It was the middle of a snowy winter and my husband and I were planning a big trip the following May. Much as we longed to find some sun, he was saving his vacation days and I had a book to write.
I don’t remember exactly how he wound up with a few days off midweek, but we were so excited, we started looking up flights. Flying from Canada, however, means the flying time to get far enough south to see some sun would take up all the time we had.
We settled on trying a spa about four hours from here. We’d heard of Sparkling Hills in Vernon, BC. Now was our chance. Doug called and booked us in, then said very facetiously, “Any chance you can set a book there so you can write it off?”
I said, “Actually…”
I already knew I would be writing a Cinderella theme and had been trying to think of a business my heroine could run or own that she was trying to rescue from the clutches of her avaricious stepmother. A spa was perfect!
Away we went and had a very relaxing time in the hot pools and saunas. It was very much the quick, warm getaway we’d been craving.
I came home and moved Sopi’s spa into the Rockies Mountains because I thought that was a more picturesque setting and worked better for the story, given Sopi’s mother was a princess in hiding until she died.
I hope you enjoy your visit to Cassiopeia’s and my modern take on this classic fairytale!
