Labor Day weekend found my family making the 7.5 hour drive from Indiana up the length of Michigan to Mackinac Island. This was our fourth visit to the island, but the first time we didn’t have an infant or toddler. We laughed and hiked and biked and shopped and had an all around great time connecting. This summer we hadn’t been able to get away, all six of us, so this was my desperate attempt to squeeze in a few days, knowing that someday soon those will be very hard to come by. The best sign was the way the kids started talking on the drive home about when we’d go back. Love it! The Island Bookstore on Mackinac had a stack of Deadly Secrets on Mackinac Island on the shelves, so of course I offered to sign them. After chatting with the manager a bit, I got her contact information and a copy of Delayed Justice is in her hands now. If you ever find yourself on Mackinac, I highly recommend spending some time in that charming spot. So many great books! This is my clan. It’s hard to believe that the first time we visited our oldest was four and the tall kid on the right was one — and not a fan of riding the burly cart. Now everyone could bike around the island. Best story: someone asking how long the bike ride is: 8.2 miles. They looked at the clerk and asked, and how far is it if you go the other direction? (Insert face palm–and no, it was no one in my family 🙂 ). For such a small island, there is so much natural beauty. I don’t think I could ever get tired of escaping there for a long weekend. The above photo is of Arch Rock. You can reach it by hiking or biking. Since we rented tandem bikes, we had to stay on the highway that goes along the shoreline. That lead to a great hike our first day to reach sights like this. Other than watching out for horse patties…it was a delightful way to get some exercise and enjoy time in creation. It’s always amazing how much slower life feels when you don’t have a car to get you around. And other than the two or three blocks right by where the ferries dock, it’s easy to find space to walk and enjoy the shops and homes. The homes on the island are beautiful like this one. From the first visit I started thinking about the type of book I could write set there. It ended up being a romantic suspense, with the heroine being a lawyer who’s been called back home. I think it would be the perfect place for a romantic comedy, too. My favorite photo, from our pause on the bike ride. There is something peaceful about getting out of the high tourist area and onto the back side of the island. The traffic is very light, and the peace of the waves crashing against the rocks immense.

Have you ever visited Mackinac Island? Where’s your favorite place to escape? In the spirit of escaping, I’m giving away a copy of Carrie Stuart Park’s latest romantic suspense Fragment of Fear. Just use the form below to enter. a Rafflecopter giveaway