It is All In The Setting

The White Hare's Lament by Bryn Colvin

2009-06-09T20:35:00.001-04:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

Some of it because it’s the landscape that goes with the history (no spoilers! The setting is in some ways a surprise). Then my research introduced me to a hospital in Devon (I’d been aiming for a south west location). Seale Hayne has the most amazing history and really leant itself to my story.

What does the setting add to the story?

There are a number of settings – lots of wild landscape where the rules of normal civilization don’t apply. Battlefields also feature, and then in contrast to this, the security of life in a small English village.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

No. Absolutely not. The story grew out of the setting to quite a significant degree.

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

Partly because of the very real history underpinning the story, partly because of the connection with folklore from the south west of England.

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

Yes – quite a few places in Europe, Seale Hayne, assorted towns and villages in the UK, Caedr Idris in Wales, and a few imagined places as well.

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?

Rolling countryside, some of it green and fertile, some of it blackened and cratered from the ravages of war. A Georgian building, imposing and dramatic. Moorland, the gently rolling English countryside and the wilder places of the imagination. There are a lot of physical journeys undertaken in this novel, so there’s a lot of scenery.

What sort of people are there?

Most of the people are ordinary folk, living through a specific period. Some are soldiers, some formers, others work in the medical profession. Many of them are isolated by the events unfolding around them, and loneliness is a recurring theme. Some of the characters are historical figures.

If we were travelling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

It depends on which bit of the story you fall into, but good boots are essential, and there are times when a helmet may save your life. Cigarettes and alcohol are always welcome gifts, as are decent pairs of socks, cake, soap and other little luxuries.

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

Again, as settings vary there’s no one answer to this. However, what you see at anytime might not be real. Landscape and memory blur into each other, and you cannot afford to assume that anything is quite as it seems.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

The White Hare’s Lament

http://www.loveyoudivine.com/index.php?main_page=document_product_info&cPath=26&products_id=349&zenid=853cfe4236a8e41e78d726ad01b7c5f7

Terry L White Shares the Setting for her Chesapeake Harvest Series

2009-01-24T17:33:00.001-05:00

COME TO CHESAPEAKE COUNTRY

Why did you pick the setting you used in your story?

Chesapeake country was the inspiration for my Chesapeake Heritage series. When I moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland it was like entering a different world. I was used to the mountains and forests of the Adirondack – a place where gardens were planted between the stones and winter lingered for seven months of the year. I fell in love with the tidewater marshes the first time I saw them when I noticed small ancient houses gradually melting into the soggy ground. The forests were different and the land was different – just as wild as the North Country, but presenting different problems. I felt the wildness of the vista, but it seemed bleak and empty compared to the mountains I was used to.

The thought of survival in such habitat seemed impossible, and it was not until I was assigned stories that took me deep into the marsh country that I came to know individuals who were descended from the local Native Americans and the colonists who wrested settlements out of the inhospitable landscapes. I could not imagine finding enough food for a family to survive even the bitter (but brief) winters, and so I found materials for my Chesapeake Heritage series built around the stories of the women in a family who loved, endured and embraced Chesapeake Country.

Why you chose that particular setting?

I had an ancestor who was an indentured servant like Mary Charles in Chesapeake Harvest. I could not think of a more inhospitable landscape for the background of a story about a woman who had to choose between coming to the New World and finding herself in a place where survival was in no way guaranteed.

What does the setting add to the story?

Any effort to colonize a new world has its own difficulties. The Tidewater area offers rich resources, if one can endure the loneliness and sicknesses attendant on life on the verge of the steaming marshes that border arable land. Chesapeake Harvest tells the story of Mary Charles, who endures despite the dangers of being a stranger in a strange land.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

I could write a similar story, and have. My novel Mystick Moon is placed in Mistic Conn., a place that was built with the same sort of frontier living that captures my imagination.

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

I could use a different setting and the problems would be similar, as long as it was a story of survival in a frontier life. Breaking farms and holding one’s babies as they died of fever are not new themes. I didn’t want to re-hash the Capt. John Smith story which had a very sad ending, but the tidewater environment is a big part of the Chesapeake Heritage stories.

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

I have placed my story generally on the place known as the Eastern Shore, a peninsula composed of parts of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. I have not, however situated it in any particular place on a modern map, but rather ‘between’ those places that survived colonization and are present on today.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

The landscape of Chesapeake Harvest and the Chesapeake Heritage series was not created from scratch. I did however, go to a place called Elliott’s Island, which is featured in the second book in the series, Chesapeake Legacy. If you don’t have a boat, you must travel through 19 miles of farm fields, forests and marsh to the island. Elliott’s Island has the feel of eternity if you travel there and meet fishermen who have plied their boats on Fishing Bay for thousands of years. The island is so far from today’s techno-world it seems a place out of time. All you have to do is go there and walk down to the shore to feel what our ancestors felt when they first arrived with the intent of colonizing the area.

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

The Chesapeake Heritage series take place in a hard to imagine world. You have to come to Tidewater country, view its endless marshes and walk its shores to realize how very difficult life might have been when John Smith arrived to found the first colony for the Crown.

Please provide your website link. www.terrylwhite.com

What is the link to buy your book? www.amazon.com, or from me at terrylwhite@verizon.net.

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see? What sort of people are there?

The people who live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland are the sort of people Hank Williams Jr. sang about when he said, "Country folks will survive." The people here are a gumbo of Native American, English, and French settlers with a sprinkling of the Irish and other ethnic varieties. Descendants of slaves still speak of picking cotton and working as migrants in the wide farmland acres. There are farmers with thousands of acres under the plow and watermen whose wives pick the meat from their crab harvest . The Eastern Shore has become a Mecca for retirees from across the Bay who find living costs down and volunteer opportunities rich and varies. Summer finds the residents enjoying sailing and enjoying the many weekend festivals the area affords.

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 Eastern Shore of Maryland is tidewater country, composed largely of wetlands with areas of rich, arable land that is now the source of grain for the poultry and ethanol industries. Originally, this land was seeded with tobacco, which paid the colonists’ taxes to the English Crown.

When it rains, you get your feet wet. Summers are long and sultry, with lingering high humidity and long, sweltering nights. The farmlands are fertile and the fishery is rich, providing crabs, oysters, clams and fish for the Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, DC markets. Situated on what is known as the Atlantic Flyway, late autumn finds the skies alive with migrating ducks and geese – some of which stay the winter to graze on standing grain crops planted by the rangers at Blackwater Wildlife Refuge. Winters are brief and damp. Houses are built on pilings and foundations are plagued by termites and water damage even in town.

If you come to the Eastern Shore, bring your patience. You pretty much have to drive to get here, although there are a few small airports that serve the area. Expect a quiet way of life where the people are friendly and kind to strangers. If I could advise you to do one thing when you come to the Eastern Shore it is to be open and curious. The people here love to share their world and are proud of their rich history that includes a kaleidoscope of characters such as the murderess Patty Cannon, Frederick Doughlass, Anna Ella Carroll and Harriet Tubman.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Chesapeake Harvest and Chesapeake Legacy are available both as ebooks and in print. They can be found at Amazon.com, Kindle, All Romance Ebooks, Fictionwise, Mobipocket and more. Chesapeake Destiny is set for spring release as an ebook and Chesapeake Heritage will be released sometime in the fall of 2009 and will be available at the ebook sites or from my publisher at www.writewordsinc.com

The Setting for the Green Healing Stone Fantasy Series

2008-12-14T20:54:00.003-05:00

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... 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 primary setting for my epic fantasy series is a continent-sized island nation called Azgard. The geography varies greatly, depending on the latitude. There are huge, snow-capped mountains; lush forests of redwood trees with a house-sized circumference; sweeping grass plains populated by herds of horses; rich farmlands, meadows, and even vast swamps in the far
south. The island is also well endowed with mineral wealth and other natural resources, including abundant water.

At first glance, Azgard seems little short of paradise. Polarized, however, is the key to understanding the island and its society. Azgard is deeply divided by race, by rank, by gender, by wealth, by level of power, by opportunity for advancement, and by access to technology.

Two groups inhabit Azgard. The dominant race, the Toltecs, are long-lived, exceptionally tall, physically strong, black-haired and black-eyed people with skin that ranges from light copper to deep reddish brown. The subject people, the Turanians, are smaller in stature, with blond, red, and light brown hair, blue or green eyes, and skin so pale it seems like milk.

As the story begins, the Toltecs conquered the Turanians several millennia earlier. Turanians endure limited chances for economic advancement, and work largely as servants, low-paid menial workers in industry, or as farmers. A handful of Turanians have managed to accumulate wealth, but they must hide that fact to keep Toltec bureaucrats from plundering their assets. Turanians also have highly circumscribed access to communications and other technology, and are not allowed to own any form of mechanized transport or even drive one without the permission of a Toltec employer.

Toltecs, on the other hand, control most of the wealth and the means of producing even more. A Toltec oligarchy that uses the name of "the Kindred" owns all land and patents on numerous inventions. The Toltec monarch is known as the Exalted Lord of the Kindred. Females are the property of either their fathers or their husbands and have few legal rights or protections.

Visitors to Azgard find that while the Turianians are hospitable to strangers, the Toltecs are much more aloof and suspicious because they regard anyone who isn't a Toltec as inferior. Their racial and ethnic supremacy belief guides the Toltecs' foreign policy, which is based on
military power and subjugation of other countries. Toltec society is also theocratic, with all people subject to civil laws and the religious laws of the state-sanctioned Temple of Kronos. There is no freedom of speech, and the poor and/or Turanians who cannot afford legal representation feel the heavy hand of Toltec justice, which is punitive and often violent.

Why you choose that particular setting?

I didn't really choose the setting. It is an integral part of the overall multi-generational story.

What does the setting add to the story?

Only everything. The setting makes this story.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

No. One critic took it upon himself to suggest that I set the action in Cyprus, an island torn by centuries-long feuds between Greeks and Turks. That would not make any sense and it would not work for my particular story.

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

The storyline of my entire series is bound up in the ultimate fate of Azgard. This is a tale about how religious extremists bent on absolute power instead destroyed an entire country and imperiled the world. Thus the setting cannot exist any longer-it simply cannot be any place or locale that remains intact.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

I believe I chose real places that once existed as the settings. Others might consider my setting nothing more than a myth at best. It was real to me because I believe I once lived a life as the first-generation heroine of my story.

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

There is a dark secret gnawing away at the underpinnings of Toltec power that will be exposed as the series progresses due to war, plague, and civil unrest.

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

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Title: Green Stone of Healing® Series

Paperbacks purchase links:

The Scorpions Strike-Green Stone of Healing® Series, Book Three

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780980053753

Fallout-Green Stone of Healing® Series, Book Two

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780980053746

The Vision-Green Stone of Healing® Series, Book One

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780980053739

eBooks purchase link: http://www.healingstonebooks.com

Bleach|Blackout – It’s All In The Setting

2008-12-04T11:04:00.001-05:00

The setting for Bleach is a house party, the last 60 seconds of New Year’s Eve, in the Midwest. Jeremy (narrator) is in the bathroom where a girl lay dying. The area is decorated with drugs and sex. The countdown to the New Year forms a point of escalation for the scene as well as a stopping point, allowing the narrator (Jeremy) to go back eight days and explain how he has ended up in this place.

For Bleach, the initial setting is used to both set up the story and because it is a very “in the moment” scene to start a story. The smell of smoke and danger permeates a room full of disoriented guests and someone is knocking at the door.

Sandwiched in between the start and finish you will often find a corporate backdrop used as the setting to establish relationships and tell the story of Jeremy’s adventure back home for the holidays.

The end of Bleach circles back to where the book starts, the evening of debauchery where all the men are dressed as prostitutes, all the women look like pimps and decadence and debauchery dictate the rules. Everything seems to be spiraling out of control, and Jeremy realizes there are no guarantees for him or anyone else.

Blackout picks up two years after Bleach in Las Vegas where Stoner and friends are celebrating his bachelor party complete with strippers and crack cocaine. The ride home is blurry and the next morning in Los Angeles brings a surprise when Stoner’s friends, Chip and Jeremy, wake to find police officers and a dead body they are allegedly responsible for, but neither can recall. The move to the West Coast setting allowed me as the writer to show some type of evolution with my characters as well as play the Hollywood angle, a secondary theme running through Bleach.

The settings in both Bleach|Blackout put the characters in a place for them to interact and act on impulse, allowing the reader to not only paint their own picture of the characters, but also spare them a boring back story chapter. While writing both Bleach and Blackout I never thought about any different setting. Bleach had to begin and end with the party of the ages while Blackout had to move, allowing me as the writer more freedom (and liberties) to develop my cast of fictional friends.

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

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.offensemechanisms.com/bookstore.html

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it? Bleach|Blackout is available online and select bookstores. To purchase go to: http://www.offensemechanisms.com/bookstore.html

Thank you for having me. -David

The Setting for Conor and the Crossworlds by Kevin Gerard

2008-11-06T14:50:00.001-05:00

Questions About the Setting of Conor and the Crossworlds

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?

I chose the Crossworlds because it is infinite. It is an endless series of worlds of light and darkness where anything can happen. What could be better than that for a fantasy writer?

What does the setting add to the story?

Surprises around every corner. There are four main venues that Conor and the other characters populate from time to time.

The realm of the creators is the home of the Council of Seven, a group of creators emeritus who oversee the Crossworlds. It is a place of unparalleled beauty and wellbeing. It is where Conor and the Champions go to rejuvenate themselves and prepare for battle.

The Glade of Champions is the world where the giant protectors of the Crossworlds live. Heavily forested and filled with lakes and small hills where the great cats can sun themselves, this is where Conor first meets Purugama’s brothers.

Earth – Conor lives there with his family in Northern California. His girlfriend Janine, introduced in Book Three, also lives there.

The Shadow World is the home of the Circle of Evil. The destroyers; Drazian, Gandron, Fumemos, Seefra, Pikiwik Loff, and the horrible assassin Nemelissi all stage their attacks in this place. Zelexa, the Lady of the Shadows, controls this world along with the three arcs of the ruling body.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

Why would I ever want to do that?

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

It’s not that I wouldn’t, I simply couldn’t. To me, the Crossworlds is as real as the world we all know. Conor is alive, as is Purugama and the rest of the Champions. The Lady of the Light has come alive with all the others, the destroyers, shadow warriors, the ezuvex, and on and on. This is a real live dimension I’ve created, and I could never change a thing about it. To do so would be an injustice to all the characters in the Conor and the Crossworlds story.

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

Only on earth. I went to Humboldt State University for a graduate degree. The redwood forest is a very mystical place, and I loved the tiny little towns along the Redwood Highway. For some reason the town of Willits really put the hook in me. I always imagined Conor growing up there. Also, Conor and Janine attend “Redwood State” when they get to college in Book Five.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

Everything besides earth came right out of my runaway imagination, including the Crossworlds, the corridors, the shadow world, the Champions, seekers, guardians, and the armies of the shadow world. I have to say, though, that I have been influenced by many wonderful writers. I’m certain the Lady of the Light emerged from my love of the science fiction / fantasy genre.

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

Anything can happen, and usually does. The great wonder about fantasy writing is the spontaneity of the experience. Imagine freeing your mind completely and allowing yourself to write absolutely anything. That’s where great stories come from.

One thing that I’ll tell you is that very little in the Crossworlds is synthetic. I love the idea that the corridors are living, organic creatures. In Book Two they began to unravel because the Circle of Evil attacked the spiritual and social health of the planets connected to them. In Book Three you really get the sense of how emotional the corridors can be.

Please provide your website link.

http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com

What is the link to buy your book?

Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Borders.com – go to any of these sites and search for Conor and the Crossworlds.

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?

If you went to the Glade of Champions, you might encounter a 5000 pound lion, a 2800 pound jaguar, a 2100 pound cheetah, a 3000 pound tiger, a 3000 pound flying cougar, and if you were lucky, you might see Maya, the Lord of the Champions, a 1900 pound alley cat. They are all cordial gentlemen, to a point.

If you went to the realm of the creators, your jaw would drop as you looked upon glorious gardens, waterfalls, pools, and perfect sunlight. The weather is always perfectly soothing to the spirit and soul. Young creators tend to the grounds constantly, and attend to the needs of the creators emeritus. Seekers (powerful visionaries with a gift finding lost souls) and guardians (healers from an ancient race of ezuvex warriors) might be roaming about. Bring relaxing clothing; you may pass by a healing water wall and want to stop for a moment’s rest.

Beware if you enter the Shadow World, for no one who perishes there can ever be rejuvenated by the creators. If you hear that the destroyer Nemelissi is on the loose, hide somewhere and stay absolutely quiet. Nemelissi the assassin is the most horrible of all destroyers, a disgusting creature who relishes new methods of slaughtering its victims.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Conor and the Crossworlds: Breaking the Barrier

Conor and the Crossworlds: Peril in the Corridors

Conor and the Crossworlds: Surviving an Altered World

Conor and the Crossworlds: Charge of the Champions – October 2009

Conor and the Crossworlds: The Author of All Worlds – October 2010

Each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog tour spots will be entered in a random drawing for a copy of Kevin Gerard's Conor and the Crossworlds – Book 1, Breaking the Barrier or Book 2 Peril in the Corridors. In addition – the blog owner who hosts the winning commenter wins the book not chosen by the commenter.

