The Roses of Prose: tourists

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Let's Take the Suspense out of Traveling Abroad by Rolynn Anderson

"It’s a bad time to go abroad."

"I’m afraid to travel."

"The terrorists are everywhere and they’re targeting tourists."

I'm thinking my friends' fears come from media drama and fake news about traveling overseas.

The truth is, most countries are safer than ever to visit.

Now, I write suspense stories, liberally spiked with romance and exotic settings. My newly released novel, Cézanne’s Ghost, is set in Aix-en-Provence, France. It’s true, several of my characters are tourists who suffer in the hands of villains but the chances of my scenario actually happening? As rare as hen’s teeth.

In fact, now is the time to book a flight and enjoy a trip to France, Italy, British Columbia, Spain, England, Egypt, Africa...so many countries! Of course, you’ll avoid the places where drug and other wars are waging. My point is, take some time to make rational choices about where and when to go. Some of my friends have absorbed the fear-mongering and are NOT traveling, which makes me sad.

Take a look at this Forbes Magazine article from 2017: https://www.forbes.com/sites/priceonomics/2017/03/21/ranking-the-most-dangerous-countries-for-americans-to-visit/#3337fb2628a7

“In general, a violent death abroad is extremely unlikely. Between 2009 and 2013, 1,151 Americans - out of a population of 316 million - were killed abroad. For comparison, 15,809 homicides occurred in the U.S. in 2014 alone.”

And get this: traffic accidents, suicides, and drownings are far and away the biggest reasons for Americans dying in other countries. To build a more specific picture, in France, with about 25 million visitors in the last 13 years, 2014, 107 tourists died (mostly from car crashes, suicides and drownings). This last statistic comes from a very interesting 2016 article in Time Magazine: “How Americans Die Abroad.” http://time.com/4250811/travel-safety/

Both of the articles I cite, above, will give you all the information (and more) to allay fears of travel and make wise choices, including a list of the least secure destinations. My hope is you’ll keep traveling and enjoying a wide range of cultures.

For those of who have flown/driven/cruised to other countries, tell us about your sense of safety/security as you journeyed. Is there a country you’ve visited lately that didn’t feel safe to you?

I promise you, Aix-en-Provence is a lovely city, so friendly to Americans. Yup, I put a few Americans tourists at risk in that town, but that’s what we suspense writers do! My novel is une turner de page; danger et amour à Aix. Bon Voyage!

Cézanne’s Ghost-e-book and print… http://a.co/bQdl7jp

Eight Suspense Novels Spiked with Romance and Exotic Settings

Web and Blog:

http://rolynnanderson.com

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rolynn-Anderson/188767867821613

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/rolynnanderson

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4990049.Rolynn_Anderson

http://www.amazon.com/author/rolynnanderson

Friday, September 1, 2017

What Kind of a Tourist Are You? by Rolynn Anderson

I’m deep into the second release week of Cézanne’s Ghost, so forgive my many digressions. My first announcement: I have a giveaway going on Linda Carroll-Bradd’s blog today, where all you have to do to get into the drawing is comment on novels that take you to exotic settings. Like it…or would you prefer your novels were set in the USA? If you’d take a moment to tweet about that preference discussion, I’d be grateful. Here’s the tweet:

#Giveaway of an new #romanticsuspense e-book.Do you like novels with exotic settings? Leave response on http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com/interview/guest-interview-of-rolynn-anderson/ 1 winner!

Now, jump on over to http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com/interview/guest-interview-of-rolynn-anderson/ Comment, and you’ve got a chance to win an e-book of Cézanne’s Ghost. I’m calling my book Une turner de page; Une Grand Evasion, Danger et Amour à Aix. (A page turner, a great escape; danger and love in Aix). J Everything sounds better in French!

I have digressed. Here's my topic for the day. Aix-en-Provence is the setting of my novel, where an American tour guide, once Trip Advisor five-star rated, is suddenly losing tourists on his watch. Where did they go? And why does the FBI consider him a suspect?

What I want to know from you, more specifically, those of you who travel in the U.S. or abroad: Do you buy the services of tour guides when you travel to a foreign site? My husband and I favor organized outings more and more these days; in fact, it was a trip to Normandy, France, that inspired my hero in Cézanne’s Ghost. Our guide was a pro, highly rated online. He also gave us lots of time to ourselves, to explore the sites, acutely aware the group had done their homework, and each individual/couple had certain goals in mind for the adventure. Point is, he knew how to individualize tours.

Recently, in Quebec City, Canada (Quebec Province), one of my favorite tours was led by a culinary expert, who squired my sister and me and six other tourists, to the best, most interesting café’s and restaurants in the town. We sampled specialties in each venue. Yum!

The question is: Are you the type to go it alone when you travel? If you favor tours, do you remember a tour guide who did a good job for you?

Cézanne’s Ghost-e-book and print… http://a.co/bQdl7jp

Three young American women vanish in

Aix-en-Provence, France.

The FBI suspects their American tour guide.

Leon Beaudet, formerly a U.S. Olympic wrestler, is proud of his five-star guide business, but when tourists disappear on his watch, the FBI dredges up a violent episode in Leon’s past and tap him for the crime. Worse, his new tour group includes Aline Kerig, who is as beautiful and carefree as the three missing women. Leon is fascinated and puzzled by Aline even while he fears for her safety. She refuses to go back to the States, forcing the FBI and local police to involve her in the hunt.

With the French tourist industry about to collapse and Leon as a prime suspect, how does he protect Aline and find his lost tourists?