Oh, The Places You’ll Go +Giveaway by Julie Arduini
How was your summer? I confess, I love structure so typically by the end of July, I’m looking at the calendar wondering when school starts. This year is different. I finished ENGAGED and decided to take time to enjoy life apart from the laptop. I didn’t even take it when we traveled to Wisconsin to meet our first grandson. That has to be a first!
We also went camping in the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and returned to Wisconsin to meet our second grandson. We also been swam, binge watched West Wing, and our daughter and I worked on a tween series on surrender.
Last month I decided to fulfill a bucket wish of sorts, I took the kids on a day trip to Ashtabula, Ohio. Our son plans to be a history teacher and I love American history. We visited The Hubbard House, a home that hid slaves as they sought freedom. The code word for the home was “Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard,” so when this was said down south, it meant they were heading to the very home we visited. It was the last stop before Canada, and even though I write contemporary romance, it was tempting to lose focus on the tour and start thinking up some characters and conflict for a historical romance. Even our son looked at me and said, “Today could give you so many story ideas.”
If he only knew!
When I first toyed with the thought that I could write a contemporary romance, it came from that “what if” moment as I strolled the village of Speculator in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate NY. No where I go is a simple errand, event, or vacation. I’m constantly thinking if that grocery store (ENTRUSTED) or department store (ENGAGED) could be a backdrop for a budding romance, or a source of conflict between a hero and heroine who need to surrender something so they can find peace in Christ.
At first I only wrote what I knew because I was so new and unsure of myself. Although I still battle that, I’m not afraid to branch out and use a new-to-me place or career for a book. In ENTANGLED, my stylist was a huge source of help because the heroine, Carla Rowling, was going to cosmetology school. April lent me her book and I poured through it, taking notes and building plot ideas and potential conflict. With my Surrendering Opinions series, starting this fall, I need to meet with a friend who is in the television news business. My heroine is going to be at a local news station with designs to follow her mom’s footsteps, and her mom’s best friend is on a national news level. Of course, no romance is going to make that goal easy, and there will be someone standing in her way, sparks flying between them.
That series will take place in the Finger Lakes of Upstate NY. Years ago I worked for the county and traveled through small towns for home visits and meetings. I remember driving around thinking about different characters I could create, back then thinking it was nothing more than a little game in my imagination to play as I was too scared to consider writing. My hometown, Corning, will be a setting, as well as one of my favorite places I used to live close to, Watkins Glen. My desire is to showcase places in Upstate NY so readers can enjoy them and maybe even want to visit them, too. Many of the places, including 1000 Islands, I’ve not been, or only passed through. So it will be a lot of research when that time comes.
How about you? Is there a place you’ve been where you thought it would make a great backdrop for a romance? Did you read a book and love the setting so much you wanted to go there? Leave a comment with your answer and you will be eligible to win one copy of ENGAGED. North American winner, comments considered before 12AM Eastern September 1.
In ENGAGED, Trish Maxwell’s back in Speculator Falls with egg on her face and a lot of apologies to make. She left the mountain town for her dream job in New York City, only to come back unemployed. With no prospects, she works at her family’s department store and makes amends as she finds a new passion creating window displays for Adirondack businesses. She works hard and tries to convince the people of Speculator Falls she’s changed for the better.
As Trish pitches in with community events, she meets paramedic Wayne Peterson, the one man who doesn’t seem to judge her. She even makes friends with Jenna Regan, who helps Trish when people demand to know what’s next in Trish’s life. Living in New York City has been her goal, but the more she’s around Wayne and the Adirondack area, the more she’s drawn to revising her plans. Just when Trish thinks the plan for her life’s coming together, a second chance comes her way that could give her every career goal she’s ever wanted, but threaten to tear her and Wayne apart. Can Trish surrender fears about her future and discover God’s plan for her?
Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to surrender the good, the bad, and ---maybe one day---the chocolate. She’s the author of ENTRUSTED: Surrendering the Present, as well as ENTANGLED: Surrendering the Past. The last book in the series, ENGAGED: Surrendering the Future, is coming soon. She also shares her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY. She also blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband, two children, and chocolate stash. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com.
Hi Julie, how lovely you were able to visit your new grandchildren:) Congrats to your son, History teaching is an awesome profession!!
