Goodreads asked Tara Ellis:

What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

Tara Ellis When I was a young girl (around 10 or 12), my family and I had a very strange encounter. We were driving home after a day in the mountains. It was dark, and we were on a mountain pass without any traffic around us. I was stargazing out the back window, as I often did. My mom and I spotted the lights at about the same time. It started with one, darting in odd patterns across the night sky. Then, it was joined by two others. At first, we had thought it was maybe some sort of helicopter, but when they began streaking from one end of the sky to the other in an instant, we knew that something far more unusual than a helicopter was over us. My dad actually pulled the car over and all three of us watched in awe.

After only a few minutes, a passing county deputy stopped to make sure were okay, and my parents pointed the strange lights out to him. He watched with us. It only lasted minutes, but it's something I'll never forget.

Now ... why a mystery vs. a scifi? Well, I grew up in Yakima, in Washington State. Near Yakima, out in the scrubs, is a military base. I often suspected that if those weren't alien UFO's, than they were some some sort of secret government aircraft. A GREAT story would include a camping trip, the same night time experience, and an accidental discovery of something the kids (or anyone else) aren't supposed to know about!

In fact, now that I've written this down, I think I need to go work on an outline. :)

Thanks for the question!!

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