A few days ago I wrote a blog piece about the use of reality and real situations in fiction writing. I’ve taken events that have occurred in my life and added them to the lives of my characters at times when I needed something to propel the story forward. I realized this morning I do the same thing when I set the locales for my books.
I’ve lived in 3 places long term in my life: New York ( and 3 of the 5 boroughs), Wisconsin and now New Hampshire. Three very diverse places in so far as culture, weather, and language go. Language, you say? Well, yes. There is a world of difference between the way a New Yorker “tawks” and a Wisconsonite speaks. But that’s a blog for another day…
Today I am talking about setting and local. Every book I have written ( all of them!!) have been in either NYC, or New England. Why? Because those are the places I know best. Why not Wisconsin you ask? Well, I’ll tell you….I just don’t know why I’ve never penned a book set there. Maybe in the future…maybe.
I lovelovelove New York. I am at heart a “city girl” and if you know what that term really means, you are from NY, too! Setting books there is fun, scary, and fast-paced because NYC is fun, scary and fast-paced! The books set in NYC have all given the readers a little glimpse of the exciting city.
I adore New Hampshire and New England – especially in the autumn. Four of my MacQuire women books are set in New England and all of them, as well, highlight the terrain. The weather may be unpredictable on the best of days, but there is nothing NOTHING as beautiful as a New England Autumn.
So, here’s the question of the day ( you had to see this coming!) In your writing, do you have go-to locales, or do you find places to it switch up, places you’ve been, or only dreamed about? Let’s discuss….
And while we discuss, here’s a shameful plug for my book that releases tomorrow THE VOICE OF ANGELS, set in ( surprise!) NYC AND New England!!
Blurb:
Can she trust her heart to love again?
Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and in raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television magazine profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.
Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. As he tells her, he’s a patient man. But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.
Available at: Amazon /// The Wild Rose Press/// Kobo /// Nook
Find me here:
Peggy Jaeger, Author 