Let's welcome Author Jackie Gamber to the blog today with her Leland Dragon Series.
My husband and I are avid motorcyclists. He drives, I watch: the landscape, the open road, the possibilities. On the back of a motorcycle, I quiet down, somehow, without knowing how I do it, and I find myself remembering how to imagine.
Sometimes, my husband and I hop onto the bike and just go, and wing it. That’s fun! But for long adventures, like when we travel over 1000 miles or so, we need to do a little planning. Okay, mostly he does the planning. I let him. He’s good at it.
But I’ve picked up on a few things, myself. Here’s my list of ten things you simply must take on a motorcycle trip.
1. A motorcycle. That goes without saying, but I said it anyway.
2. Water. All that sun and wind can really sap the moisture right out of you, and dehydration causes problems that makes a trip uncomfortable. Of all the challenges of traveling, dehydration is totally preventable.
3. Repair kit. Emergency patches for tires, something to re-inflate them, etc. Most times, you’ll likely just need something to get you to a more convenient place to wait for help, if it’s a serious malfunction. Motorcyclists share a culture of helping, too, so you rarely wait it out alone. We’ve pulled over to the side of the road to take a picture, and within minutes, have had a biker pull over, too, to see if we’re okay. But take a repair kit, anyway.
4. Maps or a GPS. Just in case. You may think you know where you’re going, but motorcycle trips can involve a lot of “that road looks interesting”, and interesting roads don’t always connect to main thoroughfares. In fact, they rarely do.
5. Cash. A little, at least, tucked somewhere safe. Most parts of the country work just fine with plastic bank cards, but then there’s that single pump gas station up the road when you’re on empty that sells boiled peanuts and doesn’t even have an electronic setup….
6. A tent. If you’re staying out overnight. My husband and I sometimes stay in inexpensive motels as a backup plan, but a $10 a night patch of grass is a hard bargain to beat! And in a real pinch, or emergency, any place off the path can be a temporary spot for a few winks to get your bearings.
7. A flashlight. It can get really, really dark out there.
8. Rain Gear. If you have room. We always wear jackets and pants with safety armor stuff, made for motorcycle riding, but rain gear is the extra bit that can make a difference. My husband and I have been rained on with, and without it. On a hot day, a rain can be refreshing. But it’s pretty miserable to be wet through to the skin, and chilled. It’s nice to have a choice.
9. Energy bars or nuts. Quick protein between stops, in case a stop ends up farther apart than you thought. There’s a lot of country out there, and fewer convenience stores than it seems! Except for Dollar General. We think there is a slow takeover going on.
10. A sense of adventure. Nothing sours a trip faster than a lousy attitude. You’re not going to get the experience of a car trip, or the convenience of home, from back of a motorcycle. But that’s what it’s about! A bike experience is like nothing else, and being willing to discover is key to enjoying it. You might find out things about yourself you didn’t know, but have needed to know. You might see things of the world; smell, feel, and taste things you might never have otherwise experienced.
For me, I come back from a motorcycle trip having found all sorts of things I lost…and always, I come back with a new story.
Print Version: http://www.amazon.com/Redheart-Leland-Dragon-Jackie-Gamber/dp/0983108676
Bio:
Jackie Gamber is the award-winning author of many short stories, screenplays, and novels, including “Redheart”, “Sela”, and “Reclamation”, Books one through three of the Leland Dragon Series. For more information about Jackie and her mosaic mind, visit http://www.jackiegamber.com
And meet Jackie elsewhere on the world wide web at:
Jackie Gamber’s Redheart Book Synopsis:
Enter the lands of Leland Province, where dragon and human societies have long dwelled side by side. Superstitions rise sharply, as a severe drought strips the land of its bounty, providing fertile ground for the darker ambitions of Fordon Blackclaw, Dragon Council Leader, who seeks to subdue humans or wipe them off the face of the land.
As the shadow of danger creeps across Leland Province, a young dragon named Kallon Redheart, who has turned his back on dragons and humans alike, comes into an unexpected friendship. Riza Diantus is a young woman whose dreams can no longer be contained by the narrow confines of her village, and when she finds herself in peril, Kallon is the only one with the power to save her. Yet to do so means he must confront his past, and embrace a future he stopped believing in.
A tale of friendship, courage, and ultimate destiny, Redheart invites readers to a wondrous journey through the Leland Dragon Series.
Tour Schedule and Activities
9/8 SpecMusicMuse Review9/8 The Rage Circus Vs. The Soulless Void Multi-Blogger Interview Part 1
9/8 Horror Tree Guest Post (Blalock)
9/8 Elizabeth Delana Rosa ~Book Lover & Creator of Worlds~ Guest Post (Gamber)
9/9 Jorie Loves a Story Guest Post (About Gamber)
9/9 I Smell Sheep Interactive Thread with Jackie and Dave
9/9 Armand Rosamilia, Horror Author Guest Post (Blalock)
9/10 The Southern Belle from Hell Art of the Angelkiller Triad (Blalock)
9/10 Bee's Knees Review Guest Post (Gamber)
9/10 Blog of Sheila Deeth Guest Post (Gamber)
9/10 The Official Writing Blog of Deedee Davies Multi-Blogger Interview Part 2
9/10 Seers, Seraphs, Immortals & More Jackie Gamber Interviews H. David Blalock
9/11 Seers, Seraphs, Immortals & More H. David Blalock Interviews Jackie Gamber
9/11 Workaday Reads Guest Post (Gamber)
9/12 Vampires, Witches, & Me, Oh My! Guest Post (Gamber)
9/12 Trip Through My Mind Multi-Blogger Interview Part 3
9/12 Beauty In Ruins Guest Post (Blalock)
9/13 Jess Resides Here Review
9/14 Willow's Author Love Guest Post (Blalock)
9/14 Fantastical Musings Multi-Blogger Interview Part 4
9/14 Jorie Loves a Story Guest Post (Gamber)
