Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Virtually Visiting the Caribbean in the Dead of Winter by Rachelle Ayala

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash
Writing is a great way to be an armchair traveler. This winter, while writing my next "beach read," I virtually visited the islands of St. Johns and the Grenadines. I snorkeled on the reef, trekked up the volcano, and listened to music: calypso, soca, steel drums. Using Google's streetview, I "drove" through the narrow alleys of the towns, wound my way up and down the switchbacks, and even "met" local people walking around on the sidewalks. I then went to YouTube and found myself on a party boat where people were dancing and having a great time.

Of course, there's no substitute for actually getting on a plane and going, but I've heard that your subconscious mind actually doesn't know the difference between a "real to life" experience and one where you felt the emotions by reading, going to the movies, or running it through your imagination.

That is why reading is such a wonderful gateway to the world, and many times, out of this world. When you're able to visualize what the character sees, feel what the character feels, and experience the emotional roller coaster the character is in, your subconscious mind believes you've been through the entire story.

I know that after writing Jade: Perfect Match set in the Caribbean, my mood was so much better, and I felt as relaxed as if I had just returned from a Caribbean vacation with a Navy SEAL like my character Jade did.

What about you? Have you felt transported to another world by reading or watching a movie? I'm sure many of us have visited the world of the Navi by watching Avatar, and have felt the exhiliration of space travel despite never having left planet Earth.

My newest beach read, Jade: Perfect Match will be available May 22, as part of a connected series with other USA Today bestselling authors of sweet romance. [Please go to Goodreads and put it on your to-read list and watch for our kick off party and the first book in the series, Bree: Perfect Match by Raine English]




6 comments:

  1. A beach vacation works for me, Rachelle. I can't wait for our Beach Brides Series. So many great stories and authors!

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  2. Armchair travel is a wonderful thing. Good luck with the Perfect Match Series, ladies!

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  3. I love the idea of armchair travel. I don't get to travel many places myself, so reading about them is perfect!

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  4. I had no idea it was possible to visit the Caribbean through Google maps. How exciting. I'll have to check it out.

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  5. Google maps is great for all kinds of research when you can't go there in person.

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  6. I love armchair travel! This was a fun read!

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