I love the Victorian High Country (A Man from Snowy River is set there, Craigs’ Hut is built there, it is a beautiful part of Victoria), and think it is a great place to set a story. So many books I read transport me to the location- my list of to visit places is growing:)
Blessings:)
Hi Julie! Sounds like you had an interesting summer with many intriguing story ideas. The Midwest has many intriguing places for story ideas (Western Michigan, Northern Indiana, and Illinois). Recently we visited the Dowagiac Area History Museum that an Underground Railroad Exhibit. The exhibit showed a hidden room. To enter the hidden room from the parlor, a person turned a rather small oval mirror on the wall and it opened a hidden door – clever. The region around Dowagiac had many homes that were part of the Underground Railroad. Near Vandalia, MI is a state historical marker drawing attention to the junction of two main underground railroads – the Illinois line from St. Louis and the Quaker line from the Ohio River. The lines merged here and went on to Canada. Enjoy your grandchildren. Happy writing.
I’ve always wanted to go to the small towns where Debbie Macomber’s books are set…even her Alaska setting!
I love learning about new places when reading. I think the mountains or the ocean make a good backdrop for a story.
I’m so glad you had such a wonderful summer, Julie!
I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland as I have read many books that took place there. I would like to see some of these places in real life.
I have read many books by different authors that focus on fictitious small towns in Washington and I would love to go to Seattle and Vancouver.
I live in Ohio too!
I’m glad you had such a great summer. I love “visiting” new places through the books I read, and I think Switzerland would be a beautiful backdrop for a romance.
I’ve always loved Stowe, Vermont – especially during the lush summer time. May make a good place setting for a book.
I love the idea that your books are all near where we used to live. Right after we were married, my husband and I moved to the Finger Lakes region. We actually also stayed there fore our honeymoon at the time because we didn’t have much money or time to travel. Watkins Glenn was one of the places we’ve visited during that time (though we ended up visiting more places around Cayuga than Seneca Lake).
There was also so many places we wanted to go while living in Upstate NY, like going the Corning Museum of Glass and the Adirondacks. We did manage to go to the Adirondacks village of Speculator (coincidence?) and stayed by Lake Pleasant on a wonderful vacation. I’m looking forward to read your books (set in both the Adirondacks and Finger Lakes) and remind myself of our first home.
I love the idea of a department store setting for ENGAGED! My favorite settings are small Ohio towns.
Julie, research can be fun even for contemporary books. I love history, but I never wanted to write historical books. I think there is so much to learn. Not just the history, but the way people talked and the clothing they wore all factor into the story. I’m glad you had a fun trip. I love checking things off on my bucket list.
Mackinac Island is on my bucket list after reading several books set there.
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Glad you are enjoying those grandsons! Oh yes, I read (lots of books) and want to visit many of the places mentioned. And as Gail said, above, Mackinac Island is #1. However, health issues prevent travel so I will just keep reading!
Appreciate you authors!!
Sounds like you had a fun summer. I’ve been to Scotland and Switzerland and would love to go back and explore further. I’ve read several books set in Scotland, but I can’t remember any recent ones set in Switzerland.
As a Michigander what books have you read with a Mackinaw setting? Just curious, only author I am familiar with is Duffy Brown and her Cycle Path cozy mysteries.
My husband and I visited Hawaii several years ago. Hawaii is the most romantic place that I know of.
I read a lot of historical novels with the Regency period being my favorite. While I can’t time travel back to that era, I can feel like I am through the pages of a book :-) I don’t read a lot of contemporary, but some settings I’ve enjoyed the most are in the south, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and the like. I especially enjoy a Savanna GA setting and would love to go there someday. The descriptions of the area the author writes really makes me want to visit!
I’d say a well-written story set in anywhere would make the reader want to visit :-) Also, anything in real life can spark a story idea, even a trip to the grocery store!
Hi, Wemble! Yes, Victoria is a beautiful setting! I’m easily transported by book setting, too!
Renate,
That sounds fascinating! I’ve always wanted to visit somewhere that had the hidden room aspect of the Underground Railroad. The home I went to in Ashtabula was a hideout and the last stop before Canada, which was interesting.
I passed through Illinois and Indiana in my travels, so many story ideas!
