Hey there!

When I first started writing the Danica Burns books, I was pretty worried about the research aspect. Except for my first thriller, From Earth and Bone, everything else I've written has been science fiction set in far future worlds that you can't fact check.

It gave me a lot of freedom to focus on the story and not go down rabbit holes of pesky details like, Is there a convenience store on that corner? How long does it take to drive to the trailhead from downtown Cle Elum? If a body is found in that specific field, would city police or the county sheriff have jurisdiction? Does Kittitas County have a medical examiner or a coroner???

The Danica Burns books are set in real life locations, which means I really want to get those details right.

And it turns out I'm really enjoying the research.

Book 1 is set in the Cascade Mountains near Ellensburg, Washington, near-ish to where I grew up. I spent a few days there last spring (I told a funny story about that in this post), and I'm going to be sharing some of my research with you over the next few months.

I figured that being able to actually visit the locations I'm writing about would add depth to the books. But I wasn't expecting to meet local color to include, too.

On my trip last spring, I ended up chatting with an older gentleman in a bar in Cle Elum. He told me a lot of his life story and told me about the town, and as we were talking I realized he was wearing a gorgeous Southwest-style silver cuff and ring set.

I've always loved that style jewelry, as well as the turquoise stones that are normally set in it. But this was different. Instead of turquoise, the cuff and ring had a stone with a milky blue glow.

One of the things I'd been researching for this book is the rare local agate called Ellensburg Blue, and so I took a guess and asked if that's what it was.

I don't normally put conversations word for word in my books, but I loved this guy's story so much that I decided to include it.

In this scene, FBI agent Danica Burns has gotten into a conversation in the exact same bar where I was enjoying my own burger and beer. She notices the jewelry and asks if it's Ellensburg Blue—a stone which has recently become part of her investigation.

This book is coming together more and more rapidly the deeper I get—and I really can't wait to share it with you all!

Fortunately, there are plenty of other books out there to keep you busy while you're waiting. (Including From Earth and Bone, if you're curious about my previous take on the Pacific Northwest thriller genre.)

For Your TBR

The MTS Bookfair Continues! I’ve dug through the many books at the Mystery, Thriller, Suspense Bookfair to find a few fall reads you might enjoy. Those are below, but there are so many others for you to dig through as well. Check it out!

Catch The Lie By Parker Vale Some lies are buried. Others bury you.​ ​​ Detective Ethan Calloway never talks about the night his best friend vanished. ​ ​​​​​​​But when the past appears with a chilling message—You left something behind—he’s forced to investigate the case that’s haunted him for a decade. Get My Copy!

Insurgent By Freddie P Peters Henry Crowne makes his yearly trip to The Cayman Islands under the pretence of an annual review of the law firms he works with. The ultimate destination Henry keeps secret is Panama, where he meets his IRA contact and reviews the financial arrangements he has made to organise money laundering for the Irish terror group he has always supported. After a fraught day trip there, Henry hopes for a relaxed evening in one of the best-known Cigar bars in Georgetown, but the night turns to disaster when a man is gunned down in front of his young son. Henry is a witness, and the police wants to talk to him. What they do not yet know is that the murder propels Henry back to the darker days of The Troubles in Belfast, and to the day his own father died at the hands of men who were never caught. Now Henry must use is resourcefulness to track the killer, find justice for the man and his son whilst avoiding the preying questions of a sharp Inspector. Get My Copy!

Happy reading,

Jessie