Guest: Angi Morgan

Please welcome Angi Morgan to the convertible today.  She's taking us on a sight-seeing tour, so put the top down and hold onto your scarf!

Thank you, Michele, for inviting me to ride with the top down. I’ll share details how my debut Harlequin Intrigue, Hill Country Holdup, was conceived and researched. I also have a couple of contests where readers can win some cool prizes.

Your blog has inspired today to share some photos that were taken from our vehicles while riding either with the top down or at least the window open.  For those who know my family, we love Jeeps. We love to take the soft top off the Wrangler and just drive. There are plenty of roads in Texas and most of the time we choose which way to turn based on the least amount of traffic. First, here are some pictures from our travels.
HAWAII
 

Last year my husband and I rented a Wrangler and drove everywhere on Oahu and Maui.

But even when riding with the top down through some of the most beautiful scenes...you have to get out and squish the sand between your toes.

MEXICO
 My mom took me to Playa de Carmen for my birthday one year and yes, we rented a Wrangler to see some sights.

 We were told that the beach you see is the same one used for the Corona commercials.

SAN ANTONIO

 The River Walk and the Alamo. My current work in progress begins in San Antonio. Hill Country Holdup, my September Harlequin Intrigue has several scenes in San Antonio, including a walk through the Alamo. .38 Caliber Cover-Up heads north of Dallas, even stopping at the Plano Balloon Fest.

TEXAS

 I love setting my books in Texas. It gives me an excuse to drive and explore even more of my home state. I might seem a little over-proud... but my family has a long heritage here. The first record of my mother’s family is a death certificate for 1752: death by Indian arrow.

There’s just something about a back road to anywhere... The top’s down and you know you’re going to have to eventually pull over when the clean smell of rain begins blowing through your hair.

But as much as I like traveling, sometimes just looking out the back window takes your breath away.

So where exactly did HILL COUNTRY HOLDUP take root? At a Fourth of July fireworks display in Las Colinas, Texas. A judge mentioned my characters’ names were too unusual, so I was joking around with my husband and youngest daughter that I should just write a book called: See Jane Run. And the story took off. The opening scene has things we all observed that evening. The Hill Country journey is actually one my daughter and I took the following Columbus Day. The lake house belonged to my aunt.

I hope to keep traveling and keep being inspired by everything around me. I warn people all the time that they may end up in a book.

CONTESTS: The details for my contests are on my website. Today, everyone who leaves a comment will be entered in a drawing for a copy of HCH.  Hold Up the Cover will run the entire month HCH is on bookshelves--I have several prizes to be drawn for those purchasing the book and sending me a picture of themselves with the cover (and signing up for my newsletter). And there’s one more contest for debut week: I’m blog hopping and if you leave five comments at five blogs this week, then send me an email, you’ll be entered in a drawing for more books and prizes.

Thanks for having me on Riding With The Top Down. This has been a blast.

~~Angi

You can find Angi at her website where all the details of her contests are listed: AngiMorgan.com, friend her at Facebook, or follow her on Twitter: AngiMorganAuthr