Colordo Rockies Archives

Search & Recovery International – What’s Next?

Today’s article will give you a sneak peek into what is next. The last article, Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction – The Scientist, is the last fact or fiction article for Search Beyond Lies unless I receive specific questions or requests. If you have one, feel free to ask!

Book 2 in the Series

After the Verdict is the second book in the Search & Recovery International Series. I am excited to announce that it will be ready for release later this year. I recently received the final edits, and I’m happy to say it’s definitely in the home stretch.

The Characters

The hero in After the Verdict is Kale McLaren, the Chief Operating Officer for SRI. You will see a few of the characters you met in Search Beyond Lies and meet a few more you will love, and of course those you will love to hate.

You will meet Briana Bertelli, a gutsy Colorado attorney who successfully prosecuted a serial killer – or did she?

The Cover

The cover is still in process, but I am excited by its development. The artist, L.A. Sartor, created the cover for Search Beyond Lies and has assured me that she will create the covers for the entire series. She is an author in her own right and a true Renaissance woman. Her books are page-turners you won’t be able to put down. You can visit her at: www.Lesliesartor.com

Expect a cover reveal in the near future! I can hardly wait!

L.A. Sartor, Christmas, Best-Selling Author, job, goal, burnout, Prince of Granola, The Chunky Method Handbook, Thyme for Writers — L.A. Sartor

The Setting

The story is set in a mountain town at the mouth of Rocky Mountain National Park. I don’t want to reveal too much at this point, but I’ll share the back cover copy once the cover is revealed.

Fact or Fiction?

After the Verdict is a work of fiction, but as in most fiction, there is inspiration found in reality. After its release, you will be able to uncover what is fact and what is fiction through my Fact or Fiction blog series.

Stay tuned!

A suspense thriller with a dash of romance, Search Beyond Lies tells the story

suspense thriller, romantic suspense, Colorado, Rocky Mountains, action — Search Beyond Lies, Book One in the Search & Recovery International Series

of the search for a missing scientist, a top-secret project, and a ticking clock. Desperate to find his friend and mentor, James Frankel knows that only former Army Ranger, Charlie Sommer can help him. But how can he trust a woman who’s keeping secrets?

As a former Army Ranger, Charlie Sommers garnered the reputation of having the highest search and rescue success rate, but she’s plagued by the one she left behind. Now she’s on the verge of an exciting new beginning as a part of Search & Recovery International where her secrets are safe. There’s only one problem: the new assignment will take her back to Colorado and the loss that still haunts her.

The clock is ticking down. With their lives–and their hearts–at risk, Charlie and James join forces in an attempt to save the scientist and the world from catastrophe while finding the truth beyond lies in this action-packed thriller. It is available at https://amzn.to/3ueVmTO.

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction – The Character Names

Since Search Beyond Lies, is inspired by a real-life tragedy involving real people, key characters are inspired by these same people. In this fact or fiction article, we’ll explore what is fact and what is fiction regarding the character names. First, we’ll look at a few rules of thumb regarding choosing character names.

Rules of Thumb

The way writers choose character names differs among writers, but there are a few rules of thumb for the reader’s benefit.

1.You never want to confuse the reader by choosing names with the same first letter or the reader will have difficulty keeping the characters straight.

2. The names should fit within the era and culture. For example, if you write historical romance, like Amanda Cabot, you won’t want to pick a new generation contemporary name like Aurora.

Before we uncover the selection process for the character names in Search Beyond Lies, a brief look at its inspiration is in order.

The Tragedy

On July 5, 2018, Brian Perri was reported missing on Mount Meeker, one of the most dangerous mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park, after a selfie revealed his last known location as the summit.

Inspired by my son’s role in the search that was covered by news media far and wide, I penned Search Beyond Lies, Book One in the Search & Recovery International Series (SRI). Though a work of fiction, the book’s inspiration lies in the rare type of friendship my son, J.C. Fischer, and Brian’s former army buddy, Kimo McEwen, had with Brian, where they put their lives on hold and jeopardized their safety and well-being to search for him.

Key Character Names

As the back story revealed, I chose the key character names based on the initials of the real people that inspired them with one exception.