Stop by any tour stop and share your thoughts and comments with author Kevin Gerard as he prepares for the December release of Book 3 Surviving an Altered World. He will check in throughout the day at each stop to answer questions. You’ll learn more and have a chance to win one of his books, and the more you learn about Conor and his exciting realm the more you'll want to know. Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com today to keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World. While your there click on the contest video for exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators which begins in January.

For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html

Surviving an Altered World Blurb:

Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know, including the Crossworlds Champions and the creators. The Lady of the Light appears, explaining that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored

Amazon Link for Surviving an Altered World: http://tinyurl.com/55akjz

About Conor and the Crossworlds

Conor and the Crossworlds series: This series opens with book 1, Conor and the Crossworlds, when 10-year-old Conor Jameson unconsciously calls forth the power of the crossworlds creators who send the mystical beast, Purugama, to accompany the boy on a fantastic journey into the realm of the crosswords. This immense collection of mystical worlds connects by organic "corridors" that allow creators, champions, seekers, and at the other end of the spectrum, destroyers, shadow warriors, slayers and keepers to travel between worlds as easily as Conor walks between the rooms of his home. In book 2, Peril in the Corridors, the story continues when Conor and his huge mentor disturb the integrity of the crossworlds corridors, and must join the Lord of the Crossworlds Champions, Maya, on a mission to repair them, with all of creation hanging in the balance. In book 3, Surviving an Altered World (due to be released in December 2008), Conor and Janine Cochran, two everyday high school students find themselves caught in a race to save an altered world after Conor ignores his mentors' warnings and divulges secrets about his past.

About the Author:

After running three companies and working a variety of jobs during his life, Mr. Gerard returned to school and earned a master's degree in sociology from Humboldt State University. He returned to San Diego after completing the program and worked with two professional research organizations over the next seven years. In 2004, he resigned from the second position in order to pursue a writing career. While still teaching at the university, he spends the bulk of his time writing for publication. The Conor and the Crossworlds series provided the main impetus for his decision to permanently extricate himself from formal employment.

"Stepping away from full-time work was the best decision I ever made. Writing this story has given me tremendous personal satisfaction, and it has shown me an avenue for expression I will always treasure."

Kevin Gerard lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and four children. He teaches sociology and statistics for the California State University. When not writing or teaching, Mr. Gerard enjoys walking the grounds at the San Diego Zoo, golfing with his father, hitting the waves and his favorite pizza hangout with his brother, nieces and nephews, and loving his wife and kids. He also enjoys playing Halo on the internet; look for him in the rocket games as Drazian, the destroyer in the first Conor and the Crossworlds adventure, Breaking the Barrier.

Conor and the Crossworlds Contest

Visit his website and click on the contest video for exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators which begins in January http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com

Website Address: http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com

Primary Blog: http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/A1Y85GB3KR02Y6/ref=cm_blog_dp_artist

Kindred Spirits by Marilyn Meredith

2008-10-12T20:45:00.001-04:00

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...

There are three important settings in this mystery. First, Bear Creek, where Tempe Crabtree is the resident deputy. Yes, it is loosely based on where I live--but I've changed it some--including moving it 1,000 feet higher into the mountains. It's a small community town, almost a village, which is fairly close to the Bear Creek Indian reservation.

The second setting is Crescent City where Tempe goes to learn more about a murder victim and possibly the murderer.

The third setting is Santa Barbara where Tempe finally confronts the murderer--and nearly loses her life.

Why did you choose that particular setting?

This is book eight in the series and Tempe has always been the resident deputy of Bear Creek. I like the small town nuances and uniqueness of the mountain setting and the problems that arise, such as forest fires.

Four years ago I went to Crescent City to teach a workshop at a writers conference. While there I met a most interesting Tolowa woman and learned a lot about the Tolowa people, their history and some of their legends and knew that one day I wanted to put all of this in a book. Crescent City is a beautiful place on the Pacific Ocean and bordering on Oregon.

It was logical for Tempe to go onto Santa Barbara in pursuit of the murderer.

What does the setting add to the story?

I think all three settings add a lot to the story itself. I'm a firm believer that settings are as important as character in the telling of a story. I've often given workshops about setting.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

I could, but it wouldn't be the same story since the settings definitely influence what happens in all three cases.

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

The story begins with a forest fire so the place has to be where there are forest fires.

The Tolowa Indians are important to the story in the Crescent City setting and that's where the majority of the Tolowa people live.

As Tempe follows the trail left by the killer, she ends up in Santa Barbara. I know Santa Barbara and the place fit what I wanted to happen.

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

I usually use a real setting or base it on a real setting. For me, this helps me see the places in my mind as the story unfolds.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

In all the 20 plus books I've written, I've never totally created a setting from scratch. I've never felt the need to do so, though I've certainly moved things around in Bear Creek to suit what I was writing.

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

I love Crescent City. It's right on a rather rugged and rocky coast that has been the scene of many a shipwreck. In places, giant redwoods grow right down to the sea. It is one of the places where Big Foot has been sighted. The first people who lived and thrived in this wonderful place were the Tolowa people--until they were nearly wiped out by the newcomers who settled in the area. Not many people realize that the California Indians were nearly eliminated either by illness or at the hands of their neighbors. Though this is not what Kindred Spirits is about, it is a part of the characters in the book.

Please provide your website link.

http://fictionforyou.com

What is the link to buy your book?
http://mundaniapress.com/books-kindredspirits.html

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?

Before arriving in Bear Creek you could make a side-trip to the Indian casino, or head up higher to visit the old growth Sequoias.

In Crescent City, on your way up you could drive through the trail of giant redwoods and perhaps catch a glimpse of Big Foot. When you arrive, there are all sorts of wonderful sea food restaurants with ocean views. It can be chilly in Crescent City because of the fog so bring a sweater.

In both places, you'll likely see many retirees. In Bear Creek, you might run into a Native American as well and the same for Crescent City though there are other ethnic people represented.

In Santa Barbara you'll see lots of tourists along with the many who live there all the time. Besides the ocean vistas, be sure to visit the Santa Barbara Mission.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Kindred Spirits is the title. If you'd like to purchase it from the publisher, go here:
http://mundaniapress.com/books-kindredspirits.html but it is also available from all the online bookstores and can be ordered from any bookstore. It is also available as an e-book.

Thank you for hosting me and allowing me to tell you a bit about the settings for Kindred Spirits.

Marilyn Meredith

Hunting The Egret by Bryn Colvin

2008-09-01T21:29:00.003-04:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

I like to write about places I know, and having grown up not for from the River Severn in Gloucestershire, it’s a landscape that has really imprinted itself on my soul. Knowing the places I wanted to write about meant not needing to do much research, which is nice sometimes. The Severn is an incredible river – muddy, tidal, with its huge estuary – it’s a totally unique habitat surrounded by beautiful hills. It has a lot of its own myths, and I managed to weave a few of these into ‘Hunting the Egret’.

What does the setting add to the story? Otter shapeshifters need water. My first otter shapeshifter novel was set in the fens – in the east of England, a very flat and damp part of the world. I wanted a different setting for this one, and needed water. I wanted egrets, and they are only in the south of the UK at present. Going back to the river I knew and loved as a child seemed a logical choice.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

The plot itself doesn’t depend on the setting, I could have used a number of large southern rivers as my backdrop, but it made sense to use the one I know best.

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

Other rivers have myths and deities, but they all have their own character, so changing the setting would make some difference to the feel of the book.

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

Yes, for the greater part – The Severn River, Bristol, Gloucester, Lydney, the Sharpness canal and the surrounding hills are entirely real. The village of Arlode is fictional, but owes a lot to the villages on the Severn.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

Only the village of Arlode, which is a typical small Gloucestershire village, with an aging population and its key facilities falling by the wayside.

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?

The Severn is a moody river, muddy, and tidal. On either side are hills. The combination of hills and river seems to make the place a rain magnate and its damper than average, with grey skies being very much normal. Although many of the villages are picturesque, there’s a smattering of industry, and communities suffering from rising house prices and dwindling populations. At the moment, there is no Severn barrage, but it remains a threat to this beautiful landscape.

What sort of people are there?

Villages are increasingly being taken over by weekenders and commuters – there being so little work in rural places. The younger people can’t afford the buy houses in the places where they grew up, and most leave for towns and cities. It’s hard to live in rural England if you have no car and no money.

If we were travelling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

Walking boots, a waterproof coat, binoculars for bird watching.

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

It’s a fairly quiet and lovely corner of the world, with plenty of good pubs, and wonderful walks.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Hunting the Egret

http://www.loveyoudivine.com/index.php?main_page=document_product_info&cPath=28&products_id=337&zenid=e8fb5f33a911b999e381b72512589bd7

Estraguil - Setting for The Girl Who Fell

2008-08-24T20:13:00.001-04:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

This is my fourth book in the Estraguil setting. Having put a lot of work into creating a fantasy place, I just love playing with it and keep going back there. It has so much history to explore, and lends itself to all kinds of different stories.

What does the setting add to the story?

It’s a mysterious place, full of magic and possibility. Myths are very important in Estraguil, story and landscape, heritage and culture are all interwoven. The setting has a distinct personality of its own, with intentions of its own and lends itself to drama and adventure.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

No.

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

I don’t like rabbit out of hat solutions. ‘The Girl Who Fell’ is rooted in the nature and logic of estraguil, with some of the quirks of the setting being essential to the plot.

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

There’s a considerable influence of the Forest of Dean in Estraguil – narrow river valleys, woods, caves, hills etc. The name itself – Estraguil – was an old name for Chepstow Castle, which is in the Forest of Dean. Said castle provided the inspiration for a tower in the story, and for the whole concept of Estraguil.

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?

It’s a wild and beautiful place, with massive ancient trees, boulders, caves, rivers and waterfalls. There is a lot of unique indigenous wildlife – much of it dangerous. You get small pockets of civilisation around the trefs, but once you get away from those, the forest is untamed, full of wonders, hazards and adventures.

What sort of people are there?

There are a number of kith groups who inhabit the forests – some nomadic, some stationary. Most of these groups have their own areas, some do not. While basically humanoid, the inhabitants of Estraguil tend to be strange – furred, feathered, shape shifting, with tails, or hooves, claws, forked tongues, or other striking quirks.

If we were travelling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

Stout boots, a sturdy pack, something for warmth, water skins, something to hunt with. Bring no more than you can carry on your shoulders because there are no beasts of burden here, and technology is minimal. Make sure you have stories or songs, because these can be traded almost anywhere.

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

Estraguil is dangerous, with a lot of rules of its own. Travel cautiously, treat those you find with respect – if you offer no violence you might not receive any.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

The Girl Who Fell

http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/chapters/TheGirlWhoFell_BrynnethColvin.shtml

Learn More About the Setting for Vietnam Air Rescues

2008-08-17T15:52:00.000-04:00

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...

1. Why you chose that particular setting?

This book is somewhat unique in that it is not so much a story, per se, as a reminiscence of incidents from my past. It was originally written for the benefit of my children, rather than the public in general. Another complication is that it is a collection of stories regarding my experiences during the Vietnam War, thus the ‘setting’ has to be the war as it existed in 1967-1968. Or, at least, the war as it appeared to me.

2. What does the setting add to the story?

The setting is the story. It would be very hard to write a story about combat experiences during the Vietnam War and place the action in say, Abilene, KS.

3. Could you write the same story in a different setting?

No.

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

Absolutely

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

My book is a true story and the setting is very real. There are many pictures on my website and in the book from my time and experiences in Vietnam.

6. Please provide your website link.

www.vietnam-air-rescues.com

7. What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Air-Rescues-Dave-Richardson/dp/1434891348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210355110&sr=1-1

8. Tell us some specific details about your setting.

What would we see?

At first glance, the setting for the book seems huge as it encompasses 3 separate countries: Thailand, Laos and North Vietnam.

Thailand is roughly the size of California, (twice the size of the entire United Kingdom, or 1.4 times the size of Germany).

Laos is barely the size of the state of Utah.

Vietnam today is larger than Italy and nearly the size of Germany. During the time period covered by the book, however, the country was split nearly equally in half.

Upon a closer look, however, the scale shrinks somewhat. The author flew out of a base in Thailand and flew over Laos to land primarily in only 2 spots, one just NE of the Plain of Jars; the other further NE near the North Vietnamese border. Obviously, he never landed in North Vietnam and his only exposure there was in the central and NW areas.

Since rescue missions depended for their success on remote areas, all of the 3 settings in the book involved dense jungle and rough, mostly unoccupied mountainous terrain.

Flying over jungle terrain can be quite boring, as it is impossible to see the ground and the packed density of the trees below tend to blur. What broke up the monotony was the jagged rocks and ridges, called ‘Karsts’, which had to be avoided and navigated through.

Since helicopters were basically incapable of flying at extremely high altitudes, the level at which one flew was critical; fly too high and you are exposed to Surface to Air missile radar and risk being shot down. Fly too low and you are exposed to a variety of ground fire types—from pistols to rifles to machine guns. For these reasons, it was prudent to vary your altitude constantly, always below the level of the mountain peaks to mask the radar and always erring on the low side. A missile radar lock-on was fatal.

What kept one on the alert was the fact that it was impossible to see the enemy, who constantly moved around. What was a safe route yesterday, could become a death trap today.

Once on the ground and assuming the alert posture, the situation changed. The daytime site was a short dirt strip roughly bulldozed near the top of a jungle-covered ridge. The alert pilot’s job was to sit inside a small plywood hut with 7 other men from dawn to dusk waiting for the call to enter North Vietnam and attempt to rescue a pilot who had just been shot down.

The irony of the situation was that the pilot who had just been downed had been traveling at 500+ mph. Now, it was expected that a helicopter, traveling at barely 100 mph, could enter the same area, conduct a search of the dense jungle, locate the downed pilot and hover long enough to bring him up through the jungle growth without being shot down itself.

Back at the daytime site, just a hundred yards or so away the jungle began; rising steeply up the hillside. The cleared area, with the short landing strip, parking area, fuel dump, plywood hut and ‘fortress’ on a small rise belonged to the Americans. The jungle belonged to the enemy, who did not hesitate to shoot at any Americans who were foolish enough to show themselves.

The site was guarded by mercenary troops, who did not speak English and had little interaction with the Americans. If gunfire was encountered from the jungle, the mercenary troops would attempt to discourage it.

The area around the hut was covered with waist-high grass. Buried in the grass were the disintegrating remains of ‘dud’ rocket and artillery shells which had failed to explode upon impact, but would now explode if stepped on or jostled. This created a protective barrier which discouraged the enemy from crawling though the grass to the hut.

There were no bathroom facilities. In addition, the only food and water available was what was carried in. Sitting in a cramped, windowless hut in high humidity all day long, caused a certain, shall we say, ripeness in the air.

Since the enemy would regularly attempt to seize the strip during the cover of darkness, the helicopters would depart just before night fell, retreating some distance SW to a larger site which, although still in enemy territory, had a larger enough troop presence to repel attacks.

This site contained a paved runway and a small city. The difficulty of landing at a controlled ‘airport’ was that there were neither radios nor English-speaking ‘controllers’ is detailed in the book.

The Jolly Green pilot’s would arrive just at dusk and depart the next morning at first light. Therefore, they had little interaction with the nighttime site, other than sleeping in plywood huts.

The normal course of alert duty was as follows:

DAY ONE

1 Takeoff from home base in Thailand and fly to the daytime site

2 After refueling the helicopters, and assuming no one was shot down; sit in a windowless, plywood hut until dusk, monitoring a battery-powered radio.

3 Fly to the overnight site

4 Spend the night

DAY TWO

1 Take off the next morning at first light and fly to the daytime site

2 After refueling the helicopters, and assuming no one was shot down; sit in a windowless, plywood hut until dusk, monitoring a battery-powered radio.

3 Fly to the overnight site

4 Spend the night

DAY THREE

1 Take off the next morning at first light and fly to the daytime site

2 After refueling the helicopters, and assuming no one was shot down; sit in a windowless, plywood hut until dusk, monitoring a battery-powered radio.

3 Fly back to Thailand.

For these actions, covering 3 days and 6 sorties, the Jolly Green pilot would be credited with 1 flight!

What sort of people are there?

The only people I had any interaction with were the mercenary troops who guarded our sites and this interaction was minimal. They were a proud people, possessed of a culture and mannerisms that were quite different from ours. I go into some detail in the book regarding the cultural differences involved.

If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

When I was there, a flak vest, helmet and weapon would be handy. Not sure about today. Perhaps the biggest noticeable difference is the weather. Hot and sticky constantly. One must change socks and underwear quite frequently to prevent it from rotting and, more importantly, causing sores upon your body.

Cool, well ventilated clothing would be a must. We would hang our flight suits in a locker, with our combat boots sitting underneath. A low wattage bulb was kept burning constantly. This provided enough heat to dry out our boots and clothing to prevent rot.

11. Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Order link: http://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Air-Rescues-Dave-Richardson/dp/1434891348/

www.vietnam-air-rescues.com

We've posted an excerpt from the book to share Dave's first rescue - visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/08/sample-for-you-rescue-1-vietnam-air.html

Feel free to ask questions or leave a comment at every stop on the tour to increase your chances to win a copy of this exciting book.

