Setting For Outlaw in Petticoats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Medieval Italy in Bloodstone Castle by Mirella Patzer

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

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

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

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

Why you chose that particular setting?

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

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

What does the setting add to the story?

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

Could you write the same story in a different setting?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please provide your website link.

http://www.mirellapatzer.com

What is the link to buy your book?

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

http://www.mirellapatzer.com

http://bloodstonecastle.blogspot.com

http://bestofitaly.blogspot.com

http://mirellapatzer.blogspot.com

Or at Amazon at:

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

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

Crimson Promise by Sapphrie Phelan

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

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

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

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.

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 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

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