The setting for Search Beyond Lies moves into Idaho as the adventure continues. Although Idaho National Lab is not the setting for the story, it has a key role in the backstory. Idaho National Lab is a real place, formally known as Idaho National Laboratory (“INL”).
A Little History
The Idaho National Laboratory was previously known as the National Reactor Testing Station.
It was intentionally located in a remote area of the Idaho desert which would limit public exposure to any radiation in the event of an incident with the nuclear power reactor. The historic incident was SL-1 in Idaho in 1961, one of 4 historic incidents.
According to INL, Just the Facts SL-1 , “The Stationary Low-Power Plant Number 1 (SL-1) was a 3-megawatt experimental reactor designed for the U.S. Army to use in remote locations.”
The SL-1 accident resulted in 3 deaths and is “considered the only fatal nuclear reactor accident in the United States…caused by the process of making nuclear energy.” This does not take into consideration “industrial fatalities at other generating stations.”
Today
The U.S. Department of Energy complex has 17 national labs, one of which is INL. There are more that 5,700 employees including researchers and various support staff. Innovation is their focus in nuclear research, security solutions, and renewable energy systems. They are always looking to attract scientists and others in an effort to “redefine what’s possible.”
The Grand Tetons Across the Sagebrush Flats
Search Beyond Lies
What is revealed in Search Beyond Lies regarding INL and some of their recruitment efforts are fact. However, the story is fiction.
With respect to targeted radioactive waste from the Rocky Mountain Flats, from 1954 to 1970 it was packaged in boxes and storage drums and then sent to the high-desert, sagebrush prairie land of eastern Idaho where it was buried in trenches and unlined pits. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, they completed the removal of this waste from the 97-acre landfill at its 890-square-mile site that includes INL. For more on these more fairly recent developments, there’s a good article in the Denver Post.
One of the important characters is a schnauzer mutt name Brady. Is Brady a real dog? Is he fact or fiction?
Mount Beacon is the primary setting for the first part of Search Beyond Lies. Is it a real place? Although I have been known to use the real name of a real place in my writing, it’s not my norm.
Mount Beacon – The Name
My first book was a nonfiction book titled, A Beacon for Life. The name “beacon” was chosen for sentimental reasons. A Beacon for Life
is an inspirational written to help people through difficult times. For
me, it was cathartic since it helped me work through my difficult
journey while pregnant with my second child, Mary Kathryn, who was
trisomy 13.
The Place—Is It Real?
The place is real. It is Mount Meeker, one of the most dangerous mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park. The information presented in the book regarding the mountain is based on my research of Mount Meeker and discussions with a number of the volunteers.
Mount Meeker
The selfie taken on the summit of Mount Meeker is fact. When Brian Perri summited Mount Meeker on June 30, 2018, he took a selfie and sent it to a friend.
Nick Sangetta hiked Mount Meeker as a dedication to Brian, J.C., and the other volunteers. You can find his dedication on YouTube and get a first-hand feel for the danger presented on this treacherous mountain.
Mount Meeker Left / Longs Peak Right
My brother has hiked mountains all over the world and I asked him to view Nick’s video so he could provide me with insight into Charlie’s search for Brett and check my story for accuracy. I want my research and story to be correct always. He told me that Mount Meeker is very dangerous to hike, especially alone.
The descriptions presented, including the lone columbine in an area that seemed hopeless to support life are real. This photo was taken by Kimo during their search.
I had provided an advanced reader copy to a few of the volunteers who felt they were reliving their journey.
Search Beyond Lies is a work of fiction that is inspired by real events and real people. There are people who lived through the tragedy as a participant in the search and rescue, others were affected either directly or indirectly through a loved one, the news, or as a prayer warrior. Still others first heard of the events during this book’s release and afterward. There were enough requests and questions where I felt it was time to write this Fact or Fiction Series.
As we explore what is behind Search Beyond Lies, we’ll delve a little deeper into the creative process in developing the characters, story, and the “Aha” moment.
Writers retreat
the characters
Fictional characters are created from the author’s
experiences with real people. Authors people watch, live and work with people,
and develop an understanding of which actions trigger certain reactions. The
author “sees” the characters and their characters’ lives as the story develops.
Often the author studies personality types and may develop their characters
based on certain personality types.
An author may hang a
picture of how they visualize their character to help keep him or her focused
and in the character’s head. The picture may be:
Physical or electronic.
An actor, a friend of
theirs or family member.
