Today, Carole Brown talks about the benefits of travel to a writer,
giving examples of how it has helped her in many books. She and her husband live in SE Ohio, but they have traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and some outside our country. She uses places they have visited as settings for her stories and then weaves suspense, romance and whimsy into tough topics.
We’ve led an adventurous life, traveling, ministering and exploring throughout the United States, in fact around two-thirds or more of the states. We’ve visited many sights, historical and fun things. Our boys–by the time they were ten or so–had seen more sights than most folks do their entire life.
So our multiple traveling not only yielded us unique and wonderful experiences to fill our journals and scrap book pages, but gives me an opportunity to create settings that are real and lively because of the actual connectivity I have with so much of the United States. Here’s a few examples:
- Tennessee has been a favorite through the years, filling our boys (and us!) with laughter, relaxation, exploration hours of wonder from spotting heart shaped stones in the streams to sighting wild animals to the majesty of the beautiful mountains. It gave us all a love of the state. Maybe that’s why I decided what better state to use as the setting for the first book in my Alex and Denton Mystery series–Hog Insane? After all, everyone loves to visit Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge!
- Another state we’ve really fallen for is New Mexico. The Native Americans–Navaho–won our hearts and love when we met and mingled with so many of them. White Sands was a fun experience and the Carlsbad Caverns an excellent part of the state parks. So when the Dentons (from my books–what else?) headed on another vacation area, New Mexico was the logical setting choice, especially with bats filling the pages with their presence in Bat Crazy.
- The third book–releasing late 2017–is set in Colorado, a beautiful and majestic state. Moving on, I want to mention that living close to the West Virginia border, we’ve found ourselves traveling through and to many locations within its borders. Many of our friends hale from this mountainous state, and it was nice to be able to set a series and a stand alone novel here: The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman and the Appleton, WV Romantic mysteries (Sabotaged Christmas, Knight in Shining Apron, and Undiscovered Treasures). Filled with woods and country, it was the perfect place for Caralynne and her storybook character friends.
- In the Appleton series, I created an imaginary town that resembles many real life country towns. Homey and friendly, gossipy and jealous people, sincere and hard working friends, families and neighbors. Good cooks.
- Criss-crossing the state, we’ve seen the streams similar to what Caralynne and her daughters waded in. Deep woods where a cult could hide their activities.
- Then in the Appleton series, we see loyal friends that love and cherish friendships, great cooks, and faith-filled church attendees. People who love God but need to ask for help when doubts and confusion, fear and trouble hound them. People who don’t give up. People who strive for the right. That’s what the state represents to me as an author. What other states do I have in mind for up and coming novels? Besides Colorado, perhaps one in New York state. Another set out west, Kentucky and maybe, just maybe the Midwest–Arkansas? Or Missouri. We’ll see as the time draws closer. Has traveling helped me as a writer–an author. Definitely. I’ve loved the sights we’ve seen, from a magnificent meteor shower in Arizona, to the fields we sat in with a witch doctor’s wife shucking corn, from the big black berries in Washington state we picked and the Mount Helen’s Volcano to Charleston, South Carolina and it’s southern gentleness and attitude. It’s been quite a journey traveling so much through our married life. Was it worth it–the weariness and hours we spent snoozing in the car? The countless hours we spent waiting on a wrecker when the vehicle developed a problem? Oh, yeah. We count it all as experiences that give us memories we can cherish. And, of course, it’s given me tons of help as a writer when it comes to research! Ask me some kind of technical question, and I probably won’t know the answer. Ask me where the Grey Hound Dog Museum is, where the cavern is with the huge lake underground and blind fish are, and I’ll smile and give you the answer. Wanna know where the cutest statue monkey is, and I can tell you. Want me to explain about the under water road tunnel in Alabama or what Pilot Mountain is? Uh, huh, ask me. Am I bragging? Not at all. I’m just stating the obvious. Traveling is good for authors. Mentally, physically and…well, as an author! Happy traveling…and writing,
Here’s a blurb on her latest novel,
Caroline Gibson is co-owner of Undiscovered Treasures, a shop of 
antiques, collectibles, and junk in rural West Virginia. Inside the shop is a music box that Caroline particularly relates to, believing that her own life is similar: forever spinning and never going anywhere.
She dreams and prays for the right man to turn up. But when family and friends hint that the local artist could be the guy, Caroline forgets about trusting God and takes matters into her own hands.
Besides, she could never love a man who paints such depressing pictures.
Andrew Carrington, painter of said depressing pictures, insists there’s always one redeeming trait to each of his works.
He’s loved Caroline since they were kids and thinks he’s not handsome enough, strong enough, or rich enough to impress this woman. But when God—or is it?—suddenly sends contracts begging for his signature, Andy thinks this just might be the way to win the only woman he can ever love.
But there’s a hitch in their plans. Someone is stealing Andy’s pictures, and why would they do that when he’s an unknown–so far? Do they know something Caroline and Andy don’t know? Is it mischief? Or something deeper that neither understand? Andy gets the chance to work with Caroline, and she must put aside her on-going battle to avoid Andy and his art so they can discover the art thief in Appleton before Andy loses the chance of a life time to ‘make it big.’
Link to Undiscovered Treasures on Amazon.
You can find out more about Carole and her books by visiting her blog at: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/
Her author page on Amazon is: http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1427898838&sr=8-1
Thanks for the comments! The gator incidents are great ideas for books! 🙂 ) Thanks for allowing me to visit, James.
Thanks, Lesley, for your comment. A year ago, a man working for us said he saw a gator in the small lake on our property. When the kids brought our grandkids out, I told the parents of what the man said. (I’ve never seen one there.) But I wanted the parents to know. They told their kids, who immediately ran down to the lake. In fact, they were down there at 10 o’clock at night, hoping to see one. They didn’t. But it was a day without game boys and other electronic games. No gator showed up. Thanks goodness. And thanks, Lesley, for your comment.
Like you, Carole, I always like to make an geographical location and the people I meet there part of my writing. My favorite location now is rural Florida. There’s nothing like a gator in your swimming pool to get the creative juices flowing! I lied in New Mexico for about three years, but I’ve yet to use it in my writing. My husband who is also a writer has a series of short stories featuring an Apache detective set there. I wish he’d get busy and publish them.