The Girl Who Fell by Brynneth Colvin

2008-08-05T17:25:00.001-04:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

What does the setting add to the story?

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

No.

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

I don’t like rabbit out of hat solutions. ‘The Girl Who Fell’ is rooted in the nature and logic of estraguil, with some of the quirks of the setting being essential to the plot.

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

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?

What sort of people are there?

If we were travelling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

Estraguil is dangerous, with a lot of rules of its own. Travel cautiously, treat those you find with respect – if you offer no violence you might not receive any.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

The Girl Who Fell

http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/chapters/TheGirlWhoFell_BrynnethColvin.shtml

Saving Tampa by Jo Webnar

2008-07-27T20:57:00.000-04:00

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 picked the Tampa Bay Area because my husband worked for the County and knew what was vulnerable to attack. It was important for the book to be believable.

Why you chose that particular setting?
I picked the marina setting because I was familiar with the area. It is also very beautiful but vulnerable. Everything had to work together like pieces in a puzzle.

What does the setting add to the story? It makes the story more interesting because you want to know more about the area, and everyone loves boats.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? Yes. I could have used any other major city, but I wouldn’t have had the inside knowledge that makes “Saving Tampa ” so believable.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting? If I used a different setting it would have required a lot more research, and I’m not sure I could have gotten the inside knowledge that I had of Tampa.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Yes and No. The setting of the marina is similar to one in the area. The site of the attack is very close to the water system for Tampa .

Or, did you create the setting from scratch? No. I based everything on places I knew. In my opinion, when you write about things you know, the book is much more interesting. It’s all in the little details.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share. I feel that the condo communities are ruining the ecology of Florida . My heroine never realized it until she was educated by my hero.

Please provide your website link. www.jowebnar.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jo+Webnar

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=Jo+Webnar

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? You would see beautiful condos and houses surrounding a man made lake that flows into the Manatee River . Everything is high priced and luxurious. The landscaping is beautiful, but not with native plants. There are blue herons, egrets and other birds hiding in the grass on a strip of land that juts into the lake. As soon as more condos are built, they will leave for a quieter place. The people who live here bought their homes for the view and have no idea what the real Florida is like. There is an expensive five star restaurant and two swimming pools. People from the restaurant and bar walk down to the marina, and like peeping toms, look in the windows of the boats. It’s a form of entertainment and many of them are drunk. The people aboard pull their curtains and try to ignore them.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?
Saving Tampa - Local book stores, www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnobel.com , or any place books are sold.

Vengeance by Colin Harvey

2008-07-11T17:00:00.001-04:00

1. Why did you choose that particular setting?

I chose a future earth that's a squalid, overcrowded refuse tip because on the one hand I feel deeply cynical about what we're doing to our world as a species. On the other hand, at least I suppose we have a future.

2. Could you write the same story in a different setting?

I could write a version of the story, but it wouldn't be the same story. All my books are deeply influenced by their setting.

3. Did you create the setting from scratch?

Pretty much. One of the nice things about SF is that you can start from scratch, as long as you're consistent.

4. Please provide your website link.

http://www.geocities.com/colin_harvey

5. What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.amazon.com/Vengeance-Colin-Harvey/dp/1934041254/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215289128&sr=1-1

6. Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?

Refuse tips the size of cities, elevators rising twenty-two thousand miles high into orbit, undersea cities, seven mile wide ribbons running round the world and Disney-esque recreations of ancient Egyptian cities run by women.

7. What sort of people are there?

Hucksters and grifters, wizards and zombies, aliens and assassins. They're not a pleasant bunch, by and large...

8. If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

Money to hire someone to act as a bodyguard and body armour!

9. For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

Don't stay too long -- it isn't safe....

Novels from Swimming Kangaroo Books:

Lightning Days -- SF, Finalist for the USA Book News Awards

The Silk Palace -- "compelling" Library Journal

"Intrigues, betrayals, murders, love affairs, transformations, and

revelations," Bruce Boston, author of The Guardener's Tale

www.geocities.com/colin_harvey http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/colinh60

Setting For Outlaw in Petticoats

2008-06-22T22:20:00.002-04:00

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.

Medieval Italy in Bloodstone Castle by Mirella Patzer

2008-06-18T13:22:00.004-04:00

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.

Crimson Promise by Sapphrie Phelan

2008-05-31T21:27:00.001-04:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

When I first wrote this back in 2006 for Lady Aibell Press I had this thing about romance between a vampire and human as not something I could go there with. So I set it between two vampires. Then I thought, "How can I make this diferent from other vampire romance stories out there?" Why, set it in the future and on another planet. And make the female vampire a living alien one, one who had been changed by a virus eons ago created by the scientists of her world (which is where this story takes place). I had to imagine a whole new world, not Earth at all. Of course, LAP closed its doors and Phaze published it--this time, I added more to the story.

What does the setting add to the story?

Adds that alien flavor and I hope will take the reader to a world they wouldn't feel easy in.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

Possibly. A war of the world type, with the alien vamp coming here? No, I liked the spot the setting ended up in.

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

Because the undead vampire from Earth is the last of his kind--thanks to the pollution in the future killing them all off.

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

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

All of it came from inside my head.

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

Nothing else. I just hope the readers see the place with me, and fear the night of this world.

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?

There are mountains and desolate landscape and humans come thwre to mine it. Plus what is left of the alien's civilization has been found beneath the surface. there is air there, so humans can survive in its atmosphere.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Crimson Promise.
http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Crimson+Promise+by+Sapphire+Phelan

Please provide your website link.

http://FantasticDreams.50megs.com (Sapphire Phelan's/Pamela K. Kinney's Website)

See No Evil, My Pretty Lady by Miss Mae

2008-05-11T14:37:00.001-04:00

1) Why did you pick the setting?

Since I dealt with an historical figure, the setting was already picked for me.

2) Why you chose that particular setting? I did choose an island away from London so the characters could be more contained.

3) What does the setting add to the story?

Hmm, atmosphere, I hope. The image of darkness, mystery, intrigue, foreboding...

4) Could you write in a diifferent setting? Not for this story.

5) Why couldn't you use a different one? Because history has placed Jack the Ripper in Victorian London. Unless I did a time travel and transported him to a different age, then, of course, I could also add a different setting...

6) Did you use a real place? Yes

7) Did you create the setting from scratch? The manor on the island, yes.

8) Anything else we need to know? No

9) website link...

http://www.missmaesite.com

10) link to buy...

http://www.thewildrosepress.com

11) Details about the setting. What will we see? What sort of people? If we were traveling, what should we bring? For visitors, what should they know to visit your setting?

At my setting, they'll see cold, moist, billowing fog. The people are an assorted lot from menial servants, a high society woman, wealthy gentlemen, and an officer from Scotland Yard. If traveling, bring an umbrella. For visitors, bring long underwear to stay warm!

Eureka Point by Betty Ann Harris

2008-04-27T21:38:00.002-04:00

Why you chose that particular setting? My book, Eureka Point, is a romantic suspense, in which the main character, a beautiful and successful Park Avenue interior designer, must assume a new identity and relocate to a somewhat desolate area far away. Eureka Point is an old Victorian seaport town on the rocky shores of the coast of Northern California. The setting is the opposite of New York, where the main character is from, and represents a new start for her. But the severe rocky coastline, with its cliffs and rough seas relates to the danger that still surrounds her.

What does the setting add to the story? The setting adds a sense of mystery, suspense, and danger to my story.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? The setting is so essential to my story that I don't think I could write the same story in a different setting. One thing I do as a writer is spend a good deal of time describing the scene and scenery in order to draw the reader into the story.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting? If I used a different setting the story would not be as interesting or exciting.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? A rather strange thing happened to me while I was writing this story. I decided on Northern California and just picked a name out of my head. I picked Eureka as the name of the town but I also wanted to use a lighthouse on a point, so I decided on Eureka Point. When I was researching Northern California on a map, low and behold, there was a town on the coast named Eureka. Friends tell me they think I lived there in former life, or they think I'm psychic.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch? I created the setting from scratch but it does exist.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share. The area of Northern California portrayed in my book has many cliffs and rocky shores, where shipwrecks happened in the past. It is rumored in my story that the ghosts of old sea captains roam around, adding more to the sense of mystery and danger.

Please provide your website link. I have a blog titled, Writing By Moonlight. The link is: http://www.writingmoonlight.blogspot.com
My website is currently being re-done.

What is the link to buy your book? http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=89

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? If you were to go to Eureka Point, you would see charming inns, historic and old lighthouses, rocky shores and dramatic cliffs. The people that live in the area are laid back and enjoy visiting wineries and great restaurants. This area of Northern California has a very termperate climate with temperatures in the fifties and sixties a good part of the year. If you were to visit Eureka Point you should bring along comfortable shoes and have a jacket handy.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it? The title of my book is Eureka Point and it's available at Red Rose Publishing under Mainstream Romance, Suspense.

Thanks for allowing me to share beautiful Eureka Point, California with you.
Betty Ann Harris

Eureka Point, A romantic suspense

e-book now available at Red Rose Publishing:

http://www.redrosepublishing.com

Murder at Work by Yvonne Eve Walus

2008-04-13T18:50:00.002-04:00

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?

Hi, my name is Yvonne Eve Walus and I lived in South Africa for 16 years. "Murder @ Work" (Echelon Press, 2004) and "Murder @ Play" (Echelon Press, 2009) are set in South Africa of the 1990s. The nineties were a fascinating time in South African history: new thinking challenging old beliefs, the media slowly hinting at the possibility of equality for all people, hope and goodwill rising despite the escalating violence. The whites still had a cushy lifestyle: secure jobs for the men, large mansions with swimming pools for the women (many women chose to stay at home and look after the family with the help of their domestic servants). The non-whites still vacuumed the thick carpets and polished the silver BMWs at work, then went home to mud shacks. But the changes - the changes were already afoot....

What does the setting add to the story?

I see South Africa as a character in my books: the reader gets to know it and to watch it change during the course of the story. The South African setting shapes the characters too: because they were born and brought up there, in that particular cocktail of white wealth and Calvinist code of right and wrong, they can't help acting in a certain way. Most South Africans of the 1990s would sex outside of marriage as something undesirable. Most men (and a lot more women that I'd care to admit) would see a thinking independent woman as a threat to their way of life. All that makes for quite unique murder motives, motives that are uniquely South African. And then you have the means: in the 1990s, everybody was familiar with guns and knew how to use them - most people owned at least one.

The year is 1990.

When you go to a doctor or dentist, don't take your wallet. The bill will be sent to your home address... but if you're a woman, the bill will be addressed to your father or your husband. Women don't trouble their pretty little heads with bills.

If you're a woman, expect to be stopped at the door to an alcohol bar: that place is for men only, and your husband is welcome to go in while you wait for him in the street.

Even if you are a career woman earning more than your husband does, you will need his signature when opening a credit account in a supermarket or a department store.

If you're a man, the size of your manhood is directly proportional to the size of your gun.

Gambling is illegal.

Sex with a person of another race has only just been made legal. The Group Areas Act, however, is still in force, preventing people of different races from living in the same suburb.

Your car costs half as much as your mansion.

This year, you will pay more for a security fence than you pay for your daily house cleaning.

Please provide your website link.

http://yewalus.kiwiwebhost.net.nz/

What is the link to buy your book?

"Murder @ Work": http://www.amazon.com/Murder-work-Yvonne-Eve-Walus/dp/1590803256

Sinbad's Last Voyage

2008-03-23T22:22:00.003-04:00

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 definitely do not live in any of the places described in my book! If I did, I wouldn't have time to write about them! I wanted it set partly on Earth and partly on other planets so contrasts could be shown, as seen through Andi's eyes.

Why you chose that particular setting?

It's a couple of centuries in the future so technology would be advanced enough to allow for planet travel, also also for crime to have followed explorers into outer space.

What does the setting add to the story?

Sinbad lives in Old Town in the Thieves Quarter. By unwritten law, the Federation stays out of Old Town because they have no jurisdiction there. When my hero and heroine have to leave, they leave the planet because Andi's likeness has been posted on every continent on Earth. There are loudspeakers on the highways blasting out her description as she speeds away from a pursuing Federation Marshal's Drone.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

I imagine the basic story--man wrongly arrested, escaping from jail, wife and hunter searching for him while unconsciously falling in love with each other--could be set anywhere.

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

Because I have an SF frame of mind and I saw this as a futuristic story and never anything else.

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

None whatsoever.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

I'm certain there were unconscious influences somewhere along the line, but as far as I know, everything--from the Thieves Quarter in Old Town to Antilla City with its five miles of shopping malls to the jungle planet of Albegensia--was made up out of whole cloth, in my imagination.

Please provide your website link.

www.tonivsweeney.com

What is the link to buy your book?

www.lulu.com; www.doubledragonbooks.com.

Tell us some specific details about your setting.

On Earth, the people are still much the same, struggling to get along. There's so much pollution now, however, that one group has retreated into an area inland where they've established a cult, the Naturals, growing their own food, making their own clothes, using herbs to cure their ills. They don't use anything that wasn't used by their ancestors in the mid-twentieth century and this, along with their doctrine of "Everyone is created equal," they've been placed on the Federation's Suspects List. Because they also provide the country with two-thirds of its flood supply, they are soon taken off the List, however. They also don't believe in space travel or even air flight and when Sinbad takes Andi up in th mariner, it's the first time she's ever been off the planet and she's terrified. Prisoners are kept in Penal colonies on asteroids and political prisoners are sent to the Toxic Zone, the area which used to be Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri and was later turned into a gigantic asbestos disposal area, and then into a prison. Sinbad has the dubious distinction of being the only man ever to escape from the Toxic Zone.

What would we see? What sort of people are there?

Besides the Naturals, there are the city dwellers, and the Federation people--both of whom are much more affluent--and the prisoners in the Toxic Zone. Earth hasn't become a very nice place to live if you're "different." It's become a holier-than-thou place, where to be considered "human" or Terran, is to be desired. Conquered people are considered "animals" until they've been admitted into the Federation, and accepted the Faith of Earth. The first thing done to a conquered planet is to send in soldiers and missionaries. The farther from Earth one gets, the freer and more friendlier the planets are.

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?

On Earth, you'd better bring a pollution mask and your ID card and don't talk back to anyone wearing a uniform with the Federation "Stars and Planets" on the sleeve! You don't want to go to Felida. They don't like humans!

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Sinbad's Last Voyage, (Book One in the Adventures of Sinbad) available from www.lulu.com or www.doubledragonbooks.com

Spring House by David Bowles

2008-03-18T12:52:00.001-04:00

Title: Spring House, Book 1 in the Westward Sagas

Author: David Bowles

Web site: http://www.westwardsagas.com

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? My novel is based on my family history, and the book is set in the time and place my ancestors, who are the main characters, lived.

What does the setting add to the story? Setting is crucial to the story--the family farm was turned into a battlefield in the Revolutionary War. My main character fought in that battle while his mother, wife, and children hid in the nearby spring house.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? No

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting? The story is historically accurate, and the history happened in that setting, and much of the action revolved around the setting.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Yes, the story is set in Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina, which was important in the American Revolution.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch? No

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share. The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was a pivotal battle in the American Revolution, though it is not as well known as some other battles. The book was released at the 225^th Observance of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, and I participated in the observance at the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, which includes land that had been my ancestors' cornfield before the battle was fought on it.

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

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.westwardsagas.com/order.html

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 is a North Carolina farm during the Revolutionary War. The people who lived there were hard-working Scots-Irish Presbyterians. If you were traveling to the setting at the time of my story, you would travel over rough roads in a Conestoga wagon, carrying your Dutch oven and food to cook over the open fire as you traveled. Visitors would need to know that they might encounter fighting between the British and Continental Army. They might want to hide in the spring house with Margaret Mitchell, her daughter-in-law Elizabeth, and her grandchildren. However, the crude little shed designed to keep dairy products cool was already overflowing with people.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it? Spring House, Book 1 of the Westward Sagas is available at http://www.westwardsagas.com/order.html as well as Amazon.com and bookstores.

Cynthia's Attic Series

2008-03-18T11:51:00.005-04:00

This description takes in the whole series (3 books): Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket, The Magic Medallion, and Curse of the Bayou. Since it's a continuing series, I thought we could talk about the setting for the entire series.

Why you chose that particular setting?

I chose Southern Indiana because that's where Cynthia's attic was located. The dream takes place in a mysterious attic. At times the attic is exciting and mysterious, but many times it is dark and foreboding. I'd just finished telling my best friend about the recurring dream I'd had for almost 20 years, when I had a "light-bulb" moment. It occurred to me that the dream took place in the attic of my childhood friend, Cynthia. We used to play in her attic all the time. When I realized that it was the place of my dreams, the dreams stopped and the writing began.

What does the setting add to the story?

I've always been told, "Write what you know." I had so many pictures of my hometown, Corydon, Indiana, in the early 1900s that I knew exactly how it looked, how the people dressed, and what the downtown looked like. I believe this adds a certain realism that I might not be able to achieve, otherwise.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

The main characters, Cynthia and Gus, travel to many locations. Since they have a "time-traveling trunk," they're able to visit many locations, including an early 1900s cruise ship, a cottage in France, a Louisiana bayou, and New Orleans.

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

The stories are loosely based on stories from my childhood. To make the adventures realistic, I wanted to begin the books in Southern Indiana.

