The Vista: Book 1 of The Wildblood revolves around the survivors of a world war that destroys civilization as we know it. Protecting The Vista is the core of the story, not just through the first book, but all of them. So I’m going to introduce you to some of the real places that inspired my writing.
This is Deer Lodge, Montana, the place I renamed The Vista.
(Photo by Sam Beebe – Deer Lodge, Montana, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9094066)
Beautiful mountain drives, epic scenery, brilliant sunsets. Montana is full of places like this. Yes, this is a travel brochure in disguise. I’ve been known to do some rockhounding, and Montana has produced more gem quality sapphires than any other place in North America. Yes, I have a precious vial of Yogo Sapphires. How’s that for some trivia?
Mt. Powell, Deer Lodge, Montana
I picked a place that I could visualize as being isolated. Not everything about The Vista is real for Deer Lodge, obviously. The beauty of this place is undeniable. I’m from the Rocky Mountains, and there’s nothing like waking up one autumn morning and seeing fresh snow on the peaks.
This is a picture, from Goggle Earth, of The Junction. An important event happens here, and it changes the course of lives.
The Junction
Then we head south. Manito
u Springs, from the Incline, at night. I’ve skipped more current pictures of the area, as the Waldo Canyon Fire destroyed a lot of places I remember, and I want to leave those memories intact.
The Manitou Incline, CofC
Other places my characters venture through, or to, include Cody and Casper Wyoming, and Estes Park Colorado. That would be a summer trip to remember. Start in Montana and just follow the roads, see what there is to see.
That’s kind of what my characters do, when they find out they can.
Here I am, stuck in the flatlands, with the Rocky Mountains just 60 miles away. I write, I dream. Welcome to my worlds. If you’d like to read one, I hope you enjoy it.
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The Vista: Book 1 of The Wildblood, by S. A. Hoag
(promo picture)