Sinbad's Last Voyage

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

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

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

Cover of the Year - Asking for Your Vote

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
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"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
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Nimrod Rising - A Novel By Steven Clark Bradley

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

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

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