You often hear the words in the above title used by realtors to refer to the importance of where a property is when handling its sale. And I have to agree that location, or setting as writers call it, is an important part of writing a novel.
I am often asked where I get my ideas for the settings of my stories and books. I think every author gets this question at one