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

Yes. My hometown.

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

The Cynthia's Attic adventures cover a 120-year span; from 1964-1844. Most of the action takes place in 1914 where Cynthia and Gus first meet their 12-year-old grandmothers! Life in the early 1900s was quite different from life in the 1960s. Although the books are categorized as fantasy/fiction, I like to describe them as historical fiction with fantastical elements. The books give the reader a sense of history without bogging them down in facts.

Please provide your website link.

http://www.marycunninghambooks.com

What is the link to buy your book(s)?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/103-7177880-8331022

Tell us some specific details about your setting.

What would we see?

A small town, dirt streets with large sycamore trees looming over the streets. The center of town is the courthouse square. A split rail fence surrounds a small stone building, the first state capitol of Indiana. The bandstand is also in the town square, and many Friday nights are spent listening to the town band and attending an "ice cream social."

What sort of people are there?

1914: Settlers, Corydon natives who are third generation. Bankers, farmers, blacksmiths, business owners, mothers, fathers, and children running down the streets, gathered on the sidewalk playing marbles, or getting a frosted malt at Rosenbarger's Ice Cream Emporium.

If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

Only your imagination. As Cynthia and Gus travel through time with only the clothes on their back and some necessary clues on their destination, they don't need money or food, although Gus has been known to stuff a hunk of lunch meat in her pocket.

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

Visitors would need to blend in with the times. They'd need to know that help and information was readily available. All they'd need to do is ask the right person. And, don't expect to find the Internet, cell phones, television, or even indoor "facilities!"

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket

Cynthia's Attic: The Magic Medallion

Cynthia's Attic: Curse of the Bayou

Amazon buy link for all three books:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/103-7177880-8331022

Lightning Days by Colin Harvey

2008-02-29T22:35:00.002-05:00

Why did you chose that particular setting?

First of all, the setting for Lightning Days is plural -- settings. I suppose in its most general term, its Earth, all around the world, but there are perhaps a dozen or so alternate Earths, some so similar as ours as to indistinguishable, some almost like other worlds, reflecting the diversity of parallel universes.

What does the setting add to the story?

The many different settings give it an epic feel, which was what I wanted, and the alternate Earths allowed me to tell the evolution of the Thals from the sort of sword-and-sorcery feel of the ‘Warriors’ story to a current day world, but inhabited by a branch of Neanderthals who have become more human, as the universe applies a conservation of divergence.

Most parallel worlds stories tell of things being very different from some very small event, such as the film The Sound of Thunder, whereby everything changes because you’ve stepped on a butterfly millions of years ago. But there is a counter-theory, that if Hitler were to die as a child, someone else would come along and run Germany in the same way. It’s a sort of Historical Inevitability.

I wanted both theories in the same book!

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

It would be a very different story; if you set it on another world, it would just be Stargate by any other name. Similarly, remove the parallel worlds concept and have alien invaders, and you have standard SF.

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

A lot of real places; the first part takes place in Afghanistan, and I read several books by British correspondents -- John Snow’s Shooting The Past and several of John Simpson’s books -- to get a feel for the conflict as it was unfolding (I started Lightning Days as the Allies went into Afghanistan the first time, and finished it as we were hunting Saddam after the fall of Iraq) and googled the terrain as much as I could; I contacted the Meteorological Society and several Antarctic-based scientists to get a feel for the Mawson’s Base sequence. Plus there were sequences in California , Florida and Bangladesh .

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

The Thal sequences I wrote from scratch, although the three early ones were based on Asia, the Greek Islands and Spain , but the last two just went off into The Wild Blue Yonder, onto an alternate Earth where an arboreal semi-amphibious version of humanity had evolved, and the last, where the Thals had a whole Commonwealth of alternate Earths.

In some places, there is huge volcanic activity, so think of One Million BC, but without Raquel Welch! In others there are crystalline deserts, world-spanning forests and walled cities surrounded by jungles. And you wouldn’t go this setting, it’s a war-zone… J

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

There were lots of bits that I had to cut; a sequence in Iceland , one in Ireland , and one that made it into a short story that was too good to lose!

Please provide your website link.

http://www.geocities.com/colin_harvey

What is the link to buy your book?

http://swimmingkangaroo.com/lightningdays.html

As well as the link above, you can get an electronic version at fictionwise:

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook47461.htm

Novels from Swimming Kangaroo Books:

Lightning Days -- SF, Finalist for the USA Book News Awards

The Silk Palace -- "compelling" Library Journal

"Intrigues, betrayals, murders, love affairs, transformations, and

revelations," Bruce Boston, author of The Guardener's Tale

www.geocities.com/colin_harvey www.myspace.com/colin_harvey

Cover of the Year - Asking for Your Vote

2008-02-21T11:20:00.000-05:00

I just scanned the covers for Cover of the Year on Erin Aislinn's website and saw a lot of familiar covers - many were on my Judge A Book By its Cover blog last year :)

I invite you to visit http://www.erinaislinn.com/BookCoveroftheYear2007.htm and I hope that you will vote for Lady Lightkeeper which is one of my covers and it is listed as the winning cover for September.

If you prefer the easier route - feel free to email webmail@erinaislinn .com and put "VOTE for Lady Lightkeeper" in the subject line. I appreciate every vote :)

Nikki

Book Promo 101 - NOW AVAILABLE
www.nikkileigh. com/book_ promo_101. htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
Would you like information about the newest
blog tour option? Ask me for details and visit
www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion

Nimrod Rising - A Novel By Steven Clark Bradley

2008-02-17T17:39:00.003-05:00

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... - Because Nimrod Rising is a vast story of International significance, my setting is really two/fold. I like to think that I have spent a large portion of my life in the cradle of civilization. The main setting of Nimrod Rising is really, Israel. Though it takes a bit of time before the book finally settles in that small but significant country, there is a real sense throughout the book that the story is heading that way. In a real sense, Israel is the spiritual center of the world. For Muslims, there really is no breakdown of society vs. religion. The religion of Islam encompasses every part of life. Sense I have worked with Muslims for over twenty years, I could see the radicalization of the religion long before Osama Bin Laden came on the scene. Most of the first section was written before 9-11. I have never claimed to be a prophet, and actually the need of such foretellers was never necessary. The changes taking place around the world were easy for me to see having lived there for so long. With the changes hitting America spiritually and socially and with the radicals in Islam beginning to strike us because of our support of the State of Israel, it was natural that the end game scenario should take place in the nation. The Israel is a tiny nation; its impact due to its very existence keeps lights burning in the great capitals of the world.

The other major setting is right inside the United States. We picture a nation and a world that has been devastated by terror and a nation that had lost its ability and will to defeat it. America is dissolving and the social attacks slapping the nation against the family, marriage, children and the elimination of civil rights required to fight the terror has left the nation devastated. The two settings converge into a massive wild ride that, of course you'll have to read the book to discover.

What does the setting add to the story? - I spent two years in the country of Pakistan and Bangladesh. That was an eye opener and it gave me a real feel for the culture, the lives and even the various smells of the Middle East. I also spent almost three years in Senegal West Africa where I lived amongst the people and grew to understand the impact of Islam on the lives of its adherents. Even in France, where I lived for over six years, I worked almost exclusively with the Muslim population. Later I went to Turkey and worked there for four years and traveled to Iraq and Israel and truly got a feel for Muslim society. By painting my story with words from my Middle Eastern experience, I was able to create a very true-to-life experience for the reader. Of course, the story itself only lent itself to the Middle Eastern setting.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? - In the case of Nimrod Rising, it was easy to find the place of my story. Though Nimrod Rising is a work of fiction, it is based on historical fact and the events that form the story took place or will take place in the lands I describe. Also, Nimrod Rising spans several countries and they are all key locations. In some ways that made it easier, but in other ways it demanded very precise descriptions. I was helped a lot in that I had spend considerable amounts of time in each location, which helped me in the various cultural, political and layout of the land aspects of Nimrod Rising.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? - From the historical aspect and the biblical and extra-biblical material, Nimrod Rising could only have been written in the areas I used in the book.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? - Yes, especially in the battle scenes of Megiddo and Pakistan and Israel. They are as real as they can get.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? - I really want the readers to know that this is not a scary book as much as it is truly a book of hope and faith and a means of making sense out of a rising chaos throughout the world. There is a lot to be learned in Nimrod Rising. I know that those who read it and feel the power of the story will feel they will have had time well spent.

For much more information about Steven Clark Bradley and Nimrod Rising - visit
http://www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/steven-clark-bradley-author-nimrod-rising

Judgment Fire by Marilyn Meredith

2008-01-27T21:11:00.000-05:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

In my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries, my main setting is in a mountain community of the Southern Sierra. Though quite similar to where I live, the area has been fictionalized a great deal. Locals recognize places, but nothing is quite the same.

Lake Dennison is much bigger than the mudhole we call a lake.

Bear Creek Indian Reservation has many similarities to the Tule River Indian Reservation, but the reservation and the Native Americans who live there are all fantasies of my imagination.

What does the setting add to the story?

The setting is important to the story because Tempe is the resident deputy of a very different area than most stories involved with law enforcement.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

It wouldn't be the same story in a different setting.

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

Small towns have a very different dynamic than larger cities--and even more so when the town is in a mountain area. I also enjoy including the Indian reservation.

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

In some ways--Bear Creek is similar to the town I live in some ways and very different in others.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

So though I didn't create Bear Creek from scratch, there are many things that are different--and the same goes for the Indian reservation.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know?

Feel free to share. In any book, setting is very important--it can almost be as important as a character. The setting can help set the mood and it gives certain parameters to the plot.

Please provide your website link.

http://fictionforyou.com

What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.mundania.com

or Amazon.com

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?

After leaving the town of Dennison you will drive on a winding road toward the mountains, passing orange groves, Dennison Lake and the road to the reservation. The higher you go, the more winding the road, and the trees change from oaks to pine trees and cedars. The town itself is lined up on either side of the road with a post office, grocery store, a saloon, cafe, fire station and the Bear Creek Inn. The Bear Creek Community church is on the way to the higher elevations and camp grounds, homes and cabins, Tapper Lodge, and the giant Sequoias.

What sort of people are there?

Many of the residents are second and third generation, but new people have started moving in, many from Southern California.

If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

If you're going higher into the mountains bring the right kind of clothes for hiking and in case the weather changes--which it's prone to do. In the summer, bring your bathing suit to take advantage of the great swimming holes.

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

They will need to enjoy the great outdoors.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Judgment Fire

http://www.mundaniapress.com

or as an e-book

http://www.fictionwise.com

See what's new at: http://fictionforyou.com
Judgment Fire, Eppie Finalist
NEW BLOG at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

I Remember Tomorrow

2008-01-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

Why did you pick the setting you used in your story?
The adage "write what you know" applies here. While raised in the metropolitan environment of Los Angeles, the past 25 years of my life have been spent in the rural environment of Northeast Texas. Because I wanted to write a story that felt like real people, I chose the smaller, more comfortable setting of a community much like the one I've come to know in my current hometown.

Why you chose that particular setting?
Again, it was important that the story feel small and comfortable. My desire was to create a world that the reader could "snuggle up to" like a warm blanket on a cold night.

What does the setting add to the story?
The setting lends itself to the feeling of a close-knit community. A place where, for the most part, everyone knows everyone else. Small town American is an ideal; a place we've seen on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post; a place we've read about but that most of the country has never really visited.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?
Yes... but the effect would not have been the same. I could have placed my main character in a larger city; one with planes, trains, and automobile but it would have been a very different story.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
My main character is running from her past. She's running from a failed marriage (hmm, imagine that) and a life filled with too many people. To drop her in a place just like the one from which she was fleeing would not have provided the change she sought.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Or, did you create the setting from scratch?
While based heavily on the actual city where I live, I changed the name of the town and mixed things up a bit.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share.
Not really. I try to write according to what I believe are my strengths: dialogue and setting. I go to great lengths to paint a picture of a surroundings, up to and including weather and the physicality. I want the reader to see, hear, smell, and feel the environment I've drawn. As such, there are continued references (either in dialogue or narrative) to those aspects of the setting.

Please provide your website link.
http://iremembertomorrow.com

What is the link to buy your book?
http://www.amazon.com/I-Remember-Tomorrow-William-Butler/dp/1424188903

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?

Northeast Texas is called the Piney Woods area of the state. Most envision Texas as a part of the southwest. However, this part of the state has a more "woodsy" feel to it. Wooded areas abound; even in the larger cities. It is a farming and ranching environment full of harvest festivals in the fall of every year. Winters are cold and wet with the occasional snowfall. Summers are hot and humid with heavy thunderstorms, and the subsequent threat of tornadoes, frequenting the area. The rural communities tend to be quiet and comfortable. But like most such places, that's just the surface. Scratch beneath that and you will find the same things here as in any other community. Every town has its secrets. The area (much like the state as a whole) tends to be rather conservative. There are many, many churches--more than one would think the community could support. High School football is important. But that seems to be true for Texas as a whole rather than something reserved for small towns. For the most part, it's the kind of place where you can raise a family and worry less that the environment will have a greater influence than the family.

Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?
Title: I Remember Tomorrow (ISBN: 1424188903)
Where to buy: Amazon or the publisher's website http://www.publishamerica.com

Synopsis: Jeanette just wants to be normal. She wants to have a good job, meet someone she can love, and someday get married and have a family. She just wants to be happy. But fate whispers to her, tells her its secrets, and shows her the things it knows. And so, when she relocates, trying to start a new life after a failed marriage, she quickly learns her past is the least of her worries, because the future is the thing that scares her most. Now, rather than finding happiness, she’s trying hold onto her sanity—because tomorrow is here and she remembers tomorrow

I Remember Tomorrow by William Butler

2007-12-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

Why did you pick the setting you used in your story?

The adage "write what you know" applies here. While raised in the metropolitan environment of Los Angeles, the past 25 years of my life have been spent in the rural environment of Northeast Texas. Because I wanted to write a story that felt like real people, I chose the smaller, more comfortable setting of a community much like the one I've come to know in my current hometown.
Why you chose that particular setting?
Again, it was important that the story feel small and comfortable. My desire was to create a world that the reader could "snuggle up to" like a warm blanket on a cold night.
What does the setting add to the story?
The setting lends itself to the feeling of a close-knit community. A place where, for the most part, everyone knows everyone else. Small town American is an ideal; a place we've seen on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post; a place we've read about but that most of the country has never really visited.
Could you write the same story in a different setting?
Yes... but the effect would not have been the same. I could have placed my main character in a larger city; one with planes, trains, and automobile but it would have been a very different story.
Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
My main character is running from her past. She's running from a failed marriage (hmm, imagine that) and a life filled with too many people. To drop her in a place just like the one from which she was fleeing would not have provided the change she sought.
Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Or, did you create the setting from scratch?
While based heavily on the actual city where I live, I changed the name of the town and mixed things up a bit.
Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share.
Not really. I try to write according to what I believe are my strengths: dialogue and setting. I go to great lengths to paint a picture of a surroundings, up to and including weather and the physicality. I want the reader to see, hear, smell, and feel the environment I've drawn. As such, there are continued references (either in dialogue or narrative) to those aspects of the setting.
Please provide your website link.
http://iremembertomorrow.com
What is the link to buy your book?
http://www.amazon.com/I-Remember-Tomorrow-William-Butler/dp/1424188903/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195934294&sr=1-1
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?
Northeast Texas is called the Piney Woods area of the state. Most envision Texas as a part of the southwest. However, this part of the state has a more "woodsy" feel to it. Wooded areas abound; even in the larger cities. It is a farming and ranching environment full of harvest festivals in the fall of every year. Winters are cold and wet with the occasional snowfall. Summers are hot and humid with heavy thunderstorms, and the subsequent threat of tornadoes, frequenting the area. The rural communities tend to be quiet and comfortable. But like most such places, that's just the surface. Scratch beneath that and you will find the same things here as in any other community. Every town has its secrets. The area (much like the state as a whole) tends to be rather conservative. There are many, many churches--more than one would think the community could support. High School football is important. But that seems to be true for Texas as a whole rather than something reserved for small towns. For the most part, it's the kind of place where you can raise a family and worry less that the environment will have a greater influence than the family.
Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?
Title: I Remember Tomorrow (ISBN: 1424188903)
Where to buy: Amazon or the publisher's website http://www.publishamerica.com
Synopsis: Jeanette just wants to be normal. She wants to have a good job, meet someone she can love, and someday get married and have a family. She just wants to be happy. But fate whispers to her, tells her its secrets, and shows her the things it knows. And so, when she relocates, trying to start a new life after a failed marriage, she quickly learns her past is the least of her worries, because the future is the thing that scares her most. Now, rather than finding happiness, she’s trying hold onto her sanity—because tomorrow is here and she remembers tomorrow.

Bloody Halls by Carl Brookins

2007-12-16T21:13:00.000-05:00

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

The college I write about in this new series is
an urban institution. It was conceived to serve a
specific audience--working adults with some
college; individuals who frequently have a family.
A student profile--at the time I'm writing about,
(the early 70's) would be a single female parent
working  half to full time, often divorced.  This
woman would be between 27 and 31 years of age and
had dropped out of college because of marriage or
pregnancy, or because the program didn't fit her
needs at the time. But many were successful in
careers, still, they were seeing promotional
opportunities missed because they didn't a
bachelor's degree.

