One of the reasons behind the timing of this RV trip was the month-long Tucson Mineral & Gem show. My mom was a big “Rock Hound” in her day. It must run in the family because I still have a few treasures that my grandmother collected on the Dakota prairie, including a very cool fossel. So, I was excited to attend this show.

What I didn’t expect was how BIG this event was. Fifty-plus venues, thousands of vendors from around the world, workshops, demonstrations, and tons of people.

While I found it a bit like shopping in a specialized Costco on steroids, everything inside these three giant tents was also very interesting. The T-rex looked pretty darn authentic, although, of course, it was a to-scale replica. And in case you don’t have room for an entire dinosaur skeleton, you can own a T-Rex skull for a mere $980.00. Here’s the link.😉

PS: apologies for the x-rated pic in the collage, but it brought a good laugh— and a few groans from the men.

After a quick bite, we headed to the Pima Air and Space Museum. This place offers two-day passes and tram tours, which might give you some idea how large this museum is. If you like planes and military history, be prepared to spend a number of hours here. (They have a restaurant, if you run out of steam.)

Given the scope and size of the hangers, photography was a challenge, but here are a few shots that caught my eye—from the Wright Brothers to the Starship Enterprise hovering above Earth.

The next morning, it was time to head west, again. Our last night in Arizona was at a place I’d always wanted to visit: Lake Havasu City—home to London Bridge…yes, the real London Bridge of nursery rhyme fame.

Our campsite was right beside the Colorado River and the sunset was worth the price ($$) of a night dry-camping there.

The next morning we enjoyed learning all about the history of the London Bridge and how it came to reside in Arizona. The entire project was way more interesting and impressive than any of us expected. We were glad we made this stop on our way home.

And that, my friends, wraps up our first RV trip of 2025. Number two is in the works, but more about that later.

First, I’m super excited to share my new cover and a link to the PRINT version of a book that holds a very special place in my heart: BLACK HILLS NATIVE SON.

I don’t know if I shared my connection to this book in my newsletter before, but my late uncle JW “Jiggs” Thompson was Native American/First Peoples/Lakota. He married my paternal aunt Helen right before the onset of WWII. After the war, they settled on a ranch in the Lower Brule Reservation in central South Dakota. Jiggs was truly a larger-than-life character—rancher, cowboy, businessman, and tribal leader. As a child, I cherished my summer vacations spent with my cousins, Linda, Martha, and Julie. We rode horses, swam in the Missouri River, and hunted for rattlesnake eggs (don’t ask me why).

When I started writing my Black Hills series, I knew I wanted to include characters with connections to this part of my life in one book. Although my aunt and uncle were gone, my cousins were very helpful, and I did my best to shine an honest light on a people too often portrayed as stereotypes.

I came to love and admire both Char and Eli. They’re survivors, and each had to overcome grievous loss and guilt as they try to find the child Char was forced to give up for adoption when she was sixteen.

Now…here’s my problem. This book has only fifteen ratings and 1 review. And, unfortunately, that lone review is not great. The reader who left it quite correctly pointed out two dumb mistakes, which I immediately fixed. Unfortunately, this is the only review prospective readers see.

If you, dear friends, have read this book (It’s #5 in the BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS series and also available in my 10-book MEET ME IN THE BLACK HILLS box set), please, please leave a few positive words if you liked it, more if it touched your heart in any way.

This is important because this book is going to be part of a NEW project (which I’ll share with my newsletter followers first) and I truly need BHNS to shine.

The ebook version is FREE for Kindle Unlimited readers on Amazon here.

If you’re boycotting Amazon as a lot of people are, here is a link to the free download in my Deb Salonen Bookstore (one week only).

Alas, the price of the Trade Paperback book is fixed, but if you’re paperback afficionado, I hope you’ll add it to your library.

Deb

See you in March!!! Happy reading!