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Beach or Mountain?

Happy Monday. It's my last day of a short vacation to Park City, Utah with my sisters and their families. Yesterday we hiked up one mountain in the ski resort, encountering exquisite blue skies, colorful wildflowers, and sore calf muscles!

 My sisters and I. Which one is the marathon runner? (hint: not me, on the right) ;-)

The hike inspired some thought about my favorite places to visit and favorite settings for novels. While the mountains are strong and majestic, I have to say I'm a beach girl. There's something so spiritual for me about the vast expanse of sea, rolling in with a never-ending rush of waves. For romance novels, the beach just seems right.

That's one reason I adored the cover art for the Summer Breeze short story anthology designed by Stephanie Swartz (see cover on the right). What a loving scene on the beach! I guess the only drawback would be getting sand in your nether regions during an intimate scene, but otherwise the beach is perfect for me.

Of the stories I've read so far, Hannah Downing capitalized beautifully on the beach setting for her Young Adult romance. I'm the genius who set my story in the dead of winter (duh!) but I look forward to reading Summer Breeze and Heat Wave to check out all the sizzling summer stories, whatever their setting, to help Save the Ta-Tas.

What do you prefer: Beach or Mountain?

Comments

kelsey said…
Oh! The Rocky Mountains are beautiful! I've found hiking in the mountain inspiring for certain settings for my writing as well. But, I'm truely a beach girl! I love the sand and surf!
Glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip!
Jennifer Lane said…
Hey Kelsey, what states have you hiked the Rocky Mountains? I think the mountain range in Park City is called the Wasatch--not sure if that's part of the Rockies. I'm with ya on loving the sand and the surf.
I prefer the beach but live near the mountains. I can't believe you are in Park City, just 40 minutes away from me! My sisters and I did a weekend there in June. It was the most fun ever!
Jennifer Lane said…
Hi Karen! I didn't know we were so close. This trip is less than 3 days since I have to get back to work Tuesday, but next time I come out maybe we can meet up. Good luck with your writing.
billy & jj said…
Mountains....for sure the mountains - though I do love the beach....and I love how you used the words nether regions in your blog:) Love the picture of you and your sisters in the Utah Mountains....I really do want to visit there sometime!
kelsey said…
I've mainly hiked the Mummy Range in Colorado. It's just outside of Estes Park. Though, it's been a few years since I last visited.
Jennifer Lane said…
Hello Billy and JJ! I just figured out who you are. I didn't know you were a mountain fan, and we will have to get you out here soon. A nice break from the humidity!

Kelsey, I think I've skied at Estes Park when my sister lived in Boulder. Very nice.
Nicki Elson said…
Fun! I love a family that vacations together. :) And what a gorgeous place. I'm flexible on setting---depends on the story. But I do find staring at a mountain range more inspirational creatively. The beach makes me sleepy. Um, yeah, still have to order my anthologies---what the *bleep* is wrong with me? I'll get on that because it'll be a very fun way to get a sampling of the Omni girls' work!
Jennifer Lane said…
Nicki, I just finished Summer Breeze and loved your story. The age range was quite unexpected but not as surprising as the identity of the crooner bwa ha ha! I don't know much about Sarah Glover but she's a great writer. Now I'm going to dive into Heat Wave, oo la la.
Ellen said…
so jealous, that looks gorgeous! I love the beach, but I hardly ever get to go to the mountains, so at the moment, I'd prefer mountains, for a change-of-pace ;)
Jennifer Lane said…
Ellen, when I returned to the heat of Ohio I definitely wanted to go back to the cool mountains! Maybe I prefer mountains in the summer and beaches in the winter. :) thanks for stopping by.
Darcia Helle said…
Beautiful photos, Jen! Having grown up in Massachusetts, I was never more than a few hours from both the ocean and the mountains. Now, living in Florida, I find that the flat land drives me a bit crazy. I miss the mountains! But I do love the ocean. I want both - but I want them both to exist in a summer climate. :)