Designed after a particular
person, whether as a villain if someone has been giving the author a hard time,
or the hero/heroine.
Regardless, often a real person inspires some portion of the character.
Graduation
the place
Although the place can be a real place with the
real named location, often authors create their own fictional location that may
be inspired by a real location.
As a lawyer, I’m inclined to create a fictional location, that may or may not be inspired by a real place, especially when writing a suspense thriller. The exception may be if nothing “bad” happens there.
the story
Some authors are plotters, others are “pantsers” (they write
by the seat of their pants), and some have worked a hybrid.
Plotters outline their entire story before they begin
writing. They know the end ahead of time.
Pantsers live the story as they write. They have no idea how it will end until they get to THE END. The hybrid form is used by some pantsers, like me, where traditional outlining doesn’t work for our creative process, but as a practicing attorney without a lot of time on my hands, I want to avoid wasting it.
The problem with writing by the seat of your pants is that when you reach the end, prior scenes may no longer fit the story and you would have wasted a lot of time on detail and dialogue that no longer works.
When you write the brief scene summaries telling the story, you discover the end as you write, without wasting time creating the detail and dialogue that cannot be used. It’s the best of both worlds!
In Part 2, we’ll explore one of the key places where Search Beyond Lies begins–Mount Beacon. Is it a real place? Is there anything specific that piqued your curiosity?
Search Beyond Lies, Book One in the Search & Recovery Series
Search Beyond Lies is a work of fiction, but it was inspired by true events. What follows is the tribute I wrote at the time to Brian Joseph Perri, J.C. Fischer, and Kimo McEwen.
An Inspiring Rare Friendship
An inspiring rare friendship is contagious. If you have two people you can call “friend” during your lifetime, you have a rare gift. Most of us have what amounts to as acquaintances. Yes, we may have a good time and periodically help each other professionally or personally, but what if your friend went missing? To what extent would you put your world on hold and jeopardize your safety, well-being, and your own life to find that friend? What I witnessed were two such friends when they discovered their friend went missing…
The Defense
My son, J.C., defended his master’s
thesis on Thursday, July 5, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. Brian, a friend of his from the
program, promised to attend, but he was absent. When it became clear that no
one had seen him since the Friday before, a Missing Person’s Report was filed.
It was the Fourth of July week and not unusual for someone to be gone … until
he was expected.
Mount Meeker
Brian Joseph Perri, a former special operations-trained paratrooper, usually went hiking alone. A graduate of the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training program, he was trained, tortured, and dropped without any provision into unknown territory and passed with flying colors. He was an avid hiker and fell in love with the Colorado Rockies, successfully summiting several fourteeners. Mount Meeker, one of the most dangerous mountains in the Rocky Mountain National Park, beaconed him. At 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 30, 2018, he reached the summit and sent a selfie to someone who asked to be picked up from the airport. M
Missing
Brian’s car was found at the trailhead of Mount Meeker that night, and on Friday, the search began. Kimo, Brian’s former army roommate from special operations flew in from Maine to help J.C. find their friend. Although neither were mountain hikers (this was Kimo’s first visit to the Colorado Rockies), they were bound and determined to find their friend and bring him down from the mountain. P
Park Rangers
The park rangers did their part and
sent up the Alpine Team to repel down the cliff side of Mount Meeker along with
others who searched the terrain. Twenty-two square miles of rough terrain is no
easy task. Helicopters and canine units were used. At this time, there were
fires in Colorado, and on Sunday, the helicopters had to be diverted from their
search. Not to be deterred, the rangers got permission to use a drone—the first
ever used in the Rocky Mountain National Park.V
volunteers
J.C. and Kimo never gave up, searching
every day possible for their friend. Priscilla Jane Kurtz Williams, unable to
hike because of ankle surgery, set up a social media presence and a GoFundMe
account to help with the search. Jordie, Kimo’s wife, gave him the blessing to
go to Colorado to aid the search while she held down the fort with their 3
children. She also helped with research, social media, and outreach. Brian was
very close to his sister, Becky, who handled what she could from New York and
was the family contact.
J.C. & Kimo searching for Brian Perri — Mount Meeker
All of their efforts brought in many
volunteers; some of the rangers even continued their search on their day off
after searching for 5 straight days. One week turned into two. Still, there was
hope—Brian was a survivor.
