Thank you all for hosting me today. This week my book, Cold Case Discovery released. This is the 6th book in my Harlequin Intrigue Hudson Siblings Solutions series. As you can tell by the title, and all the titles in this series, all 7 books involve a group of siblings who work cold cases together. There is also one cold case that is in the background of the first five books, and takes center stage here in book six—the mysterious disappearance of the Hudson siblings parents some fifteen years ago.
When I first started the series, I didn’t quite know for sure what had happened to the parents myself. I like to let the story guide me towards answers that both make sense and surprise me as I write, but sometime when I was writing the first books, I was on a vacation to South Dakota and we went to Wind Cave National Park. There, I saw a map of all the cave systems in the United States and got a lot of information about caves. It started lots of potential ideas percolating, especially since, years ago, I worked at a state park, and while we didn’t have caves, it was at this job where I learned that Missouri (where I live), believe it or not, is known as the cave state. And I did some work at a different park dedicated to one such cave. So I had some basic knowledge of caves as dangerous places and delicate ecosystems. The perfect place for not just a mystery, but a murder!
Wyoming—where my Intrigues are set—doesn’t have nearly as many caves as Missouri, but there are enough that I knew it could be the backdrop of this mystery (and then the final book in the series as well.)
What better place to hide than somewhere underground and undiscovered? Caves are mysterious and easy to get lost in. They make a great hiding place if you know how to survive. A good thing to know for heroes and villains alike!
For both Cold Case Discovery and the following book, Cold Case Murder Mystery—releasing next month, I had to do some more research on caves—what would it take to hide in one for any period of time? What kind of effect would the ecosystem of a cave have on human remains? I also looked into old stories about bodies found in caves, just to spark some potential ideas.
In the end, the fictional cave system I created was the perfect backdrop for an old crime that turned into a new crime. It also gave me the idea for the heroine in Cold Case Murder Mystery’s job (forensic anthropologist). In the end, that trip to Wind Cave, a combination of my previous knowledge and new research, led me to interesting and surprising places in both Cold Case Discover and Cold Case Murder Mystery.
Have you visited any state or national park caves? Did you think they were interesting…or maybe a little creepy? One random commenter will be entered to win a digital copy of the entire Hudson Sibling Solutions series.
The series sounds like it’d be fun to read. Thanks for offering the giveaway of your e-book.
Thanks for commenting, Mary!
I have not visited any national parks in the last 45 years.
I highly recommend it! 🙂
We went to Mammoth Cave several years ago. It was quite something to see.
I went when I was very young and I still remember it quite vividly!
I have visited Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin, Georgia and FDR State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia.
I have also visited Andersonville National Historic Site in Georgia.
No caves either place.
I love those National Historic Sites–usually so informative!
I love seeing the caves as long as there aren’t any tight places to go through.
Strongly agree!!
I have visited national parks but none with caves.
🙂
I try to stay far away from anything that I may have to crawl through with a flashlight. I am not really an adventuresome person when it comes to dark places that may house bats, bears and other wild creatures. I will leave that to my reading imagination.
Totally understand! I definitely don’t want to venture into a cave by myself!
The only state or national caves I remember going to are Linville Caverns and Reed Gold Mine in North Carolina, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, and the Lost Dutchman mine in Arizona. I found them interesting.
I imagine they’re all a little different in different geographic regions.
I just went to Moqi cave in Kanab Utah not that long ago, it is not very deep but it was interesting .
Ooh, interesting–haven’t heard of that one!
I think two state parks but it’s been a long time,
🙂
I have been to both Merrimac Caverns and Carlsbad Caverns (got to watch bats come out at night)! Both were very interesting until the spaces got too tight – then I wanted out!
I forgot Wolf Cave here in IN at McCormick Creek state park!
I definitely don’t like those tight spaces!!
Yes, I have been in so many caves, too many to mention. The one most interesting was in Tennessee, not far from Knoxville. It had been occupied by various men seeking a hiding place. Some were from the Civil war; others were Indians many years ago. Once we were quite deep in the cave, the guide shut off his light and we were in utter darkness. He asked us to imagine how it had appeared to the inhabitants long ago. It was scary. It was at THE LOST SEA/ Craighill caverns, I believe it was named. Very spooky but so interesting.
I’ve done the tours where they shut out the lights–truly amazing!
I’ve been to tourist caverns like Luray, Dixie, Bristol, Natural Bridge, etc…
Yes, it’s interesting the different types and what people have done with them!
yes, fun
🙂
There’s a cave in Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas called the Devil’s Icebox. It’s closed to the public now, but when I was a kid, I remember going in it with my dad. It was the middle of summer, but the temperature inside the cave was so much colder than the outside forest. I didn’t make it much farther than the entrance before I begged to go back outside. I don’t like the dark!
