Sunday, June 22, 2008

Setting For Outlaw in Petticoats


Why did you pick the setting you used in your story? I'm not looking for -- "because I live there". I want you to dig deep and tell us...

Why you chose that particular setting? So far the four books I've had published have all be set in and around my home state. I have always been fascinated by the history. And digging up facts that help the premise of my story is the best part of writing a book. My first book of the Halsey brother series was set in the gold mining area of the Blue Mountains. Having established the Halsey brothers roots there with Marshal in Petticoats, which has an accident prone heroine become marshal of a town who had their post office (building and all) stolen by miners. But my soon to be released second book in the Halsey brother series, Outlaw in Petticoats goes from Sumpter, OR to The Dalles OR. I chose this setting because the heroine is looking for a father that she presumed had left her and her mother and now has information that shows he had planned to return.

What does the setting add to the story? The setting is the open, rugged land between the two towns mentioned above. The setting in this particular story helps the heroine grow not only by traveling, and living under the starts, but by getting closer to the hero who is helping her discover what really happened to her father.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? I could but I wouldn't have been able to use the historic facts that I learned and put to use in the story to make it work the way it does.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting? see answer above.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Yes. All the towns mentioned in the story were at the time of the story actual towns. Some are still there today and thriving others are skeletons of what they once were.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch? Nope.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share. The landscape plays a role in several of the scenes in the book. As well as the town of the The Dalles. The history I uncovered about the town helped bring the town to life and make it almost a character.

Please provide your website link. http://www.patyjager.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.thewildrosepress.com

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see? What sort of people are there? If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us? For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting? The setting sprawls from the Sumpter, Or to The Dalles Oregon through wooded mountains and over sandy soil dotted with sagebrush. Few streams meander through the barren land. You might pass a freight wagon or come across a group of rough looking men if you stay on the wagon trail. If you go overland, you could encounter antelope, deer, and coyotes. Not to mention the blur of a jackrabbit or see a sagerat pop up out of a hole and run to dive down another. The people on the route are dusty, tired and wary of you. The people in the small towns are nosy and friendly, while the larger town has so many people, horses, wagons and goings on it makes your head spin. As I said the setting is route from one place to another. You would need either a wagon, buggy or horse with provision for a three -four day trip depending on how fast you travel. You can go faster by horse than the wagon.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it? Outlaw in Petticoats will be available in ebook May 9th at www.thewildrosepress.com and in Print on November 7th and you can order it from any book store.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Medieval Italy in Bloodstone Castle by Mirella Patzer


Today we'll travel to medieval Italy through the pages of Bloodstone Castle by Mirella Patzer. We've talked about many elements of her book this month during her virtual tour, but setting is one of my absolute favorite parts of a book. I'm not talking about adding an inn because the character is hungry and needs a place to sleep. I'm talking about a setting that is accurate, real and actually feels like a part of the story. That's what you find in Bloodstone Castle.

The banner to the side is not the final banner that we're using to promote Mirella's tour, but I had to include it here because it shows a picture of the castle which is an important part of the setting.

Why did you pick the setting you used in your story? I'm not looking for -- "because I live there". I want you to dig deep and tell us...

I was born in Canada to Italian immigrants. All my life, I have felt the pull of Italy. I yearn to live there, but strong family ties bind me. Writing about Italy is the next best thing to living there because it allows me to research, to learn, and to experience Italy through the eyes of my characters.

Why you chose that particular setting?

I wanted to write an Italian historical romance and I wanted the heroine to live in a castle. So I Googled Italian Castles and discovered this picture of a castle in the Cinque Terre region of Italy, specifically in the town of Portovenere. This was my inspiration and I created the entire plot and story of Bloodstone Castle around it.

The sea has always fascinated me. The castle at Portovenere is surrounded on three sides by the Ligurian Sea. The entire Cinque Terre region is isolated yet one of the most beautiful regions in Italy. Because the castle is easily accessible by sea, I decided to make it an ancient Roman stronghold. This then led to the idea of secreting an ancient Roman treasure beneath it.

What does the setting add to the story?

The setting allowed me to visualize the castle and territory. The characters all live within a one or two day journey from each other. This made it easy for them to interact and they could travel from one place to another without slowing the pace.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

This is a difficult question because I built a story around the picture of this castle. But I suppose I could use a different setting, although the names and titles of some of the characters would have to change.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?

In this particular case, I don’t think the story would have the same affect in a different location. I wanted the castle to be accessible by land and sea and I wanted it to be a stronghold of the ancient Romans. I also wanted it to be somewhat isolated. I think it would be difficult to find another castle with these exact specifications that are intricate to the plot.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting?

Yes and no. The towns of Savona and Genoa are real, but the castles there are pure fiction.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Although the castle is real, the caverns beneath it are purely fabricated from my imagination.

Please provide your website link.

http://www.mirellapatzer.com


What is the link to buy your book?

You can purchase my book at any of my blogs or sites at:

http://www.mirellapatzer.com

http://bloodstonecastle.blogspot.com

http://bestofitaly.blogspot.com

http://mirellapatzer.blogspot.com

Or at Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Bloodstone-Castle-Mirella-Patzer/dp/0978486528/


You are encouraged to stop at each blog visit and post a comment for Mirella. Each comment enters you in a drawing for a free print copy of the book at the end of the tour. So, visit Mirella, learn more about Bloodstone Castle and post comments. Mirella looks forward to getting to know her readers.