This was a real, setting in a large Midwestern city.

Why you chose that particular setting?
Because I lived it and because at the time it was a
unique and highly individual institution that lent
itself to a wide variety of situations and circumstances.

What does the setting add to the story?
The unique richness of a modern urban city.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?
Sure, but it would be a different story. The rhythms, textures
and colors of every city are different in broad and subtle ways. 
Had the city been in Oklahoma or Idaho the stories and the feeling
would have been different.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
I wanted to use a place I was very familiar with and one in
which some of the action really took place.  This book/series is
rooted in reality, real places, real weather, reality.  On the other
hand I have never hesitated to move buildings, create alleys where
there aren't any, or insert a park.  After all, cities aren't static. 
Planners change streets from two-way to one way, add developments. 
So the dynamic city I write about, and the interesting characters
who populate the pages of my books are ever changing. So why shouldn't
I anticipate that if it serves to make the novel a more enjoyable
experience for the reader?

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting?
As I said above.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?
All my books use real places, sometimes altered slightly to
serve the stories

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know?

This is not New York, Philadelphia, Washington or Los Angeles. 
Yet the Twin Cities share some similar characteristics with those
other places, They have some of their own unique characteristics
that you won't find anywhere else. Our mean streets can be as
mean as anyplace.  Or as gentle.

Please provide your website link.
www.carlbrookins.com

What is the link to buy your book?
Independent book stores in the Midwest, Amazon, B&N, Borders

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?

What you will find is two cities, quite different but side by
side with a big river running through the center, a river that
connects Minnesota  with the major ports of the world through 
New Orleans.  It is a commercial and recreational center with
interesting scenery, commerce, some of the finest medical
facilities in the nation; we have an outstanding theatre and
music community as well.

What should you bring?  Ah, bring warm clothes! Winter weather
can be both nasty and exhilarating.  Oh and in the summer,
bring sun screen.  Lots of it. The Twin Cities are places of
extremes, both in weather and occasionally, behavior!


Carl Brookins
www.carlbrookins.com
Old Silver, The Case of the Greedy Lawyers
Bloody Halls

Whale Song by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

2007-12-06T14:15:00.000-05:00

Why did you pick the setting you used in your story?

When the plot for Whale Song hit me in early 2001, I knew it featured killer whales, and so Canada's west coast was the most obvious setting. The setting for Whale Song came naturally to me since I had spent many years living on islands or near the ocean. I grew up on the Queen Charlotte Islands, north of Vancouver Island in BC, Canada. The Charlottes are rich with native folklore and culture, and wilderness filled with plants, trees and animals. It is an isolated region of Canada, cut off from the rest of the country and not easy to get to. But I didn't want the story set there. I needed an area that had a marine station and was surprised to stumble across one in my research. It was at Bamfield on Vancouver Island. And, viola! My setting presented itself to me.

What does the setting add to the story?

Having Whale Song set on Vancouver Island allowed me to showcase a beautiful part of Canada to the world, and a remote town that few know about. I needed the isolation for the story to work. The actual setting keeps the story real and gives the reader a sense of wonder and hardship. Bamfield is a small town nestled near the water at the northwest end of Vancouver Island. It is actually divided in half by an inlet. Bamfield was the original home of the Huu-Ay-Aht First Nations. The First Nations people (referred to as 'Indians' in the late 70's) reside in the general area, contributing cultural events, art, music and stories. The wildlife is abundant--birds, deer and more. Fishing is an important industry. The marine station there is popular as a field trip event for high school student in Western Canada. All of these aspects add to the unique 'flavor' of Whale Song.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

I did have one fan ask me why I didn't set the story in Emdonton, Alberta, where I live now. Ok, well, this is prairie country...no oceans...no killer whales. West Edmonton Mall just won't cut it! :)

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know?

Although I use the actual town of Bamfield, plus Victoria and Vancouver, BC, as settings, some of my description is fictional. For my story to work, I needed certain things, and it's amazing what the mind can create. This setting was perfect for Whale Song. Many people have emailed me, telling me how they could picture everything so clearly, from Sarah's new home, to the bay to the town. Some of them had never been to that part of Canada, but they want to now. :)

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,

author of the bestselling novel Whale Song

(a bestseller in Canada and the US)

http://www.whalesongbook.com and www.cherylktardif.com

Sales link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601640072/cherylkayetar-20

Blog Tours - What Would You Like to Know

2007-12-05T21:36:00.001-05:00

I'm doing a tele-seminar next week about blog tours and I would love input from you all.

There are many things to discuss about blog tours and I worked out some initial questions to get people thinking - they are:

Discover Ways to Promote Your Book on a Virtual Blog Tour to Gain Greater Visibility and Sales

What are the benefits of doing a blog tour?

Should you promote your book in a blog tour?

Should fiction and non fiction books be promoted differently in a blog tour?

Should you organize your own blog tour?

Why hire a publicist to organize your tour?

If you hire a publicist, will you still need to work on the tour?

Can you use a blog tour to promote anything besides books?

Is there a new option in book blog tours?

But, now I need to create a couple of handouts and I'd love your input. Is there any specific info about blog tours that any of you think would be most helpful? Some folks here have done tours, some have hosted touring authors and I bet some of you have thought about doing a tour. So, since many of the people here are authors, I figured it would be a great place to pose the question. What information would you suggest I offer in handouts? Thank you all for your thoughts. There will be plenty of blog tour info coming very soon .

Nikki Leigh

PS - The answer to the last question is - most definitely. Stay tuned for much more information about that option - SOON. Or, contact me to be added to the mailing list - nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com with Mailing List in the subject line.

Willing Sacrifice by Gloria Oliver

2007-12-02T21:58:00.000-05:00

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...
Hm, since I built it from scratch, I would say it was because it was what the novel called for.

Why you chose that particular setting? I love fantasy and so I tend to err on the side of the fantastic.

What does the setting add to the story? It is a different world than our own, a different time. It gives me a chance to build a different kind of society for the reader to learn about and explore.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? Yes. I probably could. Might be fun to do so in a Science Fiction setting. Heh.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting? Though a few of the technical issues, like the demons and gods might need to be called something else, since they are basically from other dimensions, the fact that a gate would open at certain times would still be a viable option whether I set the story in modern day or even a science fiction future. A lot of the lessons and ideas are about people and therefore could be applied to any venue.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? No.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch? It all came from the depths of my noggin, bits taken from all the different places and things I've learned over a lifetime.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share. While the setting will feel somewhat medieval, the fact that the culture has been shaped by the existence of the Four Gods and the Time of Trial, it allowed for the creation of the subculture of people needing to spread the word about the Bearer and the Eye. Because the Trial's cycle is so far apart, this subculture becomes an intrinsic part of the world's survival. Yet over time they themselves fall into the same problems that most long spanning organizations have and have had periods of being known, and others, as in the current cycle, of spreading the word by more subtle means. That probably made no sense whatsoever, did it? lol!

Please provide your website link. www.gloriaoliver.com/willing.html

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934135275%3ftag=cmk1999%26link_code=xm2%26camp=2025%26dev-t=D216JD0ZGSFGW8

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? Most of the story takes place in the mansion, city, and rural areas of a viscount's domain. The people you would meet both in the city and out in the villages are currently under a bit of a strain as The Herald, a large comet, has appeared as foretold, heralding the coming of the Time of Trial. They are under a lot of pressure, knowing that this event they have no control over will decide the fate of the world and their future lives. So they pray and put out talismans and items to the Four Gods for protection, even as some panic, others decide to gouge prices, and some get desperate.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it? Willing Sacrifice http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934135275%3ftag=cmk1999%26link_code=xm2%26camp=2025%26dev-t=D216JD0ZGSFGW8

Gloria Oliver
www.gloriaoliver.com
Unveiling the Fantastic

Immigrants Daughter by Mary Terzian

2007-11-25T22:55:00.000-05:00

Cairo, Egypt, where I grew up, is the setting of my book, The Immigrants' Daughter. It is a very hospitable country and it opened its doors wide to the Armenians escaping from the massacres in Turkey in the early 1920's.

Cairo was a cosmopolitan city in the mid thirties through the 1960's when I left. Most salesclerks in department stores like Cicurel, Orosdi-Back, Chemla, Gattegno, Yacoubian, spoke French. The business language was English. Arabic was used with vendors. There was large community of Greeks, Italians, Maltese, English, French, Germans and a sprinkling of Swiss and other Europeans. Television arrived in Cairo in the early 1960's.

The sunsets along the river Nile are memorable, the sun sinking through the palm leaves. The Nile was a quiet river than, an occasional barge or boat sliding with languor along its shores. During World War II Egypt was a protectorate under Great Britian but was secretly aspiring for independence which it achieved eventually.

Mary Terzian

www.maryterzian.com
Author, The Immigrants' Daughter
Winner, Best Books 2006 Award
Finalist, National Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards
multicultural, non-fiction category

Silk Palace by Colin Harvey

2007-11-24T11:57:00.000-05:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

I wanted a world that wasn’t this one, nor in any way linked to ours, because the logic of having the Gods walking among us does not relate in any way to our world or our history.

As a part of that world, Whiterock is in a central position as the tipping point between two much larger Empires; it’s literally a fulcrum for the world, as one of the characters observes.

What does the setting add to the story?

At times the Silk Palace is almost a character in its own right – it’s a lurking, brooding presence where strange things skitter and lurk in the corners.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

I don’t think so, unless I had another place with such strong characteristics.

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

For all the reasons given above!

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

No – it’s a composite of many places and my imagination.

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

These are my original notes:

The Silk Palace is built on a huge white rock, which gives the Kingdom of White Rock it's name. The town of the same name is a wooden walled one, that's spread around the rock. The Kingdom extends 10 miles North and 40 miles South, by 15 miles East and 25 miles West. So the Kingdom is 50 miles long by 40 wide.

The Kingdom is situated in the only sizeable gap in the Spine Range, which bisects the Continent of Tarknang. The continent is at this point (it's narrowest) six hundred miles from North-South. To the North of the 200 miles of Spine are scattered islands in a sub-arctic sea, which with no warm current, freezes over badly outside of Summer.

North of White Rock, are the marshes of Llamarghesa, perhaps 35 miles long by 50 wide. Flamingoes, bulls, pelicans, all inhabit the marshes. So do other, more sinister creatures. Northwards again, the Spine rises steeply, perhaps on a 1 in 5 gradient, so by 10 miles northwards, the mountains are up to 10000 feet high. Southwards, they rise at perhaps 1 in 6, so that by 15 miles south of White Rock, they're 13,000 feet high. So there are mountains perhaps 55 miles in each direction, clearly visible on a very clear day.

Please provide your website link.

http://www.geocities.com/colin_harvey/TheSilkPalace.html

What is the link to buy your book?

In the USA ; http://www.amazon.com/Silk-Palace-Colin-Harvey/dp/1934041424/ref=sr_1_1/103-3811783-1271041?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193587154&sr=1-1

In the UK ; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silk-Palace-Colin-Harvey/dp/1934041424/ref=sr_1_1/203-2993755-7182356?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193586998&sr=8-1

Or electronically: http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook51966.htm?cached

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?
A flat grassy plain from which a vast white monolithic rock like a giant albino Ayers Rock rises sheer to the point where you have to crane your neck. On top of this, if you took a balloon ride up there, you would see a citadel miles in diameter spreading across the surface.

What sort of people are there?

All sorts! There are chisellers, hucksters, nobility – like all trade routes, blacks and whites and others mix together.

If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us?
Some money to pay the inevitable tax that they’ll charge you for traveling through their land. A small dagger for guarding against pick-pockets.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

The Silk Palace – it’s out from Swimming Kangaroo Books, and you can buy it from amazon or fictionwise, or you can drop me a line via MySpace if you want a signed copy!

Thanks for reading this, if you have, and to Nikki for allowing me the opportunity.

Novels from Swimming Kangaroo Books:
Lightning Days -- SF, Finalist for the USA Book News Awards
The Silk Palace -- "compelling" Library Journal
"Intrigues, betrayals, murders, love affairs, transformations, and
revelations," Bruce Boston, author of The Guardener's Tale

www.geocities.com/colin_harvey www.myspace.com/colin_harvey

Late Night Sessions

2007-11-17T23:48:00.000-05:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

I wanted to write about music, musicians and most especially folk. It made sense to use the West midlands folk scene as my setting because I know it fairly well. All of the festivals mentioned in the story either exist, or have done in the past. I made up some of the sessions because those tend to come and go anyway, but otherwise it’s a fairly accurate portrayal.

What does the setting add to the story? The folk scene is a colourful place full of interesting characters and unusual goings on. It’s rather like a large village that has been dispersed across the country, but which reforms whenever it can. Friendships in this community tend to last. Clubs, festivals and sessions create friendly environments in which like minded people can get together, making it the perfect place for a young folk enthusiast to find love.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

No. The frequency of festivals across the summer (at least one a month in easy driving distance from Birmingham) is essential to the story, and I’m not sure where else I could realistically place such a thing. Given how small a world the folk environment is, it allows people to run into each other without stretching credibility at all.

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

The folk world isn’t just about the music – it’s a culture and a community. People tend to look out for each other. As a young single woman, you can wander round a festival alone late at night and feel perfectly safe. If other music genres function in the same way, I’m not aware of it so couldn’t write it anyway.

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

Yes, for the greater part. All of the festivals mentioned in the story are real, or used to exist. The parts of the story set around Malvern also use real places, as are most of the scenes set around Birmingham. The houses are all inventions, as are some of the sessions, but everything else has some real basis. The ford at Coughton, the Feckenham Woodland burial site, Hobgoblin Music store, and others are all real.

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?

At a typical festival you would see fields full of canvas, with numerous tents and caravans surrounding several big marquees. The ground is muddy and most people wear boots or wellies, because the great British summer can seldom be trusted. There are strains of music in the distance, smells of cooking food and beer. All around, people are conversing in small groups, waving to friends and enjoying themselves. Soon the concerts start, and the chairs in the marquees will with an eager audience. Some time after midnight, the sessions begin, when the real devotees stay up to share songs and music, often singing in the dawn, staggering arm in arm back to tents and sleeping bags.

What sort of people are there?

Everyone from babes in arms to the elderly, although the majority are middle aged, middle class and a touch bohemian. Expect long hair and beards, flowing skirts, tankards worn on belts and an enthusiasm for real ale. Folk people are passionate about their music, story telling and dance, and are generally a laid back, good humoured crowd out to have a good time regardless of the weather.

If we were travelling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

A tent, sleeping bag and other camping kit is advisable. If you play a musical instrument, bring it (if it’s portable) otherwise, be ready to sing. Beer money is essential, and a warm jacket for when things turn cold late at night will serve you well. Come with an open mind – folk is not all hanky waving morris men and beardy guys with their fingers in their ears. It can be young and sexy too. Or old and sexy for that matter.

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

If you are polite, responsible and follow the perfectly reasonable instructions you may get from the stewards, then you will have a good time. It’s always colder than you expect it to be, and there is usually mud so come prepared!

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Late Night Sessions

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Late-Night-Sessions/dp/1934446076/ref=sr_1_1/202-6559455-6676664?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191227563&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Late-Night-Sessions-Bryn-Colvin/dp/1934446076/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in/105-8048599-4428442?ie=UTF8&qid=1191227046&sr=8-8

Judgment Fire by Marilyn Meredith

2007-11-17T22:54:00.000-05:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

The setting for Judgment Fire and most of Deputy Tempe Crabtree series is a mountain community in the Southern Sierra (CA) called Bear Creek. It is very much like the town I live in except I moved it up into the mountains a thousand feet for better trees.

The Giant Sequoias are in the higher elevations, a river runs through the area and it's called Bear Creek, there is a lake several miles below the town, and an Indian Reservation nearby. (All these things are true for where I live too except for the names of places and things.)

What does the setting add to the story?

I like writing about a small town, a small town surrounded by mountains and wilderness areas. Because of the Indian reservation, people from the reservation often play important roles in the stories. There is a lot of draw on from the setting.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? No, then it wouldn't be the same story.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?The setting plays a very important part in every one of my stories, often as important as the characters.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Yes, as I said earlier, it is where I live. I grew up in Los Angeles and the dynamics of a small town are fascinating to me.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch? No, but I've certainly taken a lot of liberties with the setting.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share. In each book, I focus on a different area of where I live--might be the reservation, or the lake, or higher in the mountains. In the book coming next year, Kindred Spirits, Tempe will spend time in Crescent City and Santa Barbara CA.

Please provide your website link.

http://fictionforyou.com

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

Our town is the gateway to the Sequoias. It is a place where many visitors pass through on their way to the high country. The real town has a rodeo every year, an Apple Festival (30,000 people come to this two day event), a Jackass Mail Run, Music in the Park on Friday nights during the summer. We have no bank, only an ATM, an Inn (which is often featured in my books), four other cafes (though this changes), a dress shop, two gas stations with grocery stores, a newspaper office which doubles as a visitors', two second hand stores,
and a post office. The river has several nice swimming holes including a great one right behind my house.

We have wild animals: deer, bobcats, mountain lions, raccoons, possums and an occasional bear.

Lots of folks live in the mountains in houses and cabins. There are many ranches and orange groves--and people are moving up from the cities and building big houses.