J.C. Fischer inspired the hero, James Frankel.

Brian Perri inspired Brett Powers.

Kimo McEwen inspired the COO of SRI’s Kale McLaren.

The exception was Charlie Sommer whose inspiration was Priscilla Jane Kurtz Williams. To avoid confusing my readers, I had to come up with a name that didn’t violate the first key rule. After brainstorming with my writers’ group, Charlie Sommer was chosen because of the character’s military background and the letter “C” was not used for any other character.

Basically, the initials are fact, while the actual name is fiction.

My fellow readers, what rules of thumb do you believe should be added? Writers, how do you choose your character names?

A suspense thriller with a dash of romance, Search Beyond Lies tells the story

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction – The Clues: Part 2

In The Clues Part 1 of the last Fact or Fiction article for Search Beyond Lies, we learned that the existence of the glasses Charlie discovered was fact. The way they were discovered was fiction. The story behind the glasses still makes my head spin….

The History Behind the Glasses

Brian was an avid hiker with a goal of hiking all the 14ers. Par for the course, his sunglasses took a beating. J.C. was also hard on sunglasses so as a tit for tat type of joke, they gave each other their favorite sunglasses for their birthdays. At the time, J.C. liked a certain style of Ray-Ban® sunglasses.

Brian & J.C. hiking wearing the infamous sunglasses.

The sunglasses

The day before J.C.’s birthday, 8 months after Brian’s last hike, a small package was delivered to our home for J.C. By this time, J.C. had started a new job back east, so he asked me to open it. They were Ray-Ban® sunglasses. He asked who the sender was and where it originated from. Logical questions.

The answers, however, did not make sense. They were sent from Estonia and the sender was his father, my husband. Clearly, he did not send them. Not only had my husband never been to Estonia, but even if he had, he would have sent a gift to his son’s new residence.

Hmmm. I took a picture of the sunglasses and texted it to J.C. They were his favorite style….

The investigation

I called Ray-Ban® and was advised that they could be counterfeits. They did not distribute from Estonia, and they were made only in Italy or China. I checked the packaging and tag. These were made in Italy, or so the tag said. The next step was to take it to an authorized distributor who had the capabilities to inspect and determine whether they were genuine Ray-Ban® sunglasses.

I did and they were genuine Ray-Ban® sunglasses. Hmmm.

friends and family

J.C. called every one of his family and friends who may have given him those sunglasses for his birthday. He struck out. No one he knew sent him those glasses.

conclusion

Who sent those sunglasses? Maybe it’s only my novelist’s imagination, but I’m not 100% sure Brian is no longer with us….

Search Beyond Lies is available on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3ueVmTO

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction – Missing

On July 5, 2018, Brian Perri was reported missing on Mount Meeker, one of the most dangerous mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park. Search Beyond Lies, Book One in the Search & Recovery International Series is a work of fiction, whose inspiration lies in a rare type of friendship J.C. Fischer and Kimo McEwen had with Brian where they put their lives on hold and jeopardized their safety and well-being to search for him. Was the manner in which Brian was discovered missing fact or fiction?

J.C. and Kimo searching for Brian Perri. — J.C. and Kimo

discovered missing

The manner in which the character, Brett, was discovered missing in Chapter 1 is fact. From his failure to show up at the defense, to the condition of the apartment during the welfare check is fact, including the participation of the character James. The description of the police officer is fiction.

The Last Known Location

Mount Meeker, Rocky Mountain National Park, Brian Perri

A selfie revealed the last known location was the summit. That is where the search began, and that is fact. The when, where, and to whom the selfie was sent, are fact as well as the reasons a missing person’s report was not filed at that time.

the car

The description of the car, where it was parked, and the events surrounding it are fact.

the park rangers

Fact: The work of the Alpine Team. A number of these dedicated Park Rangers continued their search on their days off as volunteers – they would not give up.
Fact: The existence of the Community Liaison and the Park Rangers’ reasons for deterring volunteers.
What was written about the search and rescue dogs are true. You’ll have to read the book to see their role.

bull elk, Rocky Mountain National Park — Bull Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park

Since I don’t appreciate spoilers, you’ll notice that I intentionally did not include any. I want you to enjoy the book while appreciating what is fact and what is fiction.

