Wednesday, May 14, 2014

A Change of Scene




Hi. I'm Louise M. Gouge, and I’ve been writing for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Historical imprint since 2008. My first title, published in 2009, was set during the American Revolution. I love that era because that’s when our country was “born,” so I wrote two more stories in that series. Of the three, two take place in America and one takes place in England. My next series takes place in the Regency era, so of course it’s set entirely in England. Now I’ve come back home.

My upcoming Four Stones Ranch series is set in the Wild West. (Hence the “ranch” part of the series title. You’ll have to read the books to learn about the name Four Stones.) The first book, Cowboy to the Rescue, will be released in September 2014. I do wish I could show you the cover, but it’s not ready to be revealed. Click on the title for a hot link, where you can learn more about the story.

So why do you suppose I’ve hopped all over the place with my books? Before writing for LIH, I wrote two historical series set in the United States during the 1800s. I love that time period. I also greatly enjoy reading and writing about historical England. I even wrote a novel about my daughter’s missionary adventures in Africa in 1991!

However, no setting brings me quite the satisfaction as writing about a place I know well and love: the San Luis Valley of Colorado. I moved there when I was in high school, and after meeting and marrying my husband in Denver (married 49 years this June), we lived in the Valley. Our four beautiful children were born there, and even though we moved to Florida thirty-four years ago, we all have fond memories of that special area of Colorado.

For the historical writer, the San Luis Valley is loaded with historical places of interest to spark story ideas. I have pictures my husband and a friend of mine took of the following landmarks: the Great Sand Dunes National Monument (left), with Medano Creek running below,




the headwaters of Rio Grande del Norte (this picture is farther downstream from Creede, where the Rio Grande truly begins), 







the Narrow Gauge Railroad between Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado, 







Mount Blanca (at right) and many others. 








Another impressive site is La Garita Natural Arch in the Rio Grande National Forest (I don’t have permission to post a picture of this lovely arch, so please check it out at http://www.sanluisvalley.org/?q=node/320 .

If you’re ever planning a trip to Colorado, don’t just think of Denver, Vail, Breckenridge, or other points north. The San Luis Valley is a gorgeous area with countless attractions. And if you’re unable to travel there, visit through my upcoming book, Cowboy to the Rescue, in September 2014.

Florida author Louise M. Gouge writes historical fiction for Harlequin's Love Inspired Historical Imprint. Her latest release is A Lady of Quality (July 2013), a Regency romance set in 1814 London. Check out her other historical novels with these hot links: Escape from Kikwit! Ahab's Bride, Hannah Rose, Son of Perdition, Then Came Faith, Then Came Hope and visit her blog at http://blog.Louisemgouge.com



15 comments:

  1. Hi Louise,
    Your photos of the San Luis Valley make me want to visit. Congratulations on the new series. It must be fun to explore different times and locations through your writing. Do you visit all the places you write about?

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  2. Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the Valley with us :)

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  3. I love the valley, Louise, and living there must be a dream. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Louise, thanks for sharing. That's a place I will put on my list to visit.

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  5. Just got home, so I'll answer your lovely comments. Christine, I've visited all of my settings so far, but that's becoming less important now that we have the Internet for our research. It's much quicker than a weeklong trip, but of course not as much fun!

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  6. Leanne, do you know the San Luis Valley? Have you been there? We'll have to talk. LOL!

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  7. The San Luis Valley sounds like a wonderful place. Your pictures make me want to visit the area. For now I'll have to experience it via your stories.

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  8. Louise,
    We'll be in Durango this summer riding the train and rafting. How close will we be LOL?

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  9. Kelli, that's what we all do when reading fiction, isn't it? We can go any place without leaving our home.

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  10. Pamela, Durango is over the mountain from the SLV, but not a bad drive over Wolf Creek Pass.

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  11. I enjoyed your post and photos, Louise. Looking forward to reading your upcoming LIH book!
    I've been to Colorado twice and loved it, but am not familiar with the San Luis Valley, so you've whetted my appetite to learn about the area. ;)
    Blessings from Georgia, Patti Jo

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  12. I loved your post. I really enjoy looking at different places and read about them, too. I'm so glad you write about them. And it's a lovely photo of you.

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  13. I loved your post. I really enjoy looking at different places and read about them, too. I'm so glad you write about them. And it's a lovely photo of you.

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