If you're coming in the winter time, bring clothes suitable for snow, if you're coming in the summer bring your swim wear, sun screen and bug repellant.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Judgment Fire can be ordered through any bookstore, but easiest to purchase from the publisher:
http://www.mundania.com

See what's new at: http://fictionforyou.com
http://www.policewriter.com
NEW BLOG at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

A Prescription for Love - Leeanne Marie Stephenson

2007-11-04T21:37:00.000-05:00

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?
I chose Michigan and the community I worked in as a Registered Nurse. I take the reader on a journey back into the 1970's at Blodgett Hospital where I began my own career as a nurse. All the places in Michigan that I write about, I have visited, so I have a first hand knowledge of their beauty and significance!

What does the setting add to the story?
Since my story is a medical romance, it depicts the heart of the medical community in Michigan. it also takes the reader into a world of wealth and prestige in the varios wealthy areas of Michigan.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?
I could write the story in another hospital setting.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
A different setting would be difficult, because the personlity of the setting wouldn't come through since I never experienced the setting myself. In particular, Michigan's Mackinac Island is such a glamorous romantic setting, it couldn't possibly be repaced in my story!

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting?
Every place I wrote about existed back in the 1970's, and I have been to all these places.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?
Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share.
This romantic journey highlights Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids and the beautiful historical Mackinac Island of Michigan. The details of the setting make you feel as though you are right there with the characters. You willparticularly fall in love with the romantic Mackinac Isalnd! It's a love story in a setting you don't want to miss!

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

What is the link to buy your book?
http://www.amazon.com/Prescription-Love-Leeanne-Marie-Stephenson/dp/1424165075/sr=8-12/qid=1172424584/ref=sr_1_12/104-7067955-3361511?ie=UTF8&s=books

A PRESCRIPTION FOR LOVE
BY
LEEANNE MARIE STEPHENSON

One Smooth Stone by Marcia Lee Laycock

2007-10-21T15:48:00.000-04:00

Why did you pick the setting you used in your story?
The first part of One Smooth Stone is set in the Yukon Territory, Canada. I chose it because I wanted to tell a story about a young man who is trying to hide. I lived in the Yukon for many years and many of the people I met there fit that profile in one way or another.

What does the setting add to the story?
I think it adds a dimension of intrigue and mystery, especially when the protagonist returns to the north and goes deeper into the wilderness, still trying to hide.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? I don't think it would work in a different setting. The dynamics of what happens are integral to the setting. There is an episode with a Grizzly, for instance. The story could have been set in Alaska, but I think it would have a different 'feel.'

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Yes. Dawson City is a real place, the Yukon River is described as it really is, and the cabin and mining camp are taken from real places, though not specific.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share.
The second part of the book is set in Seattle WA. I chose it because I wanted a coastal, misty/moody kind of place. - the west coast in winter.

Please provide your website link.
www.vinemarc.com

What is the link to buy your book?
www.castlequaybooks.com

Tell us some specific details about your setting.
What would we see?
A lot of bush, rock and water. Harsh white landscapes in winter, often a dense ice fog that shrouds everything - the kind of fog you can get lost in.

What sort of people are there?
Rugged individualists who want to live life on their own terms.

If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us?
For winter - down clothing, very warm boots and mitts.
For summer - insect repellent. Lots of it.

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?
If you're driving bring lots of spare tires.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting.
My pleasure. Thanks for the opportunity.

Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?
One Smooth Stone. It can be ordered through any bookstore - just tell them it's distributed by Augsburg Fortress Books - or order online from Castle Quay Books (link is above) or from Amazon, eventually - the book was just released so it will take a while for it to be posted there.

Marcia Lee Laycock
Author of One Smooth Stone
No matter how far you run, God will find you; no matter what you have done, God will forgive you.
www.vinemarc.com
www.marcialaycock.blogspot.com

The Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal

2007-10-15T17:05:00.000-04:00

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 wanted the setting to suit the rather conservative facet of India's culture that I was trying to portray in the book.

Why you chose that particular setting?

My story needed to be set in a small and tightly-knit town. A big, bustling city would be too modern and wide open for the kind of story I had in mind.

What does the setting add to the story?

It adds to the intrigue and fear factor, especially in the opening scene, when my traumatized heroine is running through dark and deserted streets to save herself from death by fire. An urban setting would not quite adapt itself to that.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

I honestly doubt it, because I more or less had the setting in mind well before I started writing the story.

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

I have a beautiful river in my setting, narrow, semi-rural streets, and a conservative bunch of residents. Another setting wouldn't have all those elements.

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

Yes I did, more or less. When I pictured the setting, I clearly saw the small town I grew up in, including the streets, the flora and fauna, the smells and colors.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?
No, I didn't.

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

I gave the town in my book a fictitious name: Palgaum, which rhymes with the name of my hometown, Belgaum. It's not all that hard to figure out the connection.

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

What is the link to buy your book?
http://tinyurl.com/24dlec

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?

Since my setting is entirely fictitious, there would be nothing to see. Everything the readers see is through my eyes and by reading my book.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

My book's title is THE DOWRY BRIDE and it's available at all major bookstores and on line through all national on line stores. The Amazon link is http://tinyurl.com/24dlec

Thank you for inviting me to talk about my story and setting. I've enjoyed this immensely since I love talking about my story.

The Last Free Men - by Jack Everett & David Coles

2007-10-14T16:14:00.000-04:00

The Last Free Men - by Jack Everett & David Coles.

Why you chose that particular setting?

Hadrian's Wall was built to divide Scotland from England in the 2nd Century CE. We spent a long spring time week-end trekking along the Wall and exploring the remains of the Roman fortresses.

One evening, just as the sun was touching the hills beyond the little river of Poltross Burn, we found a place where Hadrian's Wall used to cross the water. The crossing is called Willowford and of course, the ancient bridgeworks have long since tumbled into the water.

At that time of the day, though, it was possible to look back into history, we could see the Roman legionaries trudging along the Wall, we could hear the native tribesmen planning their raid.

We already knew about the layers of ash that signified fires in the nearby mile castles and the turrets. As the sun was setting, it was easy to see the tribesman slide into the cold water and let themselves drift through the sluiceways, to seek cover, to... well, the story almost told itself.

There was one more thing that compelled this story. We came across this quote from the histories of Tacitus, it's from the pre-battle address to his warriors by Calgacus at Mons Graupius:-

“We, the last men on earth, the last of the free, have been shielded till today by the very remoteness and the seclusion for which we are famed... But today the boundary of Britain is exposed; beyond us lies no nation, nothing but waves and rocks and the Romans.”

What does the setting add to the story?

Mood! Where else are you going to find 2000 year old forts, a wall stretching over 80 miles, from one sea to another? Country so rugged that it's almost too hard to wring a living out of it?

This was under the heel of the Roman Army; arguably, the most successful military machine in history - think of the plight of the American Native tribes under the British and spread that across the known world of two centuries ago. Britain supplied wheat, silver, gold, lead, hunting dogs, slaves and conscripts - rich pickings.

And trouble. Boudicca almost routed the Roman Army and caused them to think twice about staying - these barbarians were dangerous. The Druids, according to the Occupiers, practiced religious rites that even the Romans called abominations. Hadrian built his Wall to keep out the savages beyond

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

It wouldn't then be the same story

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

We use a lot of real places, real people and events from history that don't appear together in other settings.

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

Hadrian's Wall in general, Housesteads Fort in particular, are real places. You can go there and soak up the ambience, what went into the book can be seen in your mind's eye. Our first glimpse of the book happened at sunset where a small river runs through the remains of the Wall, it was all there.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

The later stages of the book take place in an off-the-map location, a place that is a fusion of several others. We needed something tailored to our requirements and then we buried it under a falling mountain.

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

Hadrian's Wall was conceived as a military installation, major forts are built every few miles, fortlets are built every mile, guard turrets every hundred yards. Before its final completion, it became a customs post, with gateways at convenient points, villages with hotels grew up near most of the forts. Trade went on, smuggling, the odd raid; occasionally, major forays into the barbaric lands north of the Wall were mounted - punitive, mostly.

The later setting, a large plain scoured out of a rocky valley by an ancient water flow was built especially for the story. Perhaps the ancient Gods of Britain had a hand in that; Marcus Uffin Gettorix, hero, was never really sure.

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see? What sort of people are there? If we were travelling to your setting, what should we bring with us? For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

Britain in AD128 was a beautiful and a wild place. It was a place of wretchedness where Death was a casual visitor and Disease an ever-present one. It was a place of civilised living with more and more of the native chiefs buying into the Roman dream of comfortable villas and baths and mosaics and wine instead of ale.

Roman military might was everywhere, guards, marching columns, barracks, highways. Roman Gods had come with the occupiers so there were shrines and temples to Jupiter and Mithras and so on, but they were quite tolerant of the local hierarchy and there would be both British and Roman shrines to Coccidius and others, even to local geneii. Smells: the smell of horse dung, wood smoke, sweat, human faeces.

Native dress consisted of linen gowns for women, bleached, dyed and embroidered, while men wore checked woollen trousers, long shirts. Both sexes wore woollen cloaks and boots, both wore jewellery: torcs, armbands, brooches made from silver, bronze, sometimes gold. Much of the jewellery was very fine, traded from the continent as well as made at home. The men carried weapons, steel swords longer than the Roman weapons and often forged with beautiful patterns - the equivalent worth of a modern small car.

The Roman men were mostly military and would wear military gear; the less macho would wear woollen trousers in the harsh British winter. A certain proportion would be traders, clothed in similar fashion to the native Britons.

Travelling far usually meant horseback or horse and cart. Romans or Romanophiles would stay at hotels along the way. Such hotels were government run in a similar way to modern establishments. Money was in the form of coin, issued by major British chieftains or Roman, minted in Rome and sent in strongboxes to pay the army.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

The Last Free Men - by Jack Everett & David Coles

Please provide your website link.

http://www.davidBColes.co.uk http://www.JackLEverett.me.uk

What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.virtualtales.com/StoryProducts~tn~Last+Free+Men.html
The Last Free Men - by Jack Everett & David Coles.

Why you chose that particular setting?

Hadrian's Wall was built to divide Scotland from England in the 2nd Century CE. We spent a long spring time week-end trekking along the Wall and exploring the remains of the Roman fortresses.

One evening, just as the sun was touching the hills beyond the little river of Poltross Burn, we found a place where Hadrian's Wall used to cross the water. The crossing is called Willowford and of course, the ancient bridgeworks have long since tumbled into the water.

At that time of the day, though, it was possible to look back into history, we could see the Roman legionaries trudging along the Wall, we could hear the native tribesmen planning their raid.

We already knew about the layers of ash that signified fires in the nearby mile castles and the turrets. As the sun was setting, it was easy to see the tribesman slide into the cold water and let themselves drift through the sluiceways, to seek cover, to... well, the story almost told itself.

There was one more thing that compelled this story. We came across this quote from the histories of Tacitus, it's from the pre-battle address to his warriors by Calgacus at Mons Graupius:-

“We, the last men on earth, the last of the free, have been shielded till today by the very remoteness and the seclusion for which we are famed... But today the boundary of Britain is exposed; beyond us lies no nation, nothing but waves and rocks and the Romans.”

What does the setting add to the story?

Mood! Where else are you going to find 2000 year old forts, a wall stretching over 80 miles, from one sea to another? Country so rugged that it's almost too hard to wring a living out of it?

This was under the heel of the Roman Army; arguably, the most successful military machine in history - think of the plight of the American Native tribes under the British and spread that across the known world of two centuries ago. Britain supplied wheat, silver, gold, lead, hunting dogs, slaves and conscripts - rich pickings.

And trouble. Boudicca almost routed the Roman Army and caused them to think twice about staying - these barbarians were dangerous. The Druids, according to the Occupiers, practiced religious rites that even the Romans called abominations. Hadrian built his Wall to keep out the savages beyond

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

It wouldn't then be the same story

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

We use a lot of real places, real people and events from history that don't appear together in other settings.

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

Hadrian's Wall in general, Housesteads Fort in particular, are real places. You can go there and soak up the ambience, what went into the book can be seen in your mind's eye. Our first glimpse of the book happened at sunset where a small river runs through the remains of the Wall, it was all there.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

The later stages of the book take place in an off-the-map location, a place that is a fusion of several others. We needed something tailored to our requirements and then we buried it under a falling mountain.

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

Hadrian's Wall was conceived as a military installation, major forts are built every few miles, fortlets are built every mile, guard turrets every hundred yards. Before its final completion, it became a customs post, with gateways at convenient points, villages with hotels grew up near most of the forts. Trade went on, smuggling, the odd raid; occasionally, major forays into the barbaric lands north of the Wall were mounted - punitive, mostly.

The later setting, a large plain scoured out of a rocky valley by an ancient water flow was built especially for the story. Perhaps the ancient Gods of Britain had a hand in that; Marcus Uffin Gettorix, hero, was never really sure.

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see? What sort of people are there? If we were travelling to your setting, what should we bring with us? For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

Britain in AD128 was a beautiful and a wild place. It was a place of wretchedness where Death was a casual visitor and Disease an ever-present one. It was a place of civilised living with more and more of the native chiefs buying into the Roman dream of comfortable villas and baths and mosaics and wine instead of ale.

Roman military might was everywhere, guards, marching columns, barracks, highways. Roman Gods had come with the occupiers so there were shrines and temples to Jupiter and Mithras and so on, but they were quite tolerant of the local hierarchy and there would be both British and Roman shrines to Coccidius and others, even to local geneii. Smells: the smell of horse dung, wood smoke, sweat, human faeces.

Native dress consisted of linen gowns for women, bleached, dyed and embroidered, while men wore checked woollen trousers, long shirts. Both sexes wore woollen cloaks and boots, both wore jewellery: torcs, armbands, brooches made from silver, bronze, sometimes gold. Much of the jewellery was very fine, traded from the continent as well as made at home. The men carried weapons, steel swords longer than the Roman weapons and often forged with beautiful patterns - the equivalent worth of a modern small car.

The Roman men were mostly military and would wear military gear; the less macho would wear woollen trousers in the harsh British winter. A certain proportion would be traders, clothed in similar fashion to the native Britons.

Travelling far usually meant horseback or horse and cart. Romans or Romanophiles would stay at hotels along the way. Such hotels were government run in a similar way to modern establishments. Money was in the form of coin, issued by major British chieftains or Roman, minted in Rome and sent in strongboxes to pay the army.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

The Last Free Men - by Jack Everett & David Coles

Please provide your website link.

http://www.davidBColes.co.uk
http://www.JackLEverett.me.uk

What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.virtualtales.com/StoryProducts~tn~Last+Free+Men.html

A Prescription for Love - Leeanne Marie Stephenson

2007-10-02T10:56:00.000-04:00

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?
I chose Michigan and the community I worked in as a Registered Nurse. I take the reader on a journey back into the 1970's at Blodgett Hospital where I began my own career as a nurse. All the places in Michigan that I write about, I have visited, so I have a first hand knowledge of their beauty and significance!

What does the setting add to the story?
Since my story is a medical romance, it depicts the heart of the medical community in Michigan. it also takes the reader into a world of wealth and prestige in the varios wealthy areas of Michigan.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?
I could write the story in another hospital setting.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
A different setting would be difficult, because the personlity of the setting wouldn't come through since I never experienced the setting myself. In particular, Michigan's Mackinac Island is such a glamorous romantic setting, it couldn't possibly be repaced in my story!

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting?
Every place I wrote about existed back in the 1970's, and I have been to all these places.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share.
This romantic journey highlights Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids and the beautiful historical Mackinac Island of Michigan. The details of the setting make you feel as though you are right there with the characters. You willparticularly fall in love with the romantic Mackinac Isalnd! It's a love story in a setting you don't want to miss!

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

What is the link to buy your book?
http://www.amazon.com/Prescription-Love-Leeanne-Marie-Stephenson/dp/1424165075/sr=8-12/qid=1172424584/ref=sr_1_12/104-7067955-3361511?ie=UTF8&s=books
A PRESCRIPTION FOR LOVE
BY
LEEANNE MARIE STEPHENSON

Leeanne Marie Stephenson
Author of "A PRESCRIPTION FOR LOVE"
(Publish America ISBN# 1424165075)
www.lmstephenson.com

Finding Funboy by Matt Golec

2007-09-18T12:22:00.000-04:00

“Finding Funboy” by Matt Golec

Why did you pick the setting you used in your story?

I set most of my novel, “Finding Funboy,” in Portland, Maine, the town where I grew up. I’ve lived other places since -- places I’ve enjoyed more, places I’ve been more excited about showing visitors -- but like friends you have from childhood, the place where you grow up has an emotional hold on you that runs pretty deep. I hoped that emotional connection I have with Portland would translate into a rich setting for “Finding Funboy.”

What does the setting add to the story?

Portland is a small city where the main character -- a young man not quite out of college -- has lived all of his life. As he comes of age, the main character
realizes that if he really wants to move into adulthood, he may have to leave the familiar setting of Portland behind, at least for a while.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

Not with the same depth or command of details.

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

An important theme in “Finding Funboy” is growing up, and the setting allowed me to contrast the changes happening in the main character with the comfortable but relatively static place he’s always known.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

Portland is a real place, but I did play a bit loose with some of the geography and place names to serve the narrative. Hopefully, long-time residents won’t be too upset with the slight liberties I took.

