Authentic Settings

At a recent book signing, a fan came up to me so excited that she had driven through an area where one of my series is set, and she recognized it and the names she saw from my novels. It intrigued me that she thought this was amazing, but I'm glad it impressed her.

I like to write about places I know well. I set all my books in places I have visited, and many of them are places I've lived. I also make sure I use surnames found in the region.  Details like these, make the setting real for the readers, and that's important.

I grew up in the Appalachian region, and my first series of four books, the Appalachian Roots series, is set there, as is my new release, Mountain Mishap. The Farmers trilogy is set in the rural South where I've lived most of my life. When Winter Is Past and With Summer's Songs are set in Pennsylvania where I lived for three summers. It All Started at the Masquerade, which will likely come out next year, is set in the towns of Winton, Colerain, and Edenton in Northeastern North Carolina where I'm presently living. I'm also working on a New Mexico series where I lived for two years. The list goes on and on.

However, just because I've lived in these areas doesn't mean that I can write without any research. I might trust my memory for the scenery and the personality of a place, but questions always come up, and I need to check other details. I find all of this fun, especially when it gets my readers excited.

(All my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children)

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