Fox 31 News followed J.C. and Kimo up (and the camera man took a vacation day to return the next day without his camera to help search). They quoted J.C. in the title of their story: “I will not let this mountain be my friend’s grave.” Friends continue search for the missing hiker.
found
Four weeks to the day that Brian
summited Mount Meeker, the park rangers responded to a visitor’s GPS tracking device,
which denoted a sign of distress. J.C. and Kimo saw them going up the mountain as
they were coming down one last time—after hiking more than 200 miles within 3
weeks, their bodies were too broken to continue. Despite the approaching storm,
the park rangers hiked up, and in their search for the injured hiker, they
found Brian. Park officials believe he fell 25 to 40 feet and died instantly.
It was the cliff side with very dangerous rocks and crevices.
“Why did so many who never knew Brian come?” my son asked a number of these volunteers, because he was so overwhelmed with the support of strangers. Over and over he was told that they were inspired by this rare friendship. It was J.C. and Kimo’s care, concern, persistence, loyalty, and dedication to finding their friend that exemplified true friendship—and that is a contagious type of friendship. So few people experience such a friendship; Brian was blessed with two such friends. Brian impacted the lives of many people both directly and indirectly, and his legacy and gifts will live on through these people—paying it forward throughout each life. Rest in peace, Brian—you were loved.
In Tip #13 of my Publish Don’t Perish Series, I shared resources writers might find valuable. This article provides another great resource I wish to add to that Publish Don’t Perish resource list. One of my favorite authors, L.A. Sartor, started a YouTube channel for writers. Trust me, she is a wealth of information.
The Channel
Her channel is devoted to all things writers need to create better work (techniques). It also encompasses marketing their work, including mailing lists and how to make them work for the author; the ability to learn tips and tricks from other authors; and how to publish independently. She wants to challenge the viewer, praise them, and offer solutions.
L.A. Sartor as a Teacher
L.A. Sartor
I personally know how L.A. works and how she teaches. She works patiently, with enough detail in each lesson to make it palatable and heart felt. No harsh rules, just suggestions. Her preference is for people to try and see if they make a difference. L.A. thinks they will, which is why she is so excited about moving this channel forward.
Check It Out
If you are a writer, and are interested in a valuable resource, please subscribe to L.A. Sartor’s YouTube Channel. Since it is a new channel, she needs 100 subscribers to obtain her personal link. Until then, you can check out her subscription link at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeYEx2Ad2qSluFFbSgzuerw . Clearly, a personalized link would be easiest.
Search beyond lies update
A photo of Mount Meeker & Longs Peak by Jim Franckum
As for the promised update on my novel, Search Beyond Lies (inspired by Brian Perri and his friends who searched for him without giving up), I am just about ready to send it to my professional content editor, Candee Fick. Although my previous two books were traditionally published, my goal is to be in a position to donate a percentage of the profits of this book to the Humane Society and/or search and rescue training for dogs. The traditional route does not give me this option.
Tip #15 in the Publish Don’t Perish Series is to ask yourself, “Why?” Whether your work in progress are your memoirs, a novel, or nonfiction work, why do you want to write it? What do you want it to accomplish? Who is your audience? The answer to these questions will help provide you with direction in what you need to do to get to the end, whether it should even be published, and how.
The End
Who is your audience?
Before you start writing, the experts always ask you to identify your audience. Who do you want to reach? Your audience is key. To name just a few reasons for its importance, your audience dictates how you write your story, whether a traditional publisher would be interested in your story, and how you would market your story.
Who is your audience?
Answering this question, will also help you understand why you
want to write your story.
The inspiration.
A dear family friend had a very unusual and difficult life. She reached out to me for guidance on writing her memoirs. I am not an expert in that area, nor do I hold myself out as a copy editor or content editor. The service I provide authors is on the legal end – either forming and organizing their companies or providing a legal review of their manuscript to minimize their risk of liability. Her quest, however, is the inspiration behind this article.
Why do you want to write your story?
I happen to be a member of an incredible group of fellow writers. As
I reached out to my group on behalf of this family friend, the response I
received from one wise member sparked this tip. It is all about the why,
especially when it comes to memoirs.
Thyme for Writers
This fellow writer wrote his life history and found it to be a
good experience. He didn’t write it for publication, but for himself and his
family.
If you write it for yourself and your family, he offered these thoughts:
“1. There
are no rules you must follow. This is your story so you can do what you want.
It can be short or long. You can include stories that make you look near
perfect or those that are embarrassing.