In the next Fact or Fiction article for Search Beyond Lies, we’ll take a look at the clues revealed during the search. I promise not to include spoilers.

Search Beyond Lies is available on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3ueVmTO

FACT OR FICTION: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PANDEMIC Part 2

by Jane M. Choate

In Fact or Fiction: The Other Side of the Pandemic, we were introduced to author, Jane M. Choate and her 3-part series. This article will take a look at what Jane has added.

More family

I’m spending more time with my family, especially my grandchildren. I’m taking more trips, like a recent one to Utah to see a new great-grandbaby. (Yes, I have a great-grandbaby, and she is beautiful.)

Spending more time with family and friends has allowed me to watch the interactions between individuals and then to use that, when appropriate, in my writing. Our family is messy. The relationships are messy. And isn’t that what life is about? Messy relationships that somehow stick. Our family sticks together, no matter our messiness, no matter what goes on between us. We may fight, but let someone attack any one of us and we come together, ready to take on any and all who would divide us. Since I write mainly romantic suspense, the hero and heroine have a “messy” relationship. Things don’t come easily to either of them. They argue; they fight. More importantly, they fight those who would hurt the other.

more purging

I’m spending more time purging, letting go of what I don’t need and don’t want. Letting go or purging possessions that no longer work for the life I want to have has freed not only space in my house but space in my brain as well. Both are important.

Too many things create clutter. After forty-six years in the same house, my husband and I have enough clutter to last several lifetimes. Getting rid of some of it (I’m even letting go of some books) allows me to see white spaces. We all know that white space is important in the pages of a book. We gravitate toward that because we know that white space means dialogue. In a home, white space means freedom from clutter. White space in the brain is vital as it creates a blank page for my thoughts to take shape.

More joy

I’m spending more time finding joy in the small things. Practicing finding joy in small things keeps my “glass half full.” In order to write, I need to recognize unexpected moments of happiness, of laughter, of love.

This is largely related to spending time with grandchildren. Who can resist a hug from a four-year-old blue-eyed blonde granddaughter who calls me “Meemaw?” These little scraps of joy remind me that the world is full of things to write about.

more fun

I’m spending more time having fun, like dying my hair blue. Spending more time in having fun and doing silly things, like dyeing my hair and eyebrows blue, has awakened that part of me that used to do such things on a regular basis. With that, I was able to add bits of humor in my last book, which garnered favorable response.

saying “no” more often

I’m saying “no” to requests upon my time and energy more often. Saying no to unreasonable requests upon my time and energy has freed up both.

In our service organization, we practice what we call a ministering program. It’s a good thing to be able to help others, and I try to do what I can. However, when my husband and I were assigned to one lady who every week had more and more things for us to do, requested more and more things which required ever-increasing physical and emotional strength than we had to give, we finally asked to be released from that particular assignment. Though she was a nice enough woman, she had no sense of boundaries. She took and took, leaving us with little left over for ourselves or anyone else. Post-pandemic, I have found more courage to speak up and say what’s working for me and, also, to say what’s not working. Reclaiming that energy and time gave me the same to devote to my family and my writing. For a while, I felt selfish in saying “no,” but then I realized it wasn’t selfish but practical to take care of myself.

What are you doing more of?

Find out what Jane’s NOT doing in the last article in this series. You won’t want to miss it.

Jane M. Choate dreamed of writing since she was a little girl and entertained her friends with made-up stories about them. She postponed her dream of writing to get married and have children. On one particularly hard day when it seemed all she had done was to clean toilets (she had two small boys at the time), she wrote a short story and sent it in to a magazine on a whim. To her surprise and delight, it was accepted.

Jane now writes for Love Inspired Suspense where she combines romance, danger, and faith. Jane is the mother of five children, grandmother to ten grandchildren, and great-grandmother to one adorable baby girl. When she is not writing, she can be found trying to keep up with her grandchildren. (The operative word there is “trying.”)

You won’t want to miss Jane’s latest release–Rocky Mountain Vendetta–A must read that spent 2 weeks on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller List!

