Motorcycles--and Me?

Book research can take you places you'd never *normally* consider venturing. In my current book project, (The Swimsuit Club) the hero, Jason, owns a Harley Davidson. Online snooping around just wasn't answering all my questions, so I went to a meeting of a local group of Motorcyclists--and met some fabulous people.

The group was a chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, called "Warriors for Christ." I was able to ask questions to my heart's content, and was even given a nice close-up inspection of a sporty Harley as well as a few "dressed out" bikes.

(This is going to be perfect for my heroine's first ride on Jason's bike.)

I do remember my one--and only--ride on a motorcycle. I was visiting my cousin and dear friend Carol at her brother's house in Vermont. Just being in Vermont was an amazing eye-opener for this city girl. (Seeing pictures of a place just isn't the same as being there!)

Anyway, Kurt, (Carol's older brother) took me for a "spin" almost the moment I set foot in his house. It was extraordinary.

I was terrified, but also exhilarated. The beauty of the mountains took my breath away, and the winding country roads, empty except for us, were surreal. The unfamiliar climbs up steep, mountainous strips of road, lined thickly with dense forest, was simply unforgettable. Kurt was having fun showing off his beautiful adopted state, (and scaring the daylights out of me) and I clung to him for dear life. When we halted atop a nearby summit for an awe-inspiring view of mountain tops, I might just as well have been in the Alps! To me, this was like another country. I just couldn't believe the beauty.

Even so, it was a relief to climb off that bike. But that was over twenty-five years ago. (Yikes! Time flies.) After seeing so many beautiful shiny bikes up close at the meeting, and putting my newest fictional heroine on one, I'm starting to think it's high time for another ride myself.

Want to "haul" a rider, anyone? (Just kidding. That's biker-speak for carrying a passenger. See? You learn important stuff when you do face-to-face research!)

Blessings,

Linore
PS: This blog will feature all sorts of things about The Swimsuit Club, including excerpts . Next time, you'll meet the characters--briefly. Sharona, Angela, Frannie, Jeanine, Becky, Lisa, Jason and Pat. They've got a lot to say, and my blog will be an outlet for them for things that just won't fit in the book.