Every year at Christmas, numerous (actually, that deserves to be capitalized—NUMEROUS) family members descend on Colorado, and my normal “introverted writer” self is required to be sociable. In order to charge up my sociable batteries, I try to get away for some solitude ahead of time. My Go-To Place is often the gorgeous, silent, and spectacular canyonlands country of southern Utah.

I carved out five days to drive across the Colorado mountains, to Moab Utah, then south to the small town of Monticello–nearly empty this time of year, with few services, but a very inexpensive motel room, and right at the edge of the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. I was writing the last chapters and tales in CLOCKWORK LIVES, my new book set in the same fantastical steampunk universe as CLOCKWORK ANGELS.

It was a long drive on the first day, with a snowstorm scheduled for the next day, but I made it there by mid-afternoon, and I dictated three new chapters on the drive (while taking breaks to listen to the audiobook of READY PLAYER ONE by Ernie Cline). I brought along canned meals, chips, a coffee maker, a growler of microbrew—good thing, because there is NO place to buy beer in Monticello and almost NO restaurants open. The first night, I was the only guest in the motel—nice quiet time for writing and editing on the laptop.

Next day, a predicted winter storm hit (so much for a long hike that day!) so I stayed in the room and edited most of the morning, but went out for a brief canyonlands hike in the snow. Gorgeous! Completely silent and even the national park was empty, Visitor’s Center and entrance station closed, trails covered with snow. It was the real “red rocks desert” from Clockwork Angels!

The third day, beautiful weather again, I made a much longer road trip, driving from Monticello to some Anasazi ruins, Edge of the Cedars State Park, Natural Bridges National Monument (I hiked out to the base of each of the three amazing bridges, on very icy trails!), then a drive down the dramatic Moki Dugway—spectacular steep switchbacks on a gravel road down the sharp side of a mesa to the valley below—and the breathtaking Valley of the Gods.

It was a long day, and I was just getting to the 17-mile dirt road scenic drive through the Valley of the Gods rock formations in late afternoon, with sunset less than an hour away. As with much of my day, I had the whole place to myself, and I drove among the rock formations, snapping pics as the light and the shadows got more dramatic. I had never seen scenery like this before! And I wrote the entire Fisherman’s Tale for CLOCKWORK LIVES.

As twilight was deepening, I made it to the road and a quick side trip to the town of Mexican Hat and another unique rock formation. I didn’t get back to the room until well after dark, microwaved dinner and chips, and some editing before a bath and bed.

My last full day, I drove into the Needles District to redo one of my favorite hikes ever, a 13-mile odyssey in Chesler Park and Devil’s Kitchen. Again, I did not see another hiker or even drive-by tourist in the national park the whole day, but I wrote another chapter and The Wrecker’s Tale, the last of the tales in the book.

Got up early the next morning for the long drive back, my return to civilization. Two hours later, 20 minutes before I crossed the border into Colorado, I finished dictating the very last chapter and the epilogue to CLOCKWORK LIVES, a very satisfying experience. And I could smile the rest of the way home, knowing I had finished the draft of the book and all recharged and ready for the family visitors.