I had a cancellation so I thought let’s do a little
traveling. Setting is very important in a book. You can set your book anywhere
these days with the internet, but if possible it’s fun to visit the location
you choose. In Hunted I set the beginning of the book in the Empress Hotel in
Victoria, BC where I had visited many times. I moved the setting to Montana
where I have visited, but not on a ranch, so I had to do more research there.
A Cruise to Remember is mostly set on a cruise ship and I
had done a few cruises through the Caribbean at that time.
Right now I’m in Tucson. I haven’t set a book here, but I’m
considering it. The sunsets are amazing. I love the desert and the cacti, when
they are blooming, are gorgeous. Did you know there are 51 species of cactus in
this area?
Do you ever visit a setting when you're writing a book, or maybe write the book and set it someplace you've visited or know well?
And here's a quick and easy recipe for you to try.
Tucson Guacamole
1 8oz package soft cream cheese
3 very ripe avocadoes – peeled and pitted
½ cup chilies
1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Dash of pepper
½ teaspoon salt
And here's a quick and easy recipe for you to try.
Tucson Guacamole
1 8oz package soft cream cheese
3 very ripe avocadoes – peeled and pitted
½ cup chilies
1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Dash of pepper
½ teaspoon salt
In a bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until
smooth. Add 2 avocados, chilies, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; beat
until fairly smooth.
Gently mix in remaining avocado, leaving it a little
chunky. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator. 
When I wrote Lightning Only Strikes Twice, I made a special effort to search out some ghosts towns. A number of scenes were enriched for that story as a direct result of my boots on the ground visit. - A great post and great advice, Beverly.
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like interesting research and would definitely enrich the story. Did you see any ghosts? :)
DeleteTucson is absolutely fascinating. I tend to keep the same setting, a fictional town, but change the people. I am usually struck by something I hear which sets the story in motion.
ReplyDeleteA fictional town sounds interesting and fun to develop. Interesting it's something you hear that sets the story in motion.
DeleteI love writing about my own hometown and have created a few towns that remind me of it!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing your hometown was a small town, not a big city. Small towns bring an intimacy to a story that I always enjoy.
DeleteThanks for the recipe, Vicki. I created my own western town and had a blast doing it. The town grew with each book series. It's a 3 book series, but I enjoyed developing the town so much I decided to do 3 more books with new characters moving in.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a lot of fun, maybe a little like Virgin River by Robyn Carr. Thanks for sharing that.
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