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

Although Portland has changed in the 20 years or so since I last lived there full-time, it’s still a place I enjoy coming back to. It was a sincere pleasure to
feel as if I was ‘living’ there again while writing “Finding Funboy.”

Please provide your website link.
www.mattgolec.com

What is the link to buy your book?
www.booksforabuck.com/mystery/mys_07/finding_funboy.html
or www.lulu.com/content/1041286

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?

Above all, visitors should bring their appetites. Portland is an old coastal city with cobblestone streets and red brick storefronts, and you can hardly swing a summer tourist without hitting a wonderful restaurant. Jackets are also nice to have along for those cool, foggy nights, and sunscreen and a towel will come in handy for plunking down at one of the Portland area’s many beaches.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

You can buy “Finding Funboy” at www.booksforabuck.com/mystery/mys_07/finding_funboy.html
or www.lulu.com/content/1041286

CJ Maxx - Coming Back a Virgin

2007-09-04T22:05:00.000-04:00

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...
Okay. I won’t give you “because I live there”. I’ll be more flippant, because it fit the story. Now, I’ll explain.

Why you chose that particular setting?
My hero doesn’t have a clue about romance or women. In his spare time he writes mainstream novels with pornographic sex scenes. I wanted his surroundings and his apartment to reflect someone with little intimate contact with actual females.

What does the setting add to the story?
It reinforces who he is. He sees his place as a cool bachelor pad. The state of disarray, the lack of food, the mismatched furniture, his collection of X-rated videos, the need of a thorough cleaning, and everything else points to the lack of females in his life and his cluelessness.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?
I suppose I could have made him a compulsive cleaner without a clue about women but it would have taken a lot out of the story. No, the setting’s critical to the story.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
My whole point about the setting was to reinforce his weaknesses. Besides that, it gives my heroine something to bitch about, something to question why she’s there.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting?
No. The apartment is imaginary. I used the name of a restaurant in the Knoxville, Tennessee area but I never identify where he lives. I’ve used that restaurant in another story and I just like the name of it. I’ve never been there.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?
Definitely from scratch, the apartment is never described until the heroine makes her walk-through inspection. Much to her disgust, I might add.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share.
The transformation of the setting is essential to the story. It changes from a bachelor’s slovenly haven into something that a woman could enter without cringing. In fact, some actual romance takes places there.

Please provide your website link.www.cjmaxx.net

What is the link to buy your book?http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=211

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?
This is probably not a good question for me since the story deals almost exclusively with two characters inside his apartment.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?
The title is Coming Back a Virgin and the publisher is Whiskey Creek Press-Torrid. It can be purchased from them. The link is in a previous question.

Fraterfamilias by Peter Ferrer

2007-08-28T14:05:00.000-04:00

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...

It all started with Paris. My cowriter, Judith, picked it because Paris is a lovely, ancient city and we've both been to it. As the initial situation played itself out, it became a matter of logic--where would you go if you were fleeing Paris after you'd committed murder? You have money and you can take a plane. Well, it's a straight shot over to New York and once you get clear of the airport, you can go pretty much anywhere on the continent. The story had to be set in New York.

What does the setting add to the story?
New York is a port city, cosmopolitan and multicultural, with a venerable history of crime. This gave us a chance to show the collisions between some very different characters.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?
We briefly considered setting it in Vancouver (Judith is from Vancouver), since so many stories are set in big American or European cities, already. But it didn't work out.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
The opening scene really establishes the parameters for the setting such that it could not be any other city in the world. To set it elsewhere would be like setting "Casablanca" in Poughkeepsie. It wouldn't work. It just had to be New York.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting?
City-wise, yes. And we very carefully researched as much of the layout of the public places (like JFK and the Port Authority bus station and the public transit system) as we could for realism. That was hard because neither of us was anywhere near New York at the time that we wrote the book, though of course we've both been there. I'm sure there were some errors, since it's not easy to research things like public transport online in this day and age. People wonder why you're doing it!

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share.
We started writing the story before 9/11. Ultimately, we chose to set it before 9/11, as well. New York has changed since then and we wanted to deal with the fin de siecle atmosphere immediately before that, when many things were simmering but not exactly public knowledge. We also wanted to deal with the city's history of immigration, its cosmopolitan nature. We worried that by bringing 9/11 into it (as setting the story after 9/11 would inevitably do), everything else would fade and it would become a 9/11 thriller. There is more to New York than that.

Please provide your website link:
http://www.geocities.com/rpcv.geo/other.html

What is the link to buy your book?
http://www.virtualtales.com/StoryProducts~tn~Fraterfamilias.html

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?
New York has a huge number of very different people in a relatively small space, with many boroughs that have their specific, colorful histories. One thing you'd notice right away are the subway and the busses. We use both extensively in our book because our characters are too poor to use taxis and New Yorkers don't generally drive. It's a huge public transport system dating back to the 19th century. A visitor to New York would also need to know about JFK (since this, along with La Guardia) is the major airport for the city, and the Port Authority bus station. When it comes to city public transport, bring a map, money and patience. You can go all over the place and see things you might not notice if you drove a car. But it may take you a while to get there.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting.
Thank you for having me!

Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it:
Fraterfamilias, under the pseudonym "Peter Ferrer". You can find it at Virtual Tales, Fictionwise and several other online venues.

Judi Moreo and Kim Baccelia - Virtual Tour Stops

2007-08-21T22:55:00.001-04:00

Promotional Interview with Judi Moreo

This is the first author promotional interview that I've posted on my Self Promotion blog on the Inspired Author site. This is the first interview in a series that I'm doing with Kathleen Gage. She is posting some on her blog and I'll be posting all of the interviews on my site. To read about Judi Moreo's promotion - visit http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/promotional-interview-judi-moreo-0

~ and ~

Kim Baccellia - Young Adult Author - Earrings of Ixtumea

Join Nikki Leigh and Muze as they interview young adult author Kim Baccelia about her book - Earrings of Ixtumea. This is the opening question of the interview -

Nikki & Muze – I was reading the synopsis for your book and was intrigued by the inner struggle that your character faces. It’s also interesting that she is confronted by the same cultural problems in the fantasy world. Can you give us some information about how you came up with this idea and what sort of problems she deals with in the story?

Kim –As a bilingual teacher in the later ‘80’s and early ‘90’s, I saw a lot with my second language students. I taught in a LA county school district, close to East LA. I also was researching my own family history at this time. I was bothered how each year my students would draw themselves blond, blue-eyed, and fair skinned. Click here to learn more about Kim and Earrings of Iztumeahttp://muzesmusings.blogspot.com/

Nikki Leigh – Fiction Author – www.nikkileigh.com
Book Promo 101 – www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm
“Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance”

Tara's Honour by Bryn Colvin

2007-08-19T18:43:00.001-04:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

I’d already written a couple of stories in this particular fantasy setting and as I had a few speculative ideas I wanted to play with, it seemed the obvious choice. I’d read a science article exploring the idea that caffeinated substances you imbibe may affect how you perceive reality. The other strand underpinning the story came from a role play game I ran about a decade ago. At one point one of the girls playing had her character return to her hometown to find she’d been accused of killing her father. Remembering the game, I thought it would make a good story. With those two plot elements in mind, I needed a fantasy setting and thought I might as well use the one I’d already developed – Estraguil, my magical forest.

What does the setting add to the story?

Firstly there’s the forested landscape, full of unfamiliar plants, animals and dangers. Then there’s the possibility of magic which works best in fantasy environments I think. Then there’s the laws. Estraguil is inspired heavily by the Forest of Dean, and I took a lot of ideas from Medieval Welsh culture to provide the details. One such aspect is the legal system where those accused of a crime are tried by their entire community. To be found innocent, a set number of people have to give their word that they believe you wouldn’t have committed the crime. The more serious the accusation, the more people have to speak for you. So while proving your innocence is effective, someone of good repute might get away with it because their community would believe they wouldn’t have done it. There’s also a different social structure, where polyamoury is perfectly normal, and people swear allegiance to each other in interesting ways – not a servant and master scenario, something more balanced.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

Not exactly the same story, no. A Welsh Mediaeval setting would allow me to cover a lot of the same ground. Another fantasy setting would allow me the magical elements.

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

I’d lose the combination of effects in a different setting – the old Welsh laws, the polyamoury, the forest, the magic – its all part of the story and to lose any one element would reduce the whole significantly. I’d be back to the drawing boar for flora and fauna. Nothing else would work quite so well. Having been built up over a number of books, Estraguil is almost a character in its own right and the setting informs the other characters in a host of ways.

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

Yes. My paternal grandparents lived in the Forest of Dean, in the UK, and it’s an area I know quite well. With hills, narrow valleys, the river Wye and a lot of forest, it’s a beautiful and quite an unusual place, and it gave me the starting point for creating Estraguil. Visiting Chepstow castle, I noticed one of the towers has stone figures around the top. Wondering about those figures set me off down the line of thought that led to the creation of Estraguil. The name is an old name for Chepstow, and I thought it sounded perfect.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch? Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?

Estraguil is densely wooded, full of running water and wildlife. There are paths – most of them made by animals and going nowhere especially useful. The easiest way to travel is on the larger rivers, using a boat, but the giant otter-like creatures (emerys) may sink your boat if they try and play with you, the tidal mudflats are treacherous, and some of the trees on the riverbank aren’t trees at all, but stalking poldens – large wading birds who camouflage themselves amongst the trees as they hunt for prey. There are mountainous areas, and you may catch sight of the Maisrians with their crafted wings, soaring on the thermals. You might meet a wandering Strafian story teller, or a band of violent, shape-shifting Illyans. The forests are full of dangerous beast – giant, thick skinned and evil tempered gwibers that eat anything, krask hounds with their instinctive precognition, or the krask themselves, notoriously hard to kill and very fierce. The forest teems with life, much of which will try to eat careless travellers.

What sort of people are there?

There are twelve kith groups in Estraguil, and all have different cultures. There are three genders, although its not always immediately obvious which gender any person belongs to. Hair and eyes come in every imaginable colour, skin tends to be various shades of brown, but can also be any shade imaginable. Some individuals have feathers, scales, hooves, or even leaves partially covering them. These are perfectly natural variations. Extra fingers, forked tongues, and other animal characteristics help the denizens of Estraguil to survive in the forest.
If we were travelling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

Bring only what you can carry on your back – there are no horses or other pack animals and travelling light is best. A knife, a blanket, a water bottle, perhaps a bow or a spear for hunting. Metal is highly valued, being scarce and largely confined to the mountains. If you don’t have hooves or the ability to fly, then a stout pair of boots will serve you well. Some of the kith groups are very territorial and aggressive, so good manners are essential, as is a willingness to fight if needs be. It’s safest to sleep in the trees, so a hammock will help. Mistrust anything you aren’t familiar with. Many of the plants and smaller creatures are dangerous to the unwary, especially the small lizards, which hunt in large packs.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Tara's Honour
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/chapters/TarasHonour_BrynnethColvin.shtml

Gatekeeper's Realm by Elena Dorothy Bowman

2007-08-08T21:33:00.000-04:00

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...It just seemed the natural setting for a mystery, paranormal series. The house up on the rocks overlooking the ocean caught my attention and the more I looked at it, the more it seemed to fit perfectly.

Why you chose that particular setting?

In all the years my family and I had been going to Good Harbor in Gloucester, we never saw anyone walk in or out of that house. I couldn't help but wonder why no one even went in there.

Was there something horrible that happened in that house? Was someone murdered? Why did it seem so forlorn, so lonely, so empty?What does the setting add to the story?

Actually, the house is the story, or a main part of it, because all the trials and tribulations the characters suffer happen inside the house or the area around it, down to and including the sea coast villages nearby.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

Probably, but it wouldn’t have the same charm, eeriness, or trials, that the house and the surrounding mystery brings to it.

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

It simply wouldn't be the same story.

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

Yes, actually, the house itself is real, although what I wrote about it, as far as I know, never happened. However, the towns and surrounding areas are a composite of many different places.Yes and no. The town involved is not actually real, but it is a composite of several towns, and of course, I have no idea if any town or area I portray in my novels, actually exist outside my imagination.Or, did you create the setting from scratch?Other than the actual house, yes, the rest of the setting is a figment of my imagination.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 house itself is, as some would say, enchanted. The owners, Abigail and Ethan, are decendants of the Founding Fathers, and Abigail's stay at the house is paramount to her becoming the owner. The visitors read a brochure assuring those who sought a new and different vacation that they would not be disappointed. It trumpeted a vacation hideaway that had no electricity, no running water, pumps only, no central heating system, no phones and no television. It also boasted of fabulously appointed rooms, fireplaces, breathtaking ocean views, swimming, underwater caves, sailing, and a touch of suspense and intrigue. But neither Abigail, Ethan, or the visitors were prepared for the apparitions that decided to invade the house. And if you were a guest at this setting, you would bring the normal things one would take on vacation plus a strong appreciation for the unexpected.Thank you for sharing details about your book setting.

Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

The title of the book is the Gatekeeper's Realm. It is the second book in the Legacy Series and can be purchased at: http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.booksurge.com/, http://www.cambridgebooks.us/, or your favorite book store.

Kelly Heckart - Of Water and Dragons

2007-08-08T21:19:00.000-04:00

Why you chose that particular setting?

Of Water and Dragons is set in northern Britain and Scotland in the 1st century AD. I had to set the story there because it is based on an actual battle that was fought between the Roman legions and the Celts.

What does the setting add to the story?

The setting adds to the mystique and beauty of the lands of the ancient Celts. Even with Roman influence, the places still belong to the Celts and their many gods and goddesses.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

No.

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

Because of the historic significance of the story it had to be told in that setting.

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

Yes. The story is set in 1st century Roman Britain and parts of Scotland near the Grampian mountains where the battle took place. Loch Ness also appears in my story where, nearby, an actual Celtic hillfort existed.

Well, there was a difference between Roman Britain, with its civitas and villas, and parts of Scotland that were untouched by Roman hands. There were Roman forts guarding the entrances to the highlands, but other than that it wasn't Romanized. The Celts lived in hillforts and roundhouses and they relied on farming for survival. One thing that is distinctive about Scotland is its mountains. They have mountains of craggy rock that are pretty bare at the top except for some scrub grass or heather. Trees grow at the lower levels of the mountains. In the highlands, there are lots of hidden glens, lochs and forests, which are enchanting, but then there are other parts of Scotland that are open with lush green pastures and gentle hills with just a cluster of mixed woodlands. If you were visiting my setting in the 1st century AD, you would have to be prepared to 'rough it.' Roman Britain was a busy place and you would see a mix of Roman soldiers and civilians. Roman Britain would be relatively safe to travel in because Roman soldiers acted as the law, but Scotland would have been a dangerous place with its rough terrain and Celtic warriors. It is also rainy and can get cold ( it snows in winter, especially in higher elevations) so you would need a heavy cloak to keep off the rain and chill. Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it? Of Water and Dragons is available in ebook or print format.

Visit http://www.kelleyheckart.com/ for details. Thanks for letting me share!

Kelley Heckart

Author of Of Water and Dragons.

"an appealing amalgam of magic, erotica, military history, and romance that will leave readers breathless in its wake." Ellen Tanner Marsh, NYT best-selling author
http://http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

The Daemonhold Curse

2007-08-02T19:20:00.001-04:00

The Daemonhold Curse

Why you chose that particular setting?
The story is a fantasy variation on a gothic tale, so it takes place in the Academy Kova and the manor house in the country called Tolan that correspond to an Earth university and Jane Eyre style gloomy castle.

What does the setting add to the story?
The contrast of the institution of learning and healing and the gloomy country manor set up the basic shape of the tale—will rationality triumph over superstition, or will the dark things that go ‘bump in the night’ win?

Could you write the same story in a different setting?
I actually, as an experiment, took the same outline (roughly) and set it in an earth setting in the 1930s in another series. It was so changed by the transition that it was no longer recognizable by the time I was done.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
The biggest thing that made this story work was the religious faith of my hero Erique Shoutte and that and the world of Altiva became vital to telling the story.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting?
I drew on the Shaolin temple and an Episcopal Seminary that I did a film at as models for the Academy Kova. As for Daemonhold, I have been in some pretty creepy mansions and castles and drew on all of them for it.

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see? What sort of people are there?
The training yard of the Academy Kova was open to any of the free companions who frequented the Kovar quarter of Tolan, the capital city of Cozen. The School of Justice—the combat academy--occupied a central courtyard of reasonable size fitted out as both a sword school and an Iskarian Monk style Martial Arts School. Weapons racks lined the area and bright pennants bordered the space.
On any day, rain or shine, and many nights as well, the yard choked with the Kovar faithful; in the viewing section, students from the schools of 'brand' studies and the odd free companion who wished to study the secrets of the Iskarian or old 'kingdom style' of martial arts.
As for Daemonhold:
Daemonhold, the ancestral home of the clan Daemon was not strictly speaking, a castle. It was a dark, foreboding manor house, laid out with a floor plan that was a ‘T” with a shortened ‘vertical’ wing. The ground floor mostly composed of dark stone, quarried from the nearby hills with timber and daub comprising the second story of the building. At the juncture of the body of the ‘T’ and the main wing a single rounded stone turret rose an additional story above the rest whose small windows gave a clear and unobstructed view all around the building.
Its warrior past evident in the thickness of the walls, crystal storm shutters that had built in arrow slits, the battlements on the roof and remnants of a wide ditch around the structure that could have easily converted into a moat in time of conflict.
The building stood on an outcrop of granite that formed a slight rise on an otherwise flat plain between two small rivers. Thin new-growth woods that had encroached in the last seventy-five years on to land that had formerly been denuded for security.

