Reality in #Fiction - #Mexico

People often ask how much of the content in my adventure novels is based on real life. Well, it depends on the story. There is very little in Shrouded in Secrets that resembles places I’ve been or things I’ve done, so it required a lot of research. The story is a totally over-the-top action-adventure romantic thriller that takes readers on a high-stakes race around the globe to stop a group of deadly terrorists searching for thirteen mythical relics capable of epic destruction. It was by far my most complex book to write, and involved a cork board, note cards, photos, maps, timelines, and lots of pushpins. Almost all of my other stories contain settings from places I’ve been and/or embellished adventures I’ve experienced and I’ll share a few of those from time to time.

When I caught the international travel bug decades ago, I spent quite a bit of time in Mexico and occasionally ventured into Belize. I was, and still am, fascinated with Mayan ruins and never pass up an opportunity to visit these amazing archeological sites. I have visited Tulum, Cobá, Chichén Itzá, and Ek Balam in Mexico and several in Belize. Each site is unique and special in many ways and two have found their way into my stories. In Marked in Mexico a burnt-out lawyer, who happens to be the daughter of a powerful U.S. Senator, an ex-army Ranger, a couple of college students, and an obnoxious businessman are kidnapped at the Sacred Well while visiting Chichén Itzá. The Sacred Well is a large cenote about 65 yards in diameter, which is set-off from the rest of the ruins. Legend has it that the well was used for human sacrifice, which is quite believable as the skeletons of about 50 people have been found in the well. What better place for the action to explode in an adventure-suspense novel. Thankfully, my adventures in the jungles of Mexico have been much less eventful than Jessica and Jack’s, and I hope their story will entertain and endear readers.