Working Holiday

For those who don't know much about where I live, the Okanagan of BC is made up of several small communities which have grown up along the water basin of Okanagan Lake. I live in Lake Country -- smack dab in the middle. I grew up in Vernon near the northern tip. My newest novel series is set in Peachland -- mid-South -- and has some scenes in Penticton. Last night, I slept in a Penticton hotel room.

In truth, Penticton is less than two hours drive from my home, so I didn't really need to spend the night. But, hey, if you can get a room with a jacuzzi tub and king size bed for $80 bucks, why not? Right? So, here I am.

There are a couple of legitimate purposes for the trip. First, I will be stopping in Peachland on my way home and speaking with businesses about potentially placing my series in their stores. Second, since there are now only four months until the series launch, I decided to visit the businesses I included in book one. This would give me an opportunity to introduce you readers to some of the places you might find in the book.

First on the list was Ashokas Indian Restaurant. I stopped in for lunch. For $10, I got butter chicken, jasmine rice, a side salad and naan bread. All of it was absolutely delicious, although I got the butter chicken at medium heat level, and that was enough to have me sweating.

My next stop was the Penticton Art Gallery -- also known as date night in the novel. It is in process of changing exhibits, but I had a nice chat and was allowed to wander around and see at least a few of the upcoming works.

Rounding out the day was a photo shoot of the SS Sicamous. Not my first trip to visit the retired steam wheeler but always great. As I walked up the ramp to get the angles I needed, it was like boarding the ship, and I couldn't help but wonder how that must have felt a hundred years ago when she traversed the lake.

Now, I have ten minutes before checkout time. I am headed off to the Bench Market for breakfast, then on with the remainder of my day. Still, this has been a wonderful and refreshing trip -- and I am even more excited to be releasing Walking Walrus Cafe this summer!