Happy 4th to all of my U.S. readers! I hope you enjoy a lazy holiday spent with the summer sun, family and friends, something cold to drink, and of course, a book.

My family and I had a chance to visit Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the University of Virginia and Thomas Jefferson’s masterpiece, Monticello, this past week. Touring his home again—one of the settings of my latest published story, Untimely—offered a fascinating overview of the controversial third U.S. president’s varied interests, quirks, and abiding loves, such as architecture, science, gardening, data collection, government, odd timepieces, and family. I’m not sure my family found his home as compelling as I, thanks to 90 degree heat and liquifying humidity, but they were good sports and humored me.

When writing Untimely last fall, I used online resources to research the settings, relying heavily on Google Earth and Monticello’s excellent, informative website. Although I was surprised at how often my imagination got things right when I had to fill in gaps, there’s nothing like the real thing, baby. Next time, I’ll try to do in situ research before writing the story : )

Here are a few other pics of real places around Charlottesville that inspired settings in the story. Take a peek, then get back to that book you were reading…