells. Vague metaphors like “sunshine” or “sin” are common.
As with many [...]

When I started the Crash Into Me photo tour, I mentioned the debated origins of La Jolla. Tenaja Falls, the fictionalized setting for Set the Dark on Fire, also has an obscure meaning. Tenaja is a Native American word for water. This little-known term has come to mean seasonal pool.
This was taken [...]