FACT OR FICTION: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PANDEMIC

In the first Fact or Fiction article, I introduced a new series to reveal how authors use real life characters, places, and events to write fiction. The series was targeted to what was fact and what was fiction in Search Beyond Lies, a romantic suspense thriller inspired by true events.

I’ve had so much interest from my readers, that I’ve invited some favorite authors to share the inspiration behind their novels and reveal the facts behind their fiction. My plan is to publish the Search Beyond Lies Fact or Fiction series every other week and share guest articles on the alternate weeks. Some weeks 2 articles will be released.

Our first guest is Jane M. Choate, author of 41 romantic suspense novels, the latest being Rocky Mountain Vendetta – a definite must read that spent 2 weeks on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller List.

This article is the introduction, the first in a three-part series by Jane that will look at how the pandemic affected the creative writing process in developing the story, characters, and “Aha” moment.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PANDEMIC

BY JANE M. CHOATE

We are now on the other side of the pandemic (at least until a new one or another life-altering thing hits). What do we do now? If you’re like me, you’ve faltered, may have doubted yourself, even questioned whether you could or should continue writing at all. We get it. We’re all feeling our way to a new kind of living, a new kind of dressing (how many of us have pretty much lived in pajama pants over the last couple of years?), and, for the writers among us, a new kind of writing.

How do we find our way back to our writing or forging a new path in that writing? This may be changing genres or it may be developing a new schedule or changing how we look at the world. It may be letting go of something that fit the you that you were and finding something different that fits the you that you are now.

In the last two-plus years, I’ve been practicing new life skills, adding some things, subtracting others. How are any of these things helping with my writing? Truthfully, I don’t know how much they are helping, but I can see and feel a difference in myself. They are helping me keep myself in balance. And that’s important. For my writing. For my life.

In the next article, I’ll discuss what I’ve added.

Jane M. Choate dreamed of writing since she was a little girl and entertained her friends with made-up stories about them. She postponed her dream of writing to get married and have children. On one particularly hard day when it seemed all she had done was to clean toilets (she had two small boys at the time), she wrote a short story and sent it in to a magazine on a whim. To her surprise and delight, it was accepted.

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction — The University

In Search Beyond Lies, a key place is the university. Both James and Brett were graduate students at the university and obtained PhDs in Health Physics. Is the university a real place?

The University

Although the university within the book is fictitious, both Brian Perri and J.C. were graduate students in Colorado State University’s Health Physics program. Because my intention was to create a fictitious university, I intentionally did no research on CSU at the time of my writing Search Beyond Lies.

The Real University – Colorado State University

Colorado State University is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Its Health Physics program was created over 40 years ago and was fully accredited by ABET in July 2007 and continually reaccredited in subsequent years. CSU is recognized as one of the premier health physics/radiation protection graduate training programs in the country.

ABET and the Accreditation Process

In case you are wondering what ABET is, it’s a nonprofit, ISO 9001 certified organization that accredits university and college programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

Every year the entire Health Physics program is critically examined by an advisory board, and in depth every 6 years by the ABET external review team.

CSU’s External Advisory Board contains representatives from nuclear power facilities, consulting experts, mining and milling operations, and national laboratories.

What is Health Physics?

I reached out to one of the key faculty members who provided me with the best definition of health physics: “Protection of workers, the public and the environment from harmful effects of radiation while facilitating beneficial use of radiation.”

You might wonder why someone who works in the field of radiation is called a Health Physicist. Why not a Radiation Physicist? I touched a little bit about this within the book.

The professor provided me with further insight. “The health physics profession was named in an effort to obfuscate what we do. It was named in WWII to try to deflect the actual work that was done.”

Unique Offerings in CSU’s Health Physics Program

Unlike other programs, CSU’s health physics program offers classes in Radioecology and Radiochemistry. Both of these areas are important for evaluating reactor chemistry and making human health and environmental impact assessments for all segments of the nuclear fuel cycle. Additionally, these areas are very important in evaluating and periodically revising the environmental regulations for nuclear power and other nuclear activities, especially nuclear accidents.

