Greetings from the Centennial State - Colorful Colorado and Kaye Spencer!

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain… Inspiration for those words came to the author while visiting my home state—Colorado—in 1895.

Hello, I’m Kaye Spencer, author of sensual and erotic romances—mostly historical westerns—and I like to tell people that I live way out west where we’ve got a name for rain and wind and fire. The rain is Tess, the fire’s Joe, and they call the wind Mariah (Paint Your Wagon). I live in Springfield, which is a very small, rural town in the far southeastern corner of the state: 30 miles either way from Kansas and Oklahoma. I grew up in the northeastern part of the state, so I’m a prairie girl at heart. The mountains are beautiful, and I have to admit that my ideal place to live is Fairplay, which is nestled in the broad, grassy valley of South Park, but my heart belongs on the plains.

The Plains...
Where Blue Norther-driven snow blows and drifts with fierce inhibition.
Trees stand bent and gnarled from battling the constant wind.
Dry lightning sends grass fires blazing over rain-starved buffalo grass land, and rattlesnakes curl up on porches for summer nap.
But Sunsets paint momentary masterpieces on the canvas of the horizon.
Stars glimmer with stark magnificence against a black velvet curtain.
Wild flowers flutter with the gentle breeze that arrives with dusk, and coyotes howl mournful songs on crisp, clear winter nights.
Here, there is simple beauty.
Here, there is serenity.
Here…is home.
All of my stories are set mostly in Colorado including those written under my other pen name of A.L. Debran are set. Lonely Places is set in my home town of Fort Morgan. Gunslingers & Ghostriders is set in Trinchera. My Vampire Oracle, Life is set around the Greeley area. As an aside, the sequel to Lonely Places should hit the cyber e-shelves in a year. My books as Kaye Spencer are set in Denver (The Dance and Gambling with Love). I have two epic-length westerns that are also set in Colorado, and I’m going to self-publish at least one of them this year.
The descriptions of locations in my stories are real. In fact, I either visit the sites I write about or I’ve lived there, and I know them well. I like to incorporate Colorado history into my stories, so when I describe the cattle drive over Trinchera Pass, fording the South Platte River at Fort Morgan, or dining at the Brown Palace Hotel in 1892 Denver, I’m describing with meticulous attention to research and historical accuracy.

Speaking of history, if you’re ever passing through my corner of Colorado take the time to stop in Campo, which is a little community of 120 people about eight miles from the Oklahoma border on U.S. Highway 287. Campo is in the heart of the Comanche National Grasslands and for the prairie traveler, Campo offers a scenic prairie experience. Carrizo Canyon is a short drive to the west. It is a treasure trove of wildlife photo opportunities from big horn sheep to antelope to mule deer and elk. While you’re in Campo, be sure to stop at the Campo Café for breakfast or lunch and Ray’s BBQ for supper. You’re guaranteed to receive personal attention, good food, and warm hospitality.
Everyone who leaves a comment between February 6 and February 13 will have their name put into a random drawing. The prize is a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate and a complimentary copy (your choice) of one of my eBooks. I will draw on February 13th and post the winner’s name here and on my website.
 http://www.kayespencer.com/