Justina Chen

Being a true geek, I admit to watching the behind-the-scenes, making-of segments with directors and actors. (And yes, while I'm in a confessing mood, I'm also the annoying one who insists on staying in the theater until ALL of the credits have scrolled. Right down to the legalese. I feel it's the least I can do to applaud the work of the poor assistant to the assistant to the assistant of the first grip or whatever those mysterious film jobs are.)

So I thought: what if I created a little video that showed some of the real-live places that inspired my forthcoming NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL? Part of the book takes place in China, which is convenient since in a few short weeks I'll be residing there.

With my handy-dandy new flip camera (I mean, my husband's new handy-dandy Father's Day gift), I've been shooting footage while we're here in the Methow Valley, the setting for my book.

In one scene, I alluded briefly to the Tripod fire that burned through thousands and thousands of acres of forest land here in the Methow.

We went hiking this morning to Tiffany Mountain, which was devastated by the fire. Eerie moonscape, scoured to a charcoal black. Hollowed out trees on the verge of toppling. And then in the midst of all this carbon, a few patches of brilliant purple lupines... Proof that hope survives after tragedy. But of the swarming mosquitos--I'm not sure what to make of them.