I love to travel, whether to reconnect with my first home (Switzerland) or to explore new areas. When I do research for my novels, which take place in different countries, I often go back to a place to really look at it and see things I didn’t notice when I traveled there as a tourist. It’s a different kind of traveling, you have to slow down and really look at details in order to describe them accurately. Not just looking with your eyes, but using all your senses: observe the colors, light and shadow, smell the scents, listen to the sounds, taste the food. It’s one of the most satisfying experiences of creative writing.

This morning, I went on my usual walk past my favorite pond of my childhood. As a child, I spent hours exploring, watching the ducks and other water birds.

This morning, I was struck by the play of light filtered through the trees.   

 

This pond also plays a role in my novel An Uncommon Family (Family Portrait, Book 1)

More pictures that served as inspiration for the novel, you can find here: Picture Tour.