I was raised in California and didn’t get to experience a Colorado Rocky Mountain summer till I was a wife and mother of two toddlers. We were living in Illinois at that time and decided to do our first summer road/camping trip with the wee ones in tow.
My husband, Bruce, had lived in Colorado for a while when he was in elementary school, and his family took lots of trips into the mountains to camp or ski.
As we approached the Rockies for the first time, Bruce said, “Wait till you see the high country. You’re going love it.”
And love it, I did! It was the official first day of summer, and the mountains were blooming with wild roses, potentilla, bluebells, Indian paintbrush and other beauties I didn’t yet recognize. Snow still covered the tops of the mountains, and the rivers winding through Rocky Mountain National Park were high, and a bone-chilling cold. Iridescent hummingbirds trilled as they zipped by us, swooping up, up, up, only to kamikazi downward at break-net speeds. And the high country air was full of the promise of adventure.
I remember thinking this would be the perfect place for a romance.
The mountains captivated me with their beauty and grandeur. “We’re coming back here some day,” I exclaimed to my smiling husband.
And we did. Five years later—after a hiatus in New York state—we moved to the Colorado Front Range and spent many weekends exploring the high country, hiking, camping, and touring.
It was during one of our summer excursions through the mountains that I discovered the numerous high country opera houses, most of them constructed during the gold and silver rushes of the 19th century. With my music theater background, I was intrigued with the idea of writing a contemporary romance and setting it in one of the small high country towns, using one of the opera houses as its backdrop.
I went home and made notes, and within a few days had come up with my High Country Dilemma story. I already knew that Fallon, the pretty, ambitious theater director from Denver, and handsome local firefighter, Lucas, had to co-star in their summer show in the opera house. They had to fall in love during those warm summer nights while rehearsing the script.
And, of course, Fallon had to choose to not return to her old boyfriend, and Lucas had to convince her not to return to Denver at the end of the summer season. But how does he do that? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
It’s funny, but even now when I drive around the Winter Park ski area on a warm summer day, I still expect to see Lucas and Fallon walking down Main Street on their way to the opera house to rehearse one of their latest shows.
Don’t miss High Country Dilemma today!
About the Author:
Dena Netherton grew up in the San Francisco bay area but always dreamed of a living in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, while writing compelling stories that inspire and encourage readers. However, her music theater studies took her to the Midwest where she earned a Bachelor of Music at Oberlin College Conservatory, and later, the University of Michigan where she earned a Master of Music. Years later, she and her husband and three children joyfully moved to Colorado where she began to write and publish articles and stories for numerous Christian Publications. Dena’s background in music and theater has provided her with wonderful memories to draw upon when creating her stories.
A writer of both romance and suspense, Dena is also an active blogger on subjects of Christian faith. She and her husband now live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.You can find more about Dena at her website: www.denanetherton.me
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