2. The other thing that motivated me to write it was a friend who
said, ‘everyone should write their life history because if you do not, someone
else will tell your story for you … and it will be wrong.’ :-)”
If you are
writing for publication, I suggest learning the craft and obtaining the publishing
guidelines.
A Beacon for Life
When I wrote “A Beacon for Life,” it had a dual purpose. It was a
way for me to work through my grief and assist others in working through
theirs. To help others, I had to have it published by a traditional publisher. If
I helped one person, I met my goal. Fortunately, my goal was exceeded beyond my
wildest imagination.
If your goal is to reach others outside of your family and friends, stay tuned for Tip #16.
As we thankfully close the door on 2020, in Publish Don’t Perish Tip #14, we open the door to your exciting possibilities in 2021. Will those possibilities take us back to this world as we knew it prior to COVID – 19? No. The world will probably never be exactly how we knew it — we’ll have a new “normal,” but the possibilities will still abound in 2021 and beyond! As writers, let’s take a look at a few of those possibilities.
Possibilities Abound!
Take Your Passion to the Next Level
We write because it is our passion. It’s not easy — it takes courage. It’s a lonely road we often question. As writers, we want to make a difference in the lives of others. What we write can change a life, save a life, provide an escape from the difficulties of life … .
Persevere in your dream, your passion, and take it to the next level!
Persevere in your dreams, your passions, and take it to the next level!
Take Your Business to the Next Level
Writing is a business. As in any business, you need to gather your resources so that you have access to all the tools of the trade. Take it to the next level!
Have you set up a limited liability company or corporation? If you have, are you truly treating it as a separate entity so that there are no blurred lines from you personally? This is critical to avoid “piercing the corporate veil,” thereby increasing your exposure to personal liability.
If you have not set up a separate company and treat your writing business as a sole proprietorship, you may want to talk to your tax consultant to explore the tax benefits available with a limited liability company or corporation.
Karen VDH Fischer, MS, RD, JD
If you independently publish your work, you may want to consider setting up a company to limit your personal liability regardless. If you live in Colorado or Florida, I can help you, since I am licensed in both states and understand the passion of a writer and what’s needed to protect a writer’s interests. Feel free to reach out to me at kvdhfischer@gmail.com. My legal website, www.KVFischerLaw.com will be launched shortly. At this site, you will be able to find helpful articles for educational purposes among other things.
Get to the End
Amanda Cabot
Do what it takes to finish your book — get to the end. Amanda Cabot wrote an incredible series with the acronym APODS that will help you do just that. In Tip #5, Apply APODS to Your Life, I provide a brief summary of the articles in Amanda’s series along with a link to each so you can delve deeper. I can’t recommend this series enough for every aspect of your life!
I am excited about the possibilities that 2021 will bring! What possibilities do you see?
Without a doubt, we are all ready to turn the page on 2020. To say that there isn’t a soul who wouldn’t agree (except perhaps big Pharma and Zoom), would be an understatement. Although this year will be remembered for generations to come as the most difficult, trying time of our lives, there were and still are glimmers of hope and precious positive moments that soothed our souls.
Family
far from family
For those of us who live far from our family, we most likely missed visiting them. Such was the case with me. I usually make a few trips a year visiting my family in Florida, but that was inadvisable during these times. I had hoped to see my “children,” but, that was also inadvisable. My daughter is a first level trauma doctor as a neurosurgery resident, and she is extra careful not to “share” what she may have been exposed to. My son works for Johns Hopkins APL in Maryland, and visiting was not recommended.
Technically savvy.
However, we are all becoming technically savvy, even those born before the invention of the computer (my mother is amazing with technology), and although we may not be able to visit the traditional way, most of us are visiting virtually through FaceTime, Zoom, Google Meet, or other video conferencing tools. The fact is, I have probably “seen” and spoken to my family more than I do in a typical year where I have visited.
I miss my hugs though.
working remotely
The work environment has drastically changed. More are working remotely from home. As an attorney and writer, most of my working days were done remotely prior to 2020, so in that respect, I was not greatly impacted, however, others had to get familiar with the technology and self-discipline it takes to become efficient and effective working from home. Because of COVID-19, I had to get creative with estate planning signing ceremonies where a notary and two witnesses were necessary. Yes, I made house calls, like old-time doctors in years past — my father made house calls. After going over all the estate planning documents via phone, I visited some of my clients at their homes, and provided direction for signing and witnessing through windows and glass doors. All good exercises for thinking outside the box
leaps of faith
Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer
Some of us made leaps of faith. I had been working for another law firm and decided it was time to hang my own shingle. For me, it was now or never. Quite a few of my clients came with me — they trusted me and was confident in my representation of them. I confess, it brightened my day and confirmed that my decision was the right one.
