What was the inspiration for PAINTED PASSION?

I was asked recently what inspired me to use Phoenix as the setting of Painted Passion.

So here's the story...

I fell in love with the city of Phoenix and the surrounding areas on my very first visit to the great state of Arizona.  Let me preface this by saying, when I first stepped foot in the Valley of the Sun it was in late spring.  My friends warned me about the desert heat. Yeah, I knew it was a hot place but knowing and experiencing are two different things! I was totally unprepared for the wall of heat burning my skin cells when I stepped out of the airport. Amid the sweat rolling down my forehead and underarms, I kept repeating the mantra, “It’s a dry heat. I’ll get used to it.”  

Well...I didn't.  Alas, my best times during my first visit were spent inside air-conditioned restaurants and stores.

My second visit occurred in the middle of summer (bold, right?).  I strutted out of the airport wearing a long-sleeved pantsuit. I was aiming for the "calm and collected" look. Not sure if I pulled it off, but I didn't sweat.  Nope, not at all. It seems I  conquered the dry desert heat once my body realized I wasn’t trying to fry it on purpose.

Because I was more outbound than on my first visit, I crammed in as many touristy activities as possible, including a visit to South Mountain Park which makes an appearance in one of the scenes of Painted Passion.