If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us?
The upcountry of Tolan, where Daemonhold is located, is a cold mountainous area so I’d bring a wool sweater and a stout stick to fight off bandits…

For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?
Altiva is a world of contrasts and adventure and each story in the series Death at Dragonthroat, Tales of a Warrior Priest, The Daemonhold Curse and Sister Warrior is unique. All you have to bring is a sense of wonder; I hope I do the rest….

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting.

Now, where can we buy it? www.epress-online.com in September.

The Coming Evil by Greg Mitchell

2007-08-02T18:32:00.000-04:00

The Coming Evil
Book One: The Strange Man
by Greg Mitchell

Why you chose that particular setting?

We write what we know. I live in a small, Southern town and I came from a small Midwestern town. A little sheltered, very average, sorta boring. I wanted Greensboro to reflect that.

What does the setting add to the story?

Everything. Greensboro is kind of the unspoken character in The Coming Evil Trilogy. At the beginning of our tale, the town has just suffered a tremendous blow due to the fact that the highway that led so many travelers to Greensboro has just been moved. The town has sort of fallen off the map, the economy has shriveled up, and the people have lost their faith and grown cold. Unfortunately, it’s this attitude that has left them an easy target for the devil known as “The Strange Man”.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? No. I don’t really think I could.

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

Again, Greensboro is as much a character as my actual characters. Its history, its people, all of it is very uniquely tied into this story. On the other hand, though, I think that this kind of situation can happen anywhere—to any community, to any family, to any person. It’s a story of losing your way and the dangers that await you off the path. That’s certainly something that everyone can relate to, I think.

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

Greensboro is kind of the archetypal “small town”. I do a lot of driving out in the country and go through a lot of small, forgotten towns, and I always watch the houses move past my window and I wonder about those people and their lives. Greensboro is a chance to tell a story of one of those forgotten towns.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

While it’s inspired by those small backroads towns, Greensboro also holds a bit of a fantastical element to it. It exists in sort of its own world, in Maribel County on the outskirts of this place called “The City”. I never designate what state Maribel County is in because the idea is that it could be anywhere. That’s the fun of it being “forgotten”. Greensboro could be twenty miles from your house and you’d never know it.

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?

Upon entering Greensboro, you’d find a place past its prime. What once was a quaint tourist stop has lost its shine and fallen into disrepair. The whole town could use a good spit and polish and that’s become the same for its people. On the outside, the denizens of Greensboro look like your average hard-working, Bible believing, salt of the Earth types that you’d hope to find in a close knit community. Look deeper, though, and you’ll find people who have given up and have stopped caring about each other. They need something to believe in again, something to fight for. When the Strange Man comes, they’ll have that motivation. What would a visitor need when entering Greensboro? Nerves of steel and a penchant for monster hunting.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting.

Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

The Coming Evil, Book One: The Strange Man.

It’s available at the official site at http://www.thecomingevil.com/

It’s also available on Amazon at
http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Evil-Book-One-Strange/dp/1602665907/ref=ed_oe_p/105-7182982-8766067?ie=UTF8&qid=1183723817&sr=1-2

Switcheroo by Herbert Holeman

2007-07-25T11:04:00.000-04:00

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?

Well, San Francisco is my hometown and where I grew up and spent my career in law enforcement. Also, part of my motivation to write this story was to present an argument for protecting our national park system. And I wanted to do it in a non-pedantic way and in a manner that would not cause the reader’s eyes to glaze over. To that end, I incorporated the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite as a character in my story.

What does the setting add to the story?

I set the story in a real place that reflects the storyline and actual locales in which story events occur. A visitor to the story setting can easily feel the ambience and visualize the what and where.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

Certain places and events, such as the Hetch Hetchy water supply system and the controversy surrounding it, are essential to the storyline.

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

The actual locales in which events take place are unique to the present story setting.

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

Yes. The visitor would find the streets and locales in San Francisco are as described in the story. So too are the eateries, although they are otherwise named. The redwood forests on the San Mateo coast are also as described in the book and the raging controversy over Hetch Hetchy remains ongoing.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

N/A

I would say to the visitor, bring your appetite. My story follows the tradition of the Golden Age of the detective story where meals run "like a doughy thread" throughout the narrative. In the words of H. R. F. Keating, "Your really implacable sleuth could never go far without pausing to eat the appropriate meal." This tradition lives on in Switcheroo and in the City by the Bay in particular.

http://www.herbertholeman.com/

Echoes of Silence by Nadene Carter

2007-07-25T10:08:00.001-04:00

Echoes of Silence

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?

My story, Echoes of Silence, is built around a historically factual incident. Outside this kernel of truth, it is an entirely “made up” story. However, because it is based on fact, the setting needed authenticity.

What does the setting add to the story?

The setting becomes almost like one of the story characters. You see the setting in your mind’s eye, you feel the anger and tension played out in this setting, and the setting provides a vivid backdrop for the story.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?

No, this story couldn’t happen in a different setting. The setting and the story are dependent on each other. One couldn’t exist without the other.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

It is a “real” place, but other than the general area, I fictionalized the setting. If you drove to this area of Malheur County Oregon, you wouldn’t recognize my fictional town of McGregor, Oregon. I gave the town and surrounding towns different names to protect the innocent and the guilty. Tell us some specific details about your setting.

What would we see? What sort of people are there?

In this story setting, you find the local residents of McGregor, Oregon. The area is a melting pot of sorts, with many immigrant families having moved there from England, the Scandinavian countries, Germany, etc. Enter … a small group of Japanese-Americans who have agreed to work in the sugar beet fields of Malheur County rather than sit out the remainder of World War II in the Minidoka, Idaho internment camp. This, by the way, is the kernel of truth in this historical fiction novel.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it? Thank you for allowing me to tell you about my book. This was the one that begged to be written. The title of my book is Echoes of Silence. You can read more about the story and purchase the book at this URL: http://epress-online.com/CARTER/Echoes-Of-Silence/sales-page.htm

Kennalyn Describes Modern Day Misty Cove

2007-07-22T20:31:00.000-04:00

Kennalyn is the heroine in my novel Stormy Shores which is being re-released by Write Words, later this year. My fictional town of Misty Cove is located along the Cape Ann coast of Massachusetts and very close to Rockport and Gloucester.

Here's what Kennalyn has to say about her home town --

Misty Cove Background

Misty Cove is my fictional setting for a series of novels. The first is Stormy View and its a contemporary romance. Widow's Walk is a historical which is set in Misty Cove between 1841 and 1862. Rebels and Rogues will begin in the opening days of the Civil War and the main character will travel from Misty Cove along the battle lines of the war.

This narrative is my description of Misty Cove. Geographically the location is a few miles south of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Its a beautiful area and I hope to convey some of the history and beauty through this fictional piece.

Kennalyn's Misty Cove

Cape Ann is a beautiful section of the Massachusetts coast. It’s not as well known as Cape Cod, but the residents like it that way. They appreciate the quieter beauty of our area. Cape Cod bustles with people and that includes a lot of tourists. Cape Ann has a lot of history and tranquil beauty without the tourists.

There’s a rich history of hard working and hard living people. Misty Cove, like neighboring Gloucester and Rockport are fishing towns. Fishing isn’t a peaceful pastime. Commercial fishing is hard work and requires separation from loved ones. There’s a sense of danger involved in it. The “perfect storm" hit the coast of Cape Ann with great strength and determination. But that's another story.

Storms have hit this coast for centuries and led to a need for lighthouses and lifesaving stations. There are the twin lights of Thatcher Island. There’s also our lighthouse on the tip of Misty Cove. It’s called Stormy View Light and my father, Captain Bart is the keeper. My family members have been keepers of the light for generations.

The history of heroics in my family is great and we’re proud of it. My great grandfather led several large lifesaving missions, as did my grandfather and my father. My great great great grandfather Duncan Jones was involved in 1848 when Congress passed the Newell Act which provided for the construction of structures which would house life saving and rescue equipment in areas which were traditionally known as shipwreck areas. Duncan wasn't involved in Misty Cove, but moved there soon after.

The Lifesaving Service was being phased out as my grandfather was taking his place in the family business. In 1915, the Lifesaving Service became known as the US Coast Guard. My grandfather chose to take his place as keeper of the Light instead of joining the Coast Guard. In 1939 the Coast Guard merged with the US Lighthouse Service. Captain Bart succeeded him as Keeper of the Light when he died.

My grandmother and great grandmother were behind the scenes protecting the injured. They provided warm food and drink to help the men through the long rescues. Some rescues could take long hours and sometimes more than a day to search for the survivors and to retrieve the bodies that could be saved. The men needed to keep up their strength along with a warm fire and supplies. Sometimes the breeches buoy would break or the tow line for the rescue boat would snap and more often than not, one of my grandmothers was there to help. The women also tended to the injured. Like the future women of the Red Cross, they helped the sick, provided aid and comfort in these situations. It’s a rich and satisfying family history I want to share with my daughter one day.

As with most small New England towns, Misty Cove people hold strong views about most everything. Our friends and neighbors stand up for what they think is right. Travelers coming through our area, find it friendly and tranquil.

Misty Cove has the look of a quaint centuries old fishing village. There are piers by the water and all manor of fishing boats and paraphernalia. This includes lines, buoys, traps and fishing shacks. It’s funny how people never feel the need to repaint the fishing shacks. In the spring, summer and fall there are too many fish to attend to. And, in the winter it’s too cold.

The winters in New England can be bad. The water looks intriguing with snow falling against it and with the snow piled on the boats. Many a fishing shack has been almost covered with snow during a blizzard.

A big blizzard shuts things down in Misty Cove. For this reason close attention to the weather forecast is critical and we must stock up ahead of time. The women can and freeze food to get us through the long, lean months.

The town has many old clapboard houses and houses covered with shakes. Their paint peels and the shakes are weathered. Some houses overlook the ocean and have widow’s walks and huge bay windows. These bay windows and a large number of other windows in Misty Cove have weathered window boxes. Any paint is long since gone but the petunias and snapdragons and so on, bloom each spring.

The windows helped the women and children keep an eye out for their men returning home from sea. These areas also gave a fairly unobstructed view of the incoming storms. Many times this would only cause the families to be more concerned about their loved ones at sea. The men would sometimes fish for a couple of months at a time and with little or no communication. This would leave the collective imaginations of their loved ones to run wild.

Downtown Misty Cove area has the old lantern style street lights. These are much nicer than the harsh street lights in the big cities. Some of the windows on the downtown stores have colorful awnings which accentuate their stores and draw the customers to the windows to see their wares.

Many of the store and business owners have the shingle type signs which blow on their chains in the breeze. When a nor’easter brews, it’s a smart move to take the signs down.

There’s an old cemetery on the hill at the far northwest end of town. It’s set off by itself, but there are several hundred years of ancestors buried there. The old grave markers crumble and crack. The years of cold and storms have eroded the lettering which marks who lies beneath. Each of my ancestors are buried there and the gravestones make mention of their contributions to the town of Misty Cove.

There are many beautiful wild flower gardens. Some planted by loving hands and others the work of birds flying overhead. These plants and flowers are hardy like the residents and the beauty of each is appreciated.

It sounds like a rugged life, but Misty Cove and Cape Ann residents thrive on it. A fishing village isn’t the place for a cushy life. The only people who have a life which is a step above, are the men who live on the far hills and own the fishing boats. He has more money to work with, but he has

a lot to loose when the boats go out.

The boats and the equipment needed on fishing boats are expensive. When one of the boats sink, they loose their livelihood. This includes the boat, whatever catch was hauled in, and the supplies purchased for the trip. This is financially difficult for him, but the families of the fishermen loose their husbands, fathers and sons. Everyone on the coast pays a price when anyone is lost at sea, that’s why the lighthouse and the Life Saving Service are important parts of the community.

Walking down the streets of Misty Cove, feels like being in an old town. The passage of time seems to have missed us. That is one of the key reasons why getting away seems so intriguing to many young people.

Misty Cove is not a place to make big money. Bartering has been popular for many years. Why pay cash when you can trade something you don’t want, for something you do? Even the General Store doesn’t make its’ owners rich. They have a house furnished with a variety of things, but his bank account doesn’t bulge.

One thing that’s not tolerated in Misty Cove is crime. These things include burglary, breaking and entering, destruction of property and certainly harming another individual. Judge Stone is a third generation juror and he doesn’t put up with foolishness or maliciousness. He hands down strong punishments and that discourages repeat offenders.

Most of the young people felt the need to push Judge Stone at least once, and that’s usually all it takes. The last three Judge Stones have all ruled the bench with a strong hand and it makes Misty Cove a better place. Judge and Mrs. Stone would do anything for you, outside the courtroom. But, inside the courtroom, every criminal is at his mercy.

The soft sounds of the bird’s songs fill the air as they soar off the coast. The pelicans fly along the edge of the water and dip down from time to time to pick up their latest meal. The gulls love to see the children because they usually bring food of some kind. They fish for their own meals sometimes, but the children supplement that with bread crumbs. It’s a strange diet, but they love it. Life is different here, but that’s the way Misty Cove residents like it.

http://www.nikkileigh.com/

WIndwalker by Donna Sundblad

2007-07-19T21:16:00.000-04:00

Donna will be the first author to be featured on It's All in the Setting. Her novel is a fantasy, let's learn more about her setting...

Why did you pick the setting you used in your story?
The setting takes place in a pre-industrial setting in a fantasy world one culture calls The Land, because their belief system teaches that they are sojourners in The Land. When people name a land they tend to think it belongs to them. On the other side of the plot is a second culture who arrives at the shores of the land which they name Ranaan. And guess what—within a few hundred years they think they own it.

Why you chose that particular setting?
This fantasy story line deals with issues of discrimination and differences in belief systems. I set it in a fictional place to avoid anyone thinking of am talking about a certain place that would allow discrimination and prejudice to lead to genocide.

What does the setting add to the story?
The setting plays an important part in the story. One place in particular is the Fortress of Stone. This place is foretold to hold the answers needed to bring peace to the Land. Laws are enforced to make sure no such place exists, but within this setting we learn that it is a natural rock formation within the Valley of Rocks.

Could you write the same story in a different setting?
I could write a similar story, but not the same story. The setting provides the pieces that make the plot work. Things like the Sacred Stairway, the Cage of Ice, and Yolk of Inspiration are all part of the setting within the Land. Without them, the story could not take place.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
I explained this above, but let me say here that the setting provides the elements necessary for the magical powers of the antagonist to make the plot thicken with tension. The setting also includes elements that allow the protagonists to find the solutions to the problem if they just have the faith to do so. If they don't the entire civilization (both cultures) face destruction.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting?
I did research on various places to understand things like volcanoes and flooding, but the setting itself is a mixture of places and experiences in my life. The Land has mountains, valleys and a coastline.

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?
Yes, I created it from scratch and developed a map as I went along to make sure things came together in a realistic way.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?
As I said, it's a pre-industrial society. At the start of the story you'll see dark-eyed indigenous people living in the Land awaiting the ships their prophets had predicted would come—along with a lingering menace.You'll see kind people among the indigenous Stygian people and the fair-eyed Jonnick who come to shore with a disease fatal to many of both cultures. But among them is a white stone tied to a different spirit and with it a curse that follows the Jonnick. Both cultures learn to work together to survive, but eventually part ways. Beyond that you'll see villages, secret caves, the Valley of Rocks and the Valley of Blades. It's a one-of-a-kind world and one worth visiting.Thank you for sharing details about your book setting.

Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

WindwalkerAvailable at epress-online
http://www.epress-online.com/SUNBLAD/Windwalker/sales-page.htm

Thank you to Donna for telling us about her setting. Will your's be posted next?

Nikki Leigh
http://www.nikkileigh.com/

Lilah and the Locket in the Kitty Hawk Free Press

2007-07-19T12:22:00.000-04:00

This is an example of a way that I got exposure for one of my books and it was free and easy.

Kitty Hawk is one of the towns along the Outer Banks and I have "Kitty Hawk" set in my Google alerts. I saw an article about Cape Hatteras on the Kitty Hawk Free Press this morning and I emailed the editor about my book.

Click here - http://www.kittyhawkfreepress.com/ and scroll down past the picture of the motorcycle at the lighthouse. He posted my “behind the story” piece about Lilah which offers some background information about how the story came to be.

I always say that it doesn't hurt to ask -- many people say "yes".

Nikki

Nikki Leigh – Fiction Author – www.nikkileigh.comBook Promo 101 – www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm“Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance”

HOW TO SUBMIT

2007-07-18T20:36:00.000-04:00

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?

What does the setting add to the story?

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

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

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

Or, did you create the setting from scratch?

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

Please provide your website link.

What is the link to buy your book?

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?

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?

Feel free to email your answers to nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com and I'll add your information. They will be posted, but not all at once. That will give everyone an opportunity to get plenty of exposure.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm