As I said in my last newsletter, we left Tillamook and headed inland along the spectacular Columbia River. Despite what you might see in the news, transecting the very large city of Portland was neither complicated nor dangerous. It’s a beautiful city that I’ve visited several times. I wish we could have stopped this time (Powell Books!!!), but we’d already booked a stay in the tiny town of Rufus—and I do mean tiny. It’s lone claim to fame as far as I could see was Bob’s Texas T-bone and Frosty Lounge.😉

And yes, we split a steak. I owed Paul a dinner out for accidentally getting us on the very wrong road a few hours earlier. As some of you may know, the Oregon side of the Columbia River is blessed with a number of gorgeous waterfalls. The most photographed is Multnomah Falls. Below is my snapshot grabbed as we drove by on Historic Columbia River Highway 30. Trust me, this road wasn’t made for RVs, and once you get on it, the exits are VERY far apart.

The next morning we continued heading east, but soon turned to the south through the charming college town of La Grande to Baker City. We really liked this town, which celebrated art with sculptures on nearly every corner and its close proximity to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. I can say with heartfelt honesty, I never would have made it to Oregon on a wagon train—gold or no gold.😉 But the views in every direction were spectacular and if you look closely you can even see the ruts carved by the wagon trains of old.

We used our second day to replenish supplies and wash clothes, then headed out the next morning to return to an old favorite of ours: Picabo, Idaho. We’d never approached it from the west and probably never will again. The road was under construction and it was the worst (jostling, bumpy, dusty)…I kinda felt like I was on the Oregon Trail. But we finally did arrive and settled in right before a storm hit.

The next day was a beautiful drive through the always mindblowing Craters of the Moon National Monument then a sharp turn left that took us north along the west side of the Grand Tetons on our way to West Yellowstone, Montana.

And the following morning we got up early to see Old Faithful—definitely a checkmark on my Bucket List.

And, that, my friends was our “Forrest Gump” moment. (Remember when Forrest ran and ran and ran until he suddenly stopped and turned around? West Yellowstone was that place for us.)

Partly, our decision was prompted by a small but troublesome issue with our RV’s auto-levelers. But, don’t worry. The last leg of this trip was spectacular!!! You’ll see for yourself in my next newsletter.

VERY IMPORTANT BOOK STUFF

RUNAWAY GIRLFRIEND IS LIVE!!!

Here’s my new book trailer:

And here’s one of my lovely review quotes:

Grab RUNAWAY GIRLFRIEND here!

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Here’s the Cover Reveal of Book 3: PROTECTING EVE- A Heroine in Danger, Forced Proximity, Holiday Romance (Secondhand Hearts Book 3)

Christmas can be killer…

Eve Masterson vanished without a trace. The beloved TV host shocked everyone by walking away from her dream job at a top New York network, claiming she'd found something better in Atlanta. But weeks have passed, and now she's gone dark—no social media, no interviews, no contact with anyone who matters…and it’s almost Christmas!

Private investigator Matt Ross has zero interest in chasing down some entitled celebrity having a public meltdown. Especially not during the holidays, when he's already drowning in his own problems—a bitter divorce, a teenage daughter he barely recognizes anymore, and an injury that killed his police career before it really began. Why complicate his life even more when Eve is probably holed up in some spa, orchestrating her next career move?

But when Matt finally tracks her down, everything he thought he knew shatters. Eve isn't playing games. She's running for her life.

And now, so is he.

Again, your best price is the pre-order special pricing of $2.99. It’s so easy and effortless once you grab it, the book will appear in your reader shortly after midnight the morning of Nov 3.

Pre-order PROTECTING EVE here!

Happy OCTOBER and happy reading,

Deb

PS: It’s tarantula season here. My granddaughter Poppy is both fearless and a friend of the hairy beasts.

SECONDHAND HEARTS
His or Her Baby
Runaway Girlfriend
Protecting Eve
Valentine Zone
Good Luck Santa