A Spanish Castle and the sequel to Emerald Bound

A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited along on one of my husband’s business trips to Madrid, Spain. During our time there, we took a day trip to Segovia, a little town that has managed to retain its medieval charm. Cobblestone streets, a spectacular Gothic cathedral, an aqueduct, and an authentic castle were the city’s crowning jewels. 

We stayed overnight in an old Spanish monastery that had been converted into a luxury hotel. Every time we walked through the halls to our room, I had the desire to start singing Gregorian chants. The acoustics were amazing! 

But I’m getting side-tracked. 

My husband and I toured the Alcazar of Segovia, Spain’s most famous castle. We were told that the Disney castle was actually inspired by it. Here are a few pictures:

Stunning, right? Well, during our tour, I found my mind spinning from everything I was seeing. When I stepped into that castle, I was no longer a tourist. I was an author, literally stepping onto the scene of my next book. It was thrilling.

I’ve had the Emerald Bound sequel outlined for a while, and a large part of the book is going to take place in Scandinavia in the 1600’s. In a castle. 

So when I found myself in an actual castle from the same time period, plot lines began forming in my head. I saw action scenes playing out in front of me, and everyday scenes happening in the courtyard. We went to the armory and I got up-close looks at the weapons of the time. We walked through the throne room where the king and queen sat to welcome visitors and bestow judgements. We even climbed the 156 crooked and misshapen ancient steps up to the tower where I found further inspiration for a scene I’d been stuck on in my outline.

The sequel to Emerald Bound is definitely taking shape and I am so, so excited to move from the plotting phase to the writing phase. If any of you figures out how to bend time, I'd love a few extra hours in each day so I can get it done faster!