My newest novel releases on September 12, 2023, but here’s a sneak peak at some of the locations in the book, which is set in Alaska.
One of the things that made the book a pleasure to work on was the research element, which allowed me to take a trip to Alaska with my husband, Stephen. We enjoyed a two-week cruise and numerous excursions to view glaciers and eat lots of salmon and crab, and we spent two separate days on breathtaking Glacier Bay, which was the experience of a lifetime.
Wilderness Lodge is a fictional hotel, but it was inspired by a few locations that we visited for crab feasts and boat cruises.
As for the historic Old Town of Valdez, which was condemned and relocated not long after the earthquake, it is still possible to visit the former townsite. It exists as I describe in the novel, and you can search for it on YouTube and take one of many virtual tours.
Below you find some of my personal photographs from the trip, including locations I used in the book such as the Alaskan Hotel, the Red Dog Saloon, the Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau.
One of many enjoyable excursions to stunning locations.Try to imagine the size of this glacier when we are a quarter mile away. Pictures don’t do it justice.Approaching one of the smaller glaciers on a clear day.This is the front door of The Alaskan Bar, which is part of the historic Alaskan Hotel where Gwen and Peter stay during their trip to Juneau. They meet Jeremy inside the bar, pictured below.Stephen enjoying a beer inside the historic Alaskan Bar where the characters meet Jeremy. Note the artwork on the walls :).The beautiful bar where Gwen orders a drink from Jeremy’s daughter.The upstairs hallway inside the Alaskan Hotel where Gwen and Peter stay, and where Gwen wonders if there are ghosts.Gwen’s hotel room in Juneau with two twin beds.In the book, Gwen and Peter take the Mount Roberts Tramway up the mountain to view Juneau below. This is me looking down at the cruise ship port from outside “Mountain House” at the top, in the exact location where Gwen and Peter decide to continue their travels to Valdez. It’s a bit foggy but you can see our cruise ship below.A musician playing inside the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau, where Gwen and Peter go for a bite to eat. Note the thick carpet of sawdust on the floor!In the Red Dog Saloon: I think I was taking some notes here.Lots to look at in the Red Dog Saloon!An Alaskan Husky Puppy, just because.Outside one of the lodges that helped inspire my fictional Wilderness Lodge in Valdez.
If you’d like to see a YouTube video of a glacier calving and the giant wave it creates, here’s a good one:
