Walking up the Northwest slope of the Cadbury Castle hillfort.
Last August/September (2025), my husband and I went to England to do research for The Forgotten Queen Trilogy. We rented a car, knowing that driving would be a bit of a challenge.
That was an understatement.
I could not get the hang of driving in England, which I did NOT expect to happen. Thankfully, my husband was a good sport and did all the driving for the weeks we were there.
It was like a dream to see things in person that I had only researched online. And the English love their history, so there’s a lot to see.
We drove all over the southern half of England, literally hitting as many villages and historical sites as possible. Which, by the way, there are no fast roads to get from Stonehenge to Cadbury Castle anyhow. Some of the roads are so narrow that barely one car can fit through at a time—and yet they’re two-way roads.
Don’t ask me how the lorries manage.
It was an intense trip, but so worth it. The people were kind, the places were fascinating, and the weather didn’t bother me a bit—except for when I got caught in a torrential rainstorm while hiking the cliffs near Tintagel.
Three miles in sheets of rain. Needless to say, I was soaked clear to my bones, and it took me several hours to get warm again.
However, I grew up in Seattle, so I’m quite at home in the rain. I was even glad of it. And it did rain a lot, especially in Cornwall.
Another reason England was so fascinating to me is because this is where many of my ancestors lived. More than half of my DNA ancestry estimate is English; the rest is Danish and Swedish. Going to England felt a little like looking through my ancestors’ eyes.
I found myself feeling totally connected to the land, as if long-ago grandparents were pointing out places for me to see, saying, “Don’t forget to look over here.”
Perhaps that’s part of why I’ve always been so fascinated by English history.
It wasn’t our first trip to England, but it was different this time. We were out walking, hiking, searching for Camelot… for Avalon.
Glastonbury Tor was everything I hoped it would be.
What surprised me was discovering that you can see Avalon from the top of the Cadbury Castle hillfort. I didn’t realize that until I was there.
I had hiked to the top of Cadbury Castle and turned around.
And there it was.
Avalon.
The home of my main character.
The place everyone has heard of, but no one realizes was named after my heroine… until you read the books.
Avalon is the forgotten queen, but once you read her story, you will never forget her.
And I will never forget England.
I would very much like to go back.
In the meantime, I frequently revisit this image that I took while walking the Road to Camelot.
]]>ACT ONE
1. Overture – following this song, the orchestra immediately begins “I am Laman/I am Nephi”
15. End Act One – play with the orchestra
ACT TWO
16. Up Act Two
28. Scene 9
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