Today, I was in the same room as a bunch of dead bodies.

That’s something only a writer would start a conversation with, right? Haha

And that’s exactly what I was doing at the El Paso County coroner’s office on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Research for my books.

My local writer’s group had booked a tour with the El Paso County coroner, and I jumped at the opportunity to join in.

It was everything I hoped it would be — and more. Part reality check (TV shows are so out of touch), part total surprise (they really do have a beetle tank to clean the bones), I got enough fodder for 10 new mystery novels.

Honestly, that was my biggest takeaway: Some places are full of stories.

Some places you encounter are so full of life (yes, I see the irony), you can’t help but collect the stories like pebbles in your pocket.

Especially if you’re a creator.

Because that’s what creators do — we collect stories like pebbles, then skip them on the pond to see what ripples we can make.

Here are some (not-too-grotesque) tidbits I gleaned today that are spurring story ideas …

• There is a ridiculous amount of prescription painkillers floating around — most of which is being used by people other than who they were prescribed to.
• It’s hard to identify a body based on dental records, simply because you need to know the deceased person’s dentist first.
• Decomposition smells like manure.

Oh the mystery plots evolving in this writer’s brain …