Setting is the element that starts off each of my stories. It grounds my characters, my scenes and my emotional output. Most often I use a Nova Scotian setting, one that I can visit over and over in the course of writing my manuscript. I love to simply walk around the area absorbing the atmosphere and the natural colors, letting my imagination roam.
The Eastern Shore region formed the basis for Means To An End. The area’s rugged coastal coves and inlets provided the perfect opportunity for a story about drug smuggling. The love story is between a heroine who believes her dreams of love died in a car crash and an undercover Mountie. His sole goal in life is to put a stop to the illegal drug trade, making love a complication he doesn’t need.
Undercover Trouble’s setting was a lake, and what else can more adequately portray isolation of a hero and heroine forced to rely on each other in time of need?
Once again the coast of Nova Scotia plays a prime role in A Spirited Liaison. Tales of ghosts and shipwrecks naturally abound in this area of the province, making my story more believable and easy to write.
Something About That Lady takes place in the Canadian Rockies. That area’s natural splendor provides romance without the characters being involved. Add a stubborn rancher and a feisty heroine and the story flows.
Alaska’s wildness, mystery and native culture is unsurpassed in conjuring up a romance between two lost souls in Alaskan Magic who, though time has moved on, manage to find love and a new life.
Next time you read or write a novel, take the time to absorb the setting for a truly great adventure. Carol McPhee
http://www.geocities.com/carolmcphee2003
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