Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! We are 47 authors who have banded together to support and promote each other. If you've made your way over here from Beth Carter's page, you've come to the right place. I was lucky enough to meet Beth in person right before a talk being given by Steve King. I'd like to say King's talk was the highlight, but I'd be lying. Having coffee with Beth at a Barnes and Noble trumped it.
Today's questions comes from Brenda Margriet. She wants to know how we chose the settings for our books.
Today's questions comes from Brenda Margriet. She wants to know how we chose the settings for our books.
In my Five Senses Series, every book is set in Granite Pointe, Massachusetts. It's a completely fictional town based on some of my real life experiences. I patterned the small tourist town on the main street in a city I lived in in Illinois for a long time, and, in part, on a High Street (shopping district) in England where I lived for not nearly long enough. I knew when I started writing the first book, I wanted the town set near a harbor so I pulled out a map of Massachusetts and pinned a great big hell yeah on an area just north of Boston. I visited Boston as a teenagers and it made an impression.
I'm a visual person, so as I wrote I used pictures I found on the internet as reminders of the growing town I envisioned. Here's a look at some of my motivation:
I'm a visual person, so as I wrote I used pictures I found on the internet as reminders of the growing town I envisioned. Here's a look at some of my motivation:
In Cooking Up Love the harbor was very important, along with the main street. The harbor picture is from Kennebunk, Maine, where I visited for a few hours years ago. The High Street picture is from the village I lived in, Chigwell, England. (Although this picture is actually from Ilford. Doesn't matter, it's still pretty)
In Hearts In Harmony, I found a perfect image to pattern the Sleepy T Christmas Tree Farm after. I used this image as my desktop photo the whole time I was writing the book. It's a Carl Schaefer painting and I love the detail and the colors. I put it back on my desktop when I was writing A Winter Wedding.
And in book 3, Exposed To Passion Rikki mets Sam in the Great Salt Marsh. In another scene I used a real life experience in the Charlotte Airport as the basis of a scene that happens in a wildlife refuge.
And finally, in book 4 in the series, Smell The Roses, (Working title - It could change because I'm fickle that way) which will release this spring, I used a health club I used to work at as the inspiration for the gym Gunnar owns.
Oh, boy. I have to say going through my pictures was a little like looking at vacation photos. Makes me want to go back. Currently, I'm working on two different stories. One is set in Durango Colorado. I visited there once for my niece's wedding and I decided I could live there. The other is set in wine country. I'm looking forward to a research trip for that series. Who wants to go with me?
That's all I have for now. Dani Jace is up next. Can't wait to see what she patterns her book worlds around. See you next week.
That's all I have for now. Dani Jace is up next. Can't wait to see what she patterns her book worlds around. See you next week.
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