Haha, yes! I’ve often gone in the summer and it’s a nice little respite for a while…but then it gets too cold!
I remember visiting a cave somewhere in Tennessee during a family vacation when I was around 10. It was terrifying. At one point they shut off all the lights so we could experience true darkness. I was holding my mom’s hand and still couldn’t see her next to me. And there was a massively deep lake in the bottom that they took us out on in a glass bottom boat. I was so incredibly scared. Then my husband and I visited Grand Canyon Caverns during our honeymoon. That one I loved, and we’d like to take our kids there someday.
Grand Canyon is definitely on my bucket list.
I have never visited any caves although I live in the state where Mammoth Cave is located.
Mammoth cave is a good one!
We have been to Cody State Park in Wyoming several times. I love going there.
Love Wyoming!
Have not read any of this series but they sound great so will be sure and get them. There is a cave not far from here that I have been in. Was originally called Kymulga Cave. My mother grew up near there and would tell us stories about it, how it was originally used by Native Americans, then later used during the Civil War. We visited it when I was in college and got in on the tour a little late. There were a lot of stairs you had to go down and the lights has been turned off all ready. That was scary. It was a long way down. The lights were on at the bottom, shining on the ceiling and it was beautiful. Lots of stalactites and stalagmites, pools of water and even some skeletal remains. In more recent times, it has been sold several times, redone, and commercialized. When my kids went on field trips there it was totally different. No more stairs, they even put a fake waterfall in there. Totally changed the look and authenticity of the cave. Such a shame.
It’s crazy what some of those commercialized caves have done to their spaces.
I haven’t visited any state or national Park caves but I would think they would be really interesting as long as I didn’t run into any bats.
I am not a fan of bats either!
Good morning , yes I have gone to the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and they are a site to see. I have also been to one in Austin Texas and it is pretty nice also. We have gone to a smaller one that is about 2 hours from where I live and it is smaller and not as wide for sure. A long time ago my husband and our 2 kiddos and I went to one in the mountains and we did have to crawl a little bit, now that was a little creepy. Have a great weekend. (not entering this ebook giveaway as I am not tech savvy at all, but Thank you) I enjoyed reading your post . Your books sound and look like Great reads , Thank you for sharing about them.
Thanks for commenting!
I went through the caveat Silver Dollar Ciity. It was nice but I m not a big fan of caves. We have several State Parks in Arkansas.
Oh, I didn’t know Silver Dollar City had a cave!
I’ve been in a cave on Kelley’s Island (I think) in Lake Erie. I thought it was very interesting and cold! I couldn’t do something like that today because I can’t see in the dark and my eyes aren’t very good in the light either. lol
I love the concept of your series. I’ve not read anything like it before. I’m thinking I just may have to add to my TBR list.
🙂
In eighth grade we had a field trip to Howe Caverns in Schoharie County, NY. Beautiful but scary to me because of the water so close to the walkways. Lots of stalagmites and stalactites, beautiful to see. Coopers Cave, a not very big cave in the Hudson River but part of local lore because of its connection to James Fennimore Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans I have seen but never been in. The teenage boys in our town knew a lot more about it than we girls did?:)
Don’t enter me in the drawing since I’m not an ebook reader
” The teenage boys in our town knew a lot more about it than we girls did?:)” lol!
I did see several caves in Virginia one was Luray caverns the other one can’t remember the name. Beautiful and very interesting with all the formations and water pool, so amazing,, but little on cold side and a little spooky.
Spooky is a good word!
I visited Carlsbad Caverns and caves in Tennessee but don’t remember the name of those. Your books sound very interesting. Thanks for the chance to win a set.
🙂
My husband and I visited one in West Virginia. It was both interesting and creepy especially when they turned off the lights. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Amazing what true darkness feels like!
What a generous giveaway. Someone is going to be very lucky. I can see a binge read week or two for whomever wins.
I have been to Wind Cave among others. It is an interesting tour. We took our grandson on a tour of the West and stopped at Carlsbad Caverns. That is such a massive and developed cave, it doesn’t give you the same feeling the smaller ones do. I have been to others. In Howe Caverns in New York State, at one point of the tour, they turn off the lights to show you just what complete darkness is and just how quiet it is. Not my favorite part. My husband did a lot of caving in his youth and our daughters did some with Girl Scouts. These were not tourist caves with nice walkways and lights. These were wear a headland and crawl through tight spaces and mud caves. No thank you. That I couldn’t handle. Mammoth Caves is a day’s drive from us and I hope to go there some day soon.
Definitely no crawling for me!
I have and I loved every minute of it.
I’ve been in several caves … in several states but never spelunking, that would be a bit too much for me. I’m fascinated by what water, time & pressure can form, I especially like the ‘post office boxes’ (not actually, just what they referred to the formation) in the Wind Caves National Park, SD.