I agree! Her settings are characters themselves.
Diana,
I am the same way. I hope you check out my series, they are all mountain based.
Thank you, Melanie! It was really busy and full, but fun, too.
Tammy,
Scotland sounds beautiful from everything I’ve read. The same for Ireland.
Hello, “Neighbor!”,
I have never been west of Wisconsin or to any part of Canada beyond Toronto. I told my husband I’d love to see the west, and travel to other Canadian places, too.
Yes! Switzerland would be a wonderful destination in real life and fiction!
I love Vermont! I went in the spring and it was beautiful. I agree, it would make for a lovely book!
Priscila, I believe you would love my series. I visited Speculator a couple years ago to share my first book, ENTRUSTED, with them, and they felt I captured the heart of the Adirondacks. I was so pleased. I am really looking forward to sharing the Finger Lakes with the new series. I hope you have the chance to go back to the region, there is so much to do.
Lee,
I hope to write long enough to cover Upstate NY enough to start on Ohio!
I’m the same. I love reading historical books, but I don’t know if I could do the research it deserves.
My husband loves Mackinac Island, I’ve heard beautiful things. I think Laura Hilton has an upcoming release based there.
Jackie,
What I love is reading can take us all over the world. We don’t even need a passport!
Winnie,
I agree, Switzerland deserves a fictional romance!
Janet,
My parents loved Hawaii. It would make for a beautiful romance.
Trixi,
I highly recommend you find Christina Miller’s books. She writes historicals based out of Charleston, I feel like I’m right there.
I’m heading up to Lake Tahoe Sunday afternoon to visit my niece, and that’s a lovely setting for a romance :-)
Margaret, that sounds like a beautiful trip, enjoy! It does sound like a great setting!
Sounds like you had a very beautiful vacation. I have always wanted to go to Vermont, but haven’t quite made it yet. That part of the country seems peaceful and romantic to me.
Blessings.
Donna
Hi Julie, Yes and yes, in answer to your questions! There are so many places I’d love to visit in North America because I’ve fallen in love with the setting while reading a book or watching a movie. Visiting new places seems to kick our writers imaginations into overdrive, lol. I have an idea for a romance set in Hawaii that was inspired by my trip there last year. :)
We do plan to go back because we’ve definitely fallen in love with the Finger Lakes region (a little bit with the Adirondacks too..) I was 17 weeks pregnant when we went to the Adirondacks and it was a wonderful feeling to plan our first child’s arrival at such a beautiful place. We really had a wonderful time there. It was on top of one of the mountains that we first started to nail down our baby’s name and then in one of the high tops of the Finger Lakes state park (a few days later), we’ve prayed to God to bless our choice of name and our baby.
I think Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa would be a fun setting. There used to be an amusement park, roller rink, and double-decker boat rides around the Lake. My mother & father fell in love at the roller rink.
say Hawaii
I hope you keep us posted, Narelle!
That sounds fantastic, and an idea I’ve never heard. I think you have something there!
Donna, Vermont is beautiful. If you ever get there, take the quick side trip to the Adirondacks on the Upstate NY side. Breathtaking!
Oh, I will have to do that. Thanks for getting back to me. God bless and have a great weekend.
I love contemporary books. PA has many wonderful places to see and enjoy.
Yes! Another state with many beautiful settings.
I think a story in the Canadian Rockies would be very nice!
There are some books that make me want to go to the places the story is told..
Congrats on the new grandson!
Chimney Rock, NC is a neat little town & would be a great story setting. :)
A nice cabin in the mountains
I’m still waiting for grandkids !!!!
I think that it would be fun to read a book set in New York City because the city lifestyle is so different from my day to day life.
Laura, I love this idea! I don’t think I’ve read anything from there.
Thank you, Susanne! I don’t think there is a bad setting in all of NC. What a beautiful state.
Karen, that’s my favorite! There are quite a few cabin scenes in my series. I hope you check them out!
Nikki, they are a blessing. I wish we didn’t live so far away from them.
Jessica, NYC is a great setting. It is one of those with so much to offer it becomes a character, if the setting is written well.
Hi Julie
Reading about Prince Edward Island in Anne of Green Gables, it made me want to go there. it’s on my bucket list of places to visit