(This is the blog post that was supposed to be up at Night Owl Romance on March 5. I still haven't heard from them concerning not posting it.)
When I’m writing a story that is set in modern times, I prefer to set it in a place that I have been. I adore accurate description within a story, and nothing makes me dislike a story more than when it’s obvious the author has never been there. Most of my books are set in Charleston, South Carolina, since I live near there. Charleston was colonized around 1670, so many of the buildings in the downtown area have a lot of history behind them. However, when writing Promises to Keep, my characters weren’t interested in Charleston’s rich history. It made picking locations more interesting. I do have only one rule when it comes to locations: If a person died, or if the main character had to do something super dangerous, use a fictional locale. A good example of this is Chimera, the bar mentioned in Promises to Keep.
When Starlette goes there it’s during the day and the only patron inside is Sivad Night. Chimera is based on a real bar, but not one off of Highway 176 like I say in the book. Why did I do this? While it is the first time that my readers will hear of this bar, it’s not the first time I have written about it. A lot of bad things eventually happen there, and it is because of those events that Chimera is in a fictional location.
When picking out a location, I usually choose places that are my favorite. For example, Haven is one of my favorite houses in downtown Charleston. Donavan’s house from Fade to Black was a house that, as a child, I told myself I would one day buy. Sadly it has since been demolished to make way for new housing, but the image of it is stuck in my head. I figure if I bond with a location then it has got to be for a reason.
My advice for writers looking for locations to set their writing in is this: Don’t force it. Let memories from your past or childhood inspire you, whether it be those hot summers at the beach or relaxing weekend camping trips. If you force it, then the reader will be able to tell. Like I said earlier, readers can tell. Another piece of advice, do your homework. Has the building been around since 1700? Make sure and read up on it. Maybe something happened there that you can incorporate into your work.
I hope you’ll check out my new book, Promises to Keep, due out on March 7.
Lots of love,
Heather Kuehl
http://heatherkuehl.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/heatherkuehl
Promises to Keep
March 7, 2010
Eternal Press
www.eternalpress.biz
Summary:
Starlette is on a mission, and nothing will get in her way...
Starlette DeFore knows that her father is alive, even though her family buried him ten years ago. When a faerie confirms this she travels to Charleston, South Carolina to hunt down Sivad Night, the only person to have ever escaped from the hands of a powerful sorceress, the Dark Lady Dreashae. With help from a witch, Starlette travels into Verella, a fantasy realm filled with centaurs, dragons and magic. She is very close to finding her father, but first must defeat Dreashae.
Will Starlette, a mere mortal, have the strength needed to finish her quest and save her father?
When I’m writing a story that is set in modern times, I prefer to set it in a place that I have been. I adore accurate description within a story, and nothing makes me dislike a story more than when it’s obvious the author has never been there. Most of my books are set in Charleston, South Carolina, since I live near there. Charleston was colonized around 1670, so many of the buildings in the downtown area have a lot of history behind them. However, when writing Promises to Keep, my characters weren’t interested in Charleston’s rich history. It made picking locations more interesting. I do have only one rule when it comes to locations: If a person died, or if the main character had to do something super dangerous, use a fictional locale. A good example of this is Chimera, the bar mentioned in Promises to Keep.
When Starlette goes there it’s during the day and the only patron inside is Sivad Night. Chimera is based on a real bar, but not one off of Highway 176 like I say in the book. Why did I do this? While it is the first time that my readers will hear of this bar, it’s not the first time I have written about it. A lot of bad things eventually happen there, and it is because of those events that Chimera is in a fictional location.
When picking out a location, I usually choose places that are my favorite. For example, Haven is one of my favorite houses in downtown Charleston. Donavan’s house from Fade to Black was a house that, as a child, I told myself I would one day buy. Sadly it has since been demolished to make way for new housing, but the image of it is stuck in my head. I figure if I bond with a location then it has got to be for a reason.
My advice for writers looking for locations to set their writing in is this: Don’t force it. Let memories from your past or childhood inspire you, whether it be those hot summers at the beach or relaxing weekend camping trips. If you force it, then the reader will be able to tell. Like I said earlier, readers can tell. Another piece of advice, do your homework. Has the building been around since 1700? Make sure and read up on it. Maybe something happened there that you can incorporate into your work.
I hope you’ll check out my new book, Promises to Keep, due out on March 7.
Lots of love,
Heather Kuehl
http://heatherkuehl.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/heatherkuehl
Promises to Keep
March 7, 2010
Eternal Press
www.eternalpress.biz
Summary:
Starlette is on a mission, and nothing will get in her way...
Starlette DeFore knows that her father is alive, even though her family buried him ten years ago. When a faerie confirms this she travels to Charleston, South Carolina to hunt down Sivad Night, the only person to have ever escaped from the hands of a powerful sorceress, the Dark Lady Dreashae. With help from a witch, Starlette travels into Verella, a fantasy realm filled with centaurs, dragons and magic. She is very close to finding her father, but first must defeat Dreashae.
Will Starlette, a mere mortal, have the strength needed to finish her quest and save her father?
5 comments:
The first two people to comment will WIN a free pdf of PROMISES TO KEEP!
Good luck!
Great post Heather! Promises to Keep sounds like a wonderful read. Would love to check it out! Best of luck with it.
Congrats Cate for winning a copy of PROMISES TO KEEP. I have sent the pdf to the email addy you have listed in the EP Authors Group. If this is incorrect, please let me know.
Congrats and enjoy!
Lovely cover and wonderful post, Heather.
Good luck with the sales. I'm sure it will do well.
Nice fill someone in on and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you seeking your information.
Post a Comment