Author Quirks: T. L. Higley

Next up is T. L. Higley, author of Petra: City in Stone. I asked her:


What's a quirky or little-known fact about yourself, your writing, and/or one of your novels?


Her answer:

I take research seriously – a little too seriously sometimes! I’ve traveled to each of the settings of my books, through Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan and Italy. While in Jordan researching for Petra: City in Stone, I knew the story would prominently feature the High Place of Sacrifice – a plateau very high above the city which is carved into a rock gorge. So of course, I had to climb to it! I paid a little Bedouin man whose grandfather had lived his whole life in a cave on the side of the mountain to take me up there. We made half the trip by donkey, and then climbed the rest of the way on foot. There were times he had to reach down and haul me up! When we reached the top, I found the 2000 year old altar still stood, along with the slaughtering slab for animal sacrifices. Of course I had to climb up on the altar and get some pictures. My Bedouin thought I was crazy, I think! You can see pictures of my escapades here: Photos of Petra. It was an awesome experience!

Thank you, Tracy, for sharing this story and your trip photographs! I really enjoyed viewing the pictures after reading the novel, and I thought you did a great job at describing Petra. I could recognize the photos of the places described in the book.