That's me in the black shirt at Senor Frog's, and yes, it's a barstool the waiter has his hands on. Puhleez! I wouldn't be caught dead in a bikini.
Hey! Maybe we could have a Happy Hour dedicated to spring break. Now there’s an idea. Take a few Miami Vices and Tequila Poppers, mix them with some Scooby Snacks and some Dirty Bananas, and we got Sex on the Beach!
Like I said, fodder for another blog.
Anyway ...
For all the good food and gorgeous beaches, we could have been at a multitude of different resorts in Mexico. Except for the fact that we were in the heart of the Mayan Riviera, the coastal region once inhabited by the Mayan civilization. Forget the food, drinks, and sand. This is what made my writer’s heart trip a little faster.
Despite the fact that my first book, Treasure, starts out with a Mayan prince placing a curse on a golden cross, last week was my first opportunity to hike around an actual Mayan ruin, something much better suited to my personality, not to mention my skin type, than hanging around a pool or beach. Blame it on my Irish blood, seems my body mostly burns and freckles when situated that close to the equator. I suppose we could also blame my heritage for the need for cervasa in the heat, but that gets us round to the all-inclusive thing again. Geesh!
Back to the Maya.
The Mayan civilization has long been considered one of the most culturally dynamic societies in the world, dating from 1800 BC to around 1700, when the Spaniards came calling. That’s a reign of around 3500 years. By comparison, the Inca ruled for only about 400 years, from somewhere around 1200 to 1600. Although there are still Maya living today, the culture itself is struggling to maintain traditions.
The ruin I visited is called Tulum, apparently the only Mayan settlement along the ocean, developed for it’s natural bay and location along trade routes. The Maya traded up and down the coast with other settlements and cultures. They had written language, used astronomy for calendars, and developed advanced agriculture and architecture techniques. But for all their advances, the Maya were strictly divided by social class.
I walked under the shade of the mangroves and palms at Tulum and couldn’t help but imagine a young farmer boy sneaking through the shadows in the dead of night to visit his princess. Forbidden love, myth, ancient tradition. Those ruins that got the juices flowing. I imagined a modern day hero and heroine somehow involved in a Mayan myth, searching for some ancient Mayan secret. I’m sure there are plenty.
Still, I have to admit, as much fun as it sounds I’m leery of the concept. An agent once told me that adventure romances were a “genre in my own mind,” meaning there was no market for them. I have no sales numbers on how Treasure did and my next adventure romance doesn’t come out until June.
What say you, the readers? Are you interested in adventure romances featuring everyday heroes? Or is there only room for the military angle? The cops, and the SEALSs, and the marines?
Oh, I almost forgot … a round of kamikazes, bartender. On me!
