Finding the Perfect Setting by Patricia Forsythe

In my opinion, authors who create their own worlds, such as Tolkien’s Middle Earth or the wizarding world of Harry Potter are extraordinarily talented.  Not only do they create the characters and their stories, but also magical places that become characters in their own right.  Frequently, these authors create new languages.

I began thinking about this recently when I went to Nevada to visit my son.  While I was there, we took a trip to Zion National Park.  The park was incredibly beautiful with huge cliffs rising above us, their tops weathered by millenia of erosion.  The colors of the canyon walls -- brown, red, gray, even white -- are layered in stripes.  

Seeing these beautiful canyons gave me the setting for a new series of books I want to write.  I’ve had the idea in mind for a while, but couldn’t really focus until I had a place to put these books.  I’m the type of writer who can’t move forward on a project until I have the location fixed in my mind because, for me, the setting is as much a character as the people in the story.

These books will be set on a ranch, near a small town, not far from a big city so that I can take advantage of all these places. 

The town of Reston, Oklahoma is the setting for my current releases from Harlequin Heartwarming and tell the stories of three best friends, Gemma, Carly, and Lisa.  At Odds With The Midwife was released last November, The Husband She Can’t Forget was released in February, and His Twin Baby Surprise is available for preorder and will be released on May 1st.

 

Happy Reading!

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Patricia Forsythe is the author of more than three dozen romances, both print and ebooks.

 

Food, Cowboys, and Romance...Oh, My!

I'm often asked where I get the inspiration for my books. Writing my Taste of Texas series, the inspiration came from a number of places. 

1. Food: I love of the Food Network and cooking competitions, especially Top Chef. I'm not a big fan of most reality shows, but add some highly talented people into the mix, and I'm in. And in both of my pregnancies, I was obsessed with the Food Network. :)

2. Cowboys: I grew up around cowboys. My family farmed and ranch. Any time we were away from home and my dad wore his cowboy hat, people were always drawn to him. My mom, sister, and I would be shopping at the mall, and we'd come out to find some stranger telling him his/her life story. So I guess I have a soft spot for cowboys.

3. Texas: I live in Oklahoma, and absolutely love it (except for the May tornado outbreaks), but there is also something romantic about a story set in Texas. I grew up just across the Red River from Texas, and there are great people in Texas and plenty of story inspiration. 

Tell me about where you live? Would it make a great setting for a romance? 

Here's more information about my latest release, Kiss the Cowboy:

What if your competition for your dream job…was your dream man?

All Lucy Pickett needs to become executive chef in one of Dallas’s finest restaurants is to pull off the high-profile wedding she’s catering. So what if she’s forced to share duties with Dylan Lawson, a modern-day chuck-wagon cook? So what if he’s got rugged looks and cowboy charm? None of that is going to knock her off her game. Until she learns the restaurateur is considering Dylan for the position she wants. Game on–and it’s a winner-take-all event!

Dylan Lawson finally has the opportunity he’s been waiting for to prove he can do more than just be a ranch hand. The only thing standing in his way is the fiery chef fighting for the same position. Will the heated competition scorch any chance they have for love?

Available on:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iBooks

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Julie Jarnagin is a multi-published author of inspirational romance. She recently released a novella, The Art of Falling, and the next book in the series, Kiss the Cowboy, comes out on May 19. Julie grew up in a small Oklahoma town where her family farmed and ranched. These days she lives in a not-so-big city with her amazing husband and two young sons who tolerate all her nerdy quirks. Julie earned a B.A. in Journalism / Professional Writing from the University of Oklahoma and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.  www.JulieJarnagin.com.

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What Time of the Year Is It? by Merrillee Whren

As readers we like to know about the setting for a book. Some readers like long, elaborate descriptions. Others prefer a short description and much more action in a story. As part of the setting the author must give the reader an idea about the time of the year in which the book takes place.

If rooftops are covered in snow and trees are draped in white or lights are strung on the bushes, the reader knows it is winter, at least in the northern hemisphere.

Have you ever read a book where January is hot? If you have, you may be reading a story set in Australia. If you live in the northern hemisphere, you have to adjust your thinking when you read a book set in the southern hemisphere or vice versa. For the convenience of today's blog, the references will refer to the northern hemisphere.

If the author mentions azaleas in bloom, you can count on a spring setting. Tulips and daffodils would also signal spring.

Summertime would find the characters wearing shorts, going to the beach or attending a baseball game.

Colorful leaves, a pumpkin on a porch or a Thanksgiving meal would let the reader know it's a fall setting.

Does it make a difference to you in which season of the year a book is set. Do you have a favorite? Do you like stories set around holidays, especially Christmas?

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of  thirty-five plus years, and has two grown daughters. Her latest book, A PLACE TO CALL HOME, is available at all major ebook retailers.You can find the buy links at her website. Connect with her on her Facebook page.

Honeymoons by Aileen Fish

Remember when newlyweds all wanted to go to Niagara Falls for their honeymoons? By the time I got married, Hawaii was the place to go. With my daughters' generation, it seems a cruise was ideal.

The trend I see is water, but also a bit of the exotic. With a cruise, there is also the idea of escape and being pampered. It's probably the best choice for being alone together, too. But so is camping in the wilderness.

Fodor's Travel site lists the twelve best honeymoon destinations for 2014 and all of the locations feature water. The surprising choice is Croatia, where you get the beauty of the Mediterranean without the crowds. (Unless everyone reads their blog!)

If you could have a first or second honeymoon anywhere in the world, where would you go? My pick would be a private island just for two!

~*~

Aileen Fish writes sweet contemporary and sweet Regency romance. You can find her on Facebook, and keep up with new releases on her website.