It’s always fun to start a new series. Especially when it comes to figuring out where the stories will happen. I’ve set books in Romance and Rose Bud, Arkansas, along with Aubrey, Fort Worth, and Bandera Texas. In my rodeo series set in Aubrey and Fort Worth, my characters had family connections in tiny Medina and visited a ranch there based on my father-in-law’s ranch.
My father-in-law left this world in 2008 after close to fifty years serving as a Southern Baptist Pastor. His wife–we
call her Texas mom–still lives on the ranch and we visit her every few years. That’s her in the picture on the left on the brick streets of Fort Worth where we met for a visit during a research trip there several years ago.
It made sense to set my new ranching series in Medina. There’s really no research to be done since I know the area well. If anything, I need my memory refreshed on details, but I know just who to call when I do. And then there’s always fictional liberty where I occasionally move a business or create a fake one to suit my story.
The Apple Store
Medina is an unincorporated community with a population of around five-hundred in the Texas Hill Country. It’s a lot like where we live in Arkansas and always feels like home when we visit. For this series, I created a ranch where my heroine is starting a rodeo, a second ranch where my hero retreats after a bull riding injury for occupational therapy, and a third ranch where my heroine runs a flea market in her family barn. All three books will release in 2020 and so far I’ve only turned the first one in to my editor.
I got to incorporate my favorite places where we shop and eat when we’re there. My characters visit the Apple Store in
Medina, where we always buy Apple Pumpkin Bread and Apple Peach Cobbler Jam. Since Bandera is only fifteen minutes away, my story people eat at the Old Spanish Trail or OST as it’s known and shop the gift shops there.
It’s fun to fictionalize memories into my stories. On our last visit, our son ordered catfish, and I got shrimp. 
Both were huge. We talked about how everything’s bigger in Texas and I told the waitress my shrimp looked like chicken legs. That conversation went in book one. Sorry for the blurry pics. I’ve never claimed to be a photographer, but you get the gist of the size of our vittles. Not only were they huge, but really yummy.
The only problem with setting my stories in Medina–I’m getting homesick for my second home. Even though, I love where we live, we went to Medina in December, and Texas mom came here in March, we may have to make a trip soon.
Is there a place you love to visit or get homesick for? Answer the question to get in the drawing for a copy of Sweetheart Reunion. Deadline: July 22nd. I’ll be around until noon, but have to leave for an afternoon appointment. Don’t think I’m ignoring y’all, I’ll be back this evening.
Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does. She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.
Thank you for sharing your memories! I have lived in Florida since 1983, but will always call NJ home, and I miss it more each day!
I get a little homesick for the town I grew up in. It’s only 2 hours from where I live now so I do get to go back every now and then. In fact, we were just back there visiting friends over the weekend! :-)
I love to visit the places my children live. Our daughter is in Houston, TX and our son is in Rock Springs, WY. And although I haven’t lived there since I got married in 1979, Williamsburg, IA will always feel like home.
There is a small town on a lake in NH that is like a second home to me.
Wow, Paula. Those are polar opposites. I have a fondness for Georgia too. I spent some growing up years there. We lived about 5 miles from Six Flags and I had older cousins, so I practically lived there in the summer. I miss that. And my cousins who still live there. But they’re coming to visit next month.
Oh how nice, Ellie. I wish Medina was only a few hours away instead of 11.
I get “homesick” for my family in NW GA. I’m a native Floridian, but we always went to GA for vacations when I was growing up. My Mom and I have been back some since Daddy passed away 23 years ago. I haven’t been in quite a few years, as Mom is 95 and not up to making that long drive, even if we spent the night somewhere on the way up. I always loved to visit in October, when it was cooler and the leaves were changing color.
Hey Marcia, scattered children must be hard. I’m praying our 17 year old will always live close. But at least your kids live in places that would be fun to visit. I understand about IA. We moved from Georgia when I was 12. Until I met my husband when I was 14, I was planning to graduate and move back to GA. We lived in a suburb of Atlanta about an hour away. A small neighborhood with little traffic where the kids road bikes and jumped rope in the road. It was a great place to grow up.
We have a lake where we live, Lori. And we never go there. It’s a big tourist attraction and it’s always crowded. I like chlorine and seeing what’s in the water, so I like my pool. My husband doesn’t like to swim and isn’t into boats, so it’s just not our thing. People who don’t live here and some who do–think we’re crazy.
I lived north of Atlanta from age 7 to 12, Trudy. My cousins still live there and when we moved to AR, I thought my life was over until I met my husband. We lived 5 miles from Six Flags over GA and Stone Mountain. It was a small neighborhood where you didn’t go unless you lived there, so the kids could ride bikes and jump rope in the street. I still miss it. Even though none of my old friend or neighbors live on that street anymore. We’ve been back to visit three times since we moved. My cousins come here pretty often, but I still miss it.
Even though I’ve never lived near the ocean, Canada’s wild Pacific coast is like coming home to me every single time. We were able to visit twice in 2018, but may not make it at all in 2019. The Atlantic as seen in Florida (where we visited in June) is not the same thing a all!
Love the sound of your new series, Shannon!
I’ve lived in eleven states, and I enjoyed things about each one. I live in Arizona now, and I love it.
People sometimes think I’m from GA, especially if I’ve been around my cousins, cause I pick up their accents! I love it up there! We used to go to the little store to buy coke and peanuts. The lady that owned it always knew we were part of the family and that we visited from FL!! I spent a weekend in Atlanta with a group of friends from church. We went so we could go to the Braves games Friday night and Saturday!
My sister and I got to go on a trip out west with our parents. My favorite place as Sedona AZ. I would love to go back!
The pictures you post are so pretty, Valerie. You make me want to visit Canada.
The only thing I don’t enjoy about Arkansas and Texas is the heat. And Arkansas is SO humid. I think I could happily be a snowboard.
I love Georgia accents, Trudy. And I love to put peanuts in my coke. YUM!
I’d love to see the Grand Canyon, Sally. Texas is as west as I’ve been.
When I lived in WI I was always homesick for WV. I’m glad to be back here now for the past six years.
I’m glad you’re home, Lucy. My parents lived in MI, IL, and GA when I was growing up. They were always homesick for Arkansas where they grew up. We moved back when I was twelve.
The place that I never get tired of visiting and it always draws me in…my weekend getaway place is Carmel-by-the-Sea. I love this small ocean front town – so charming and smoothing :)
It sounds awesome, Natalya. I hope you get to visit soon and read lots of books while you’re there.