Madison,
thanks for having me on your blog today.
How
did I pick the setting for Dark Descent?
That’s easy. When the idea for
Dark Descent first came to me, it was years ago and I was just learning the
craft. And, as a novice writer, one of the many pieces of advice I’d gotten was
“write what you know.” So, that’s what I did.
We
were living in the town of Tenaha, Texas at the time. It was a small town of
about 900 people. And while that may seem like a lot, I’d bet there were at
least 8-10 cows for each person. Everyone knew everyone else and usually their
business.
One
thing about Tenaha I loved (most of the time) was being able to walk into City
Hall and have the people there know who I was and be greeted by name. The town
had a grocery combination gas station/diner that actually left their outside
ice box open so if you needed ice when they were closed, you could just get it
and pay next time you were in the store.
That
small town feeling is what I’ve tried to bring to DryLake; which is a mixture
of several small towns around Tenaha. (I didn’t think the residents of Tenaha
would like a serial killer living among them, even if it was fiction.) People
in DryLake care about their neighbors, they trust each other. Sure, there are
spats, but bad things happen, they rally together and do their best to make it
better.
And
that’s what I love about DryLake, that’s what makes it unique.
Her short story collection, Six
Pack of Murder is available on Amazon.
She is president of the East Texas Writer’s Association.
During the tour, Jean will be
giving away at least three copies of Six Pack of Murder and three copies of the
soon to be released Dark Descent. Be sure to leave a comment along with your
email address to be entered in the drawing.
9 comments:
You already know that I love your thoughts on small towns--since I live in a dinky one myself. Good post!
Enjoyed your post. Small towns certainly have advantages that cities don't, and you can depend on neighbors to come to your rescue when you need them. But I'm grateful that I live within driving distance of the city. :)
Yes we who are now living in small towns (Village of Laughlin) do appreciate your insight which makes writing sound lots of fun. Thanks for posting.
I like Tenaha--I could live there--almost. Loved hearing about it, has a nice feel.
Madeline
Jean,
I love small towns and Dry Lake sounds like a great place for a mystery.
Thanks for having me today. I really do miss living in a small town. I think it would be cheaper too...walmart is so close I go all the time. Before, one trip and if I forgot something...too bad. :-)
I can see why a small town would make a great setting for a book. Enjoyed your post!
Marja McGraw
Small towns are great places to be. There is a comfort in knowing so many people.
Wendy
Small towns are always great for a setting. Good post!
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