Sometimes when you see how a person interacts with an animal, you can get a pretty good sense of who they are. The General, Bess (Queen Elizabeth), Goldie, and the other mules: I can’t resist working animals into my stories.Even still, tiny bits of Ford and Margie still carry on into John and Melba’s personalities, if you look carefully. I’m glad my editor suggested making each novel stand alone, because I didn’t like the idea of uprooting them from Mount Rainier. So when I scribbled down ideas for Where the Fire Falls, this couple was intended to be Ford and Margie from The Road to Paradise. For those of you who like behind-the-scenes author tidbits, here’s a good one for you: When I first planned out the Vintage National Parks novels, I originally thought it would be an ongoing series, not three stand alone novels. How does a Yosemite park ranger end up married to a vaudeville star? These two need their own book! They are Clark’s best friends and mentors, and they immediately take Olivia under their wings as well. Ranger John Edwards and his wife, Melba: Sometimes when I’m writing, I bump into other characters who start whispering their own stories into my heart.Filbert: The park hermit, Filbert may be “little more than a wisp of smoke from a dying ember,” but the old man reminds Clark how important it is to stay connected to others.As Clark puts it, Marcus is “a pith helmet short of an African safari.” As the author, it was fun to bump this man down a few notches once in a while, and I had plenty of opportunities once I got them away from the park’s luxurious hotel and out onto the trail.

Her husband’s wealth has bought them both respect, but his roving eyes might get him in trouble. A wealthy art-collector needs a young trophy wife, right? Sophie is a delightful young flapper with golden Marcel waves and personality to match.

Marcus and Sophie Vanderbilt: I threw most of my 1920s-style pizazz into writing this couple.

Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett