Good afternoon ,

While my yearly trip to Spain is mostly for visiting my husband's family and friends, this summer I also had research on my mind.

As I've said before, my next historical novel will be set partly in Spain. I love having multiple countries (Stepping Across the Desert was set in Algeria and England) and really want my second home country to be in this next one.

But I lack knowledge about the time period. The problem with Spain is that there is SO MUCH history and, in America, we aren't really familiar with that history except for someone named Christopher Columbus. Who, by the way, lived the last few years of his life here in my husband's city, Valladolid. Which was the capital from 1601-1606.

Ok, so I know random things, but I need to know about Spain in 1836. About wine during that time. And about some their laws.

So I got together with a friend of mine who has a degree in history here who set me straight on a few things. Amazingly, the dates that I'm obligated to work with because this book follows the first one, line up perfectly in the transitions that were happening in Spain. I'm so excited about that! I can stick to the history pretty closely, though the characters will be fiction.

Next, I needed to find out more about wine so my husband and I took a trip to Zamora, a city we both love. The trouble with Zamora is that it's just outside of wine country and we don't have a car here. We needed to be able to get to a bodega by bus. The hotel receptionist said it was impossible. The lady at the tourist center laughed. But the guy at the clothing store where my husband decided to buy a suit just happened to have a friend married to a woman with a family bodega.

And because this is Spain, he called her and asked if she and her father would be willing to meet with an American writer to talk about wine the next day.

And because they are Spanish, they said yes.

Abdon Segovia, besides making a delicious wine and knowing practically everything about wine, is funny and super intelligent. I tried to convince him to write a book about wine because when he dies Spain will lose a wealth of knowledge. He wasn't convinced, but I'll keep working on him.

Here we are with Abdon in his bodega.

Here is the small town, Morales de Toro, where the bodega is. In the heat of the afternoon. It was so hot! Pop. 2000 approx.

Shopping in Zamora.

Research. This was a serious trip.

I mean, who wouldn't want this in their house? I do!

After spending three hours with us Abdon had to go. His daughter, Belen, showed us where we could eat in town and even drove us there so we wouldn't have to walk in the heat. Once inside the restaurant we were glad to be semi dressed up. On the wall were pictures of the chef with dozens of famous people. From politicians (national and international), to singers and football players, etc. We told them we came by Belen's recommendation and boy did we ever get the VIP treatment! El Chivo, the chef, came to talk with us, sat at our table, made a special rice for us, gave us some extra fish to try, made a sample platter of desserts, the works! And it was all so delicious.

A perfect ending to a research day. Except that we missed the bus and had to wait in 100 degrees for the next one. Oops.

And now that my mind and stomach are full, I'll be ready to start writing when I get home next week.

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But whether you are home or abroad, you can still take advantage of this book sale!

It's an ALL GENRE book sale and it ends on July 23! Check out the books here.

Happy reading!

Kat