Trail Angels and Trail Magic (Inspiring Saving Grace)

My wonderful daughter.

With the soon to be released Fire Hunt coming along I started looking back on some of the inspiration for the Saving Grace Saga. There were a number of influences that molded the stories and listing them all would be hard, but there are a few things that sparked more interest than others. Today I'd like to talk about the Trail Angels and their roll in the stories and their roll in real life.

The Trail Angels were introduced in Fox Hunt when Mike found a cardboard box of clothing in the back of a closet in his rental house. Dilly explains that he had rented the house from a Trail Angel and that clothing and other basic living supplies were stored away in these safe house stops for witches and werewolves on the run or hiding out. They are explored in more depth in Fire Hunt and that was a journey I really enjoyed.

Through the first two stories, the Trail Angels were a background force that protected people. In Fire Hunt the reader gets to see a little more of the inner workings of this group. From road maps hiding in the decor of a bedroom to well thought out backup plans, this group works hard to provide a safe route for those on the run from Federal Witch Hunters.

Inspired by the Underground Railroad and a group of people dedicated to helping hikers, the Trail Angels turned into a group that inspired hope for me. Then there are the real Trail Angels. There are real people who are called Trail Angels and they are some of the most kind hearted people a hiker could run across on long trails.

The Trail Angels do nice things for folks on the longer trails in America. These trails can run for thousands of miles and can take up to a year or more to hike. I was planning a trip up the Appalachian Trail before I got the exciting news that I was pregnant. That was seven years ago and while the trip has been delayed I hope to hit the trail in ten to fifteen years once my daughter is old enough to either join me or move on to college. I found out about the Trail Angels through all that planning. These people show up with water, food and other basic supplies that hikers may be running low on. Some even open up their homes so that hikers can rest off the trail for a short while.

They aren't just on the East Coast. Trail Angels show up on the long trails all over the country and provide, if nothing else, a friendly face for hikers. The inspiration from these modern day do gooders was vital to the creation of the Trail Angels in the Saving Grace Saga.

If you're waiting for the last installment of the Saving Grace Act rest assured it will be here soon. Once I receive the cover art I'll be sharing it on the Facebook page (Hunter or Hunted) and then later on the blog.