Novel – search beyond lies
This change in direction did affect the timing and goals for my novel, Search Beyond Lies. In Publish Don’t Perish Tip #11 — Be Accountable, I set my goal to have my novel ready for my professional content editor (Candee Fick) by December 1, and to my copy editor (Elizabeth Fenton) by Christmas. Alas, I failed to meet those goals. In order to handle setting up my law firm as well as meeting my clients’ needs, I put my novel on hold until a week ago and am back to writing between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. each morning.
Now, only one thing remains, getting my law firm’s website up and running. The Law Firm of Karen VDH Fischer LLC’s website will be launched on or before January 1, 2021 and may be found at www.KVFischerLaw.com. Let me know what you think after it’s up and running. My new target for Candee is the end of January.
The purpose of this article is to provide you with the comfort of stay at home recipes. During these difficult stay at home times, quite a few people who preferred to eat out, find themselves having to stay at home for their safety and well-being. Cooking may not be one of their strong points, but with simple, healthy, delicious recipes, anyone can overcome!
Below you will provide links to delicious recipes I have already shared to give you a head start. Then, my goal is to provide at least one or more recipes a month. Although most are low-calorie, not all are.
This soup is one of my absolute favorite low calorie dishes. Feel free to spice it up with Hot Italian Sausage (my preference is chicken since it is lower in fat).
A friend of mine shared this delicious soup recipe, but you’re in for an extra treat since this article gives you the skinny on carrots — a very versatile vegetable.
Colorful Carrots
easy baking
Healthy & Delicious 5 Week Muffins — Perfect as a Dessert, Breakfast, and Parties
When it comes to baking, my preference is definitely to make it easy.
Thanksgiving — Turkey
Dressing Through the Generations
Thanksgiving could never be the same without my mother’s heavenly turkey dressing. I only treat myself to this mouth watering pleasure once a year for obvious reasons — the calorie count.
As writers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the process of getting
that story from your head to “paper.” However, in the publishing environment we
find ourselves in today, it’s important to gather your resources. Authors need
to know how to edit their work, set up a business, get that book published
(traditionally or independently), and market their book, among other things.
The purpose of this article is to present you with a resource page
that will provide you with additional tools to make your journey easier. You’ll
find experienced authors and professionals who can coach you, assist you with
your writing, editing, technology, and business as well as marketing tips.
The Author Toolbox — Candee Fick
Author Candee Fick
Author Candee Fick accumulated over 100 of her favorite tools for authors and shared them in The Author Toolbox. She also provides mentoring, hands-on advice, and personal coaching in person for those in the northern Colorado area, or via Skype, or phone for those further away. Candee is also the acquisitions and content editor for a Christian press.
Watch your grammar – Amanda Cabot
Amanda Cabot
Since the mechanics of writing is critical, it’s essential to watch your grammar. Amanda Cabot’s R & R: Raves and Rants provides you with that essential tool that will help you avoid those inevitable mistakes. In my article, Publish Don’t Perish – Tip #12: Watch Your Grammar, I provide a brief description and link to each of Amanda’s invaluable articles which can be found on L.A. Sartor’s blog, An Indie Adventure — another invaluable resource.
Pageant Wagon Publishing — Kathryn Ross
Kathryn Ross
If you’re interested in a Christian writing mentor or an independent publisher who can help you develop your book idea into a print publication, you may want to reach out to Kathryn Ross, Author, Book Shepherd, Independent Publisher, Pageant Wagon Publishing, 856-205-9334.
Time management & the multifaceted solution to getting to the end -apods
Amanda Cabot’s APODS Series is an incredible must read for not only authors, but EVERYONE. In Publish Don’t Perish – Tip #5: Apply APODS to Your Life, hI provide a one stop post that provides a link with a summary of each of Amanda’s articles for your convenience. You won’t want to miss it.
legal advice for your business
Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer
If you live in Colorado or Florida and need assistance with your
business, intellectual property concerns, or estate planning, see what Karen
VDH Fischer LLC has to offer or email me at kvdhfischer@gmail.com.
If you have any recommendations for our fellow writers, please feel free to share!