There are many opportunities for their graduate students, including the ability to work in radiation research through CSU’s partnership with Japan’s Fukushima University.

Job Opportunities

Where do graduates of CSU’s Health Physics program work? Since there are very few graduate programs in this highly specialized field, opportunities abound. Graduates are working in nuclear power plants, at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Monaco and Austria, most of the national laboratories, and hospitals. Many alumni hold leadership positions in the Health Physics Society, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and nuclear power plants.

It’s an incredible program with global opportunities. In the next article we’ll delve into the truth behind the top-secret research project with world-wide implications at the heart of Search Beyond Lies. Is it fact or fiction?

Search Beyond Lies is available on Amazon.

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction: The Character—Brady

One of the key characters in Search Beyond Lies is a schnauzer mutt name Brady. Is Brady a real dog? Is his story fact or fiction?

brady the dog

Brady is a real dog. He is our incredibly smart, well-trained family dog.

He rings a bell when he has to go out.
With Rob and J.C. he does all kinds of tricks, walks off leash at their heels, will not bark at their command or even chase rabbits.
Notice how the above did not include me. He is smart enough to know I’m a pushover and he can get away with … .

Although he is not a trained service dog or search and rescue working dog, he could easily be trained for both.

Brady masked during CO fires for protection against ash. — Brady knew his mask and neck ring protected him from the ash during the worst of the Colorado fires.

The Story behind how brady was “found”

Search Beyond Lies tells a story of how Brady was found and slept in a suitcase as a result. Is this story fact or fiction?

The story of how Brady was found is a true story with a major fictional twist. In the book, the animal that was found by Brett was Brady. The real story is that a kitten was found in the exact same manner by J.C. So, the story itself was true but fictionalized with different characters.

Brady belonged to my daughter, Victoria, and her husband Rob who is responsible for training him. After graduating from medical school, Rob had to move Victoria from Washington, D.C. to San Antonio, TX for her neurosurgery residence program (one year later he was able to transfer to the University of Texas for his doctoral program).

Brady looking out the window behind him in Rocky Mountain National Park. — Brady looking back in Rocky Mountain National Park

We were to only watch Brady for 2 weeks for the move, however, since both of their programs were extremely time intensive where Brady would be alone most of the day, we offered to keep him for the duration of their programs. Needless to say, we got attached to him and they gifted Brady to us (one of the best gifts we have ever received).

the suitcase

Brady does in fact sleep in a suitcase but for a different reason. When Brady first came to live with us my husband, Joe, did a lot of travel for his work. Brady wasn’t happy when he left and clearly thought Joe would take him along if he slept in his carry-on suitcase. My husband’s carry-on became Brady’s bed, and we bought another one for Joe.

Brady–The Name

Brady as a young puppy hiding in a suitcase.

The story behind Brady’s name is true. Brady was very tiny when Victoria and Rob first got him. My daughter wanted a small dog and Rob wanted a big dog, but they were living in an apartment and small it was. Their compromise was a small dog with a big name — Rob named him after his favorite quarterback, Tom Brady.

I’ve been asked if Brady will appear in future books. I’m working on Book 2, Pattern of Deception, which takes place in Alaska. He just may… .

Search Beyond Lies Cover -- A couple in the Colorado Rocky Mountains on a search and rescue mission.

Search Beyond Lies is available on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3ueVmTO

Search Beyond Lies: Fact or Fiction—The Place—Idaho National Lab

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?

Search Beyond Lies is available on Amazon.

Book 2 in the Series

The Characters

The Cover

The Setting

Fact or Fiction?

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Rules of Thumb

The Tragedy

Key Character Names

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The History Behind the Glasses

The sunglasses

The investigation

friends and family

conclusion

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discovered missing

The Last Known Location

the car

the park rangers

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More family

more purging

More joy

more fun

saying “no” more often

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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PANDEMIC

BY JANE M. CHOATE

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The University

The Real University – Colorado State University

ABET and the Accreditation Process

What is Health Physics?

Unique Offerings in CSU’s Health Physics Program

Job Opportunities

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brady the dog

The Story behind how brady was “found”

the suitcase

Brady–The Name

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A Little History

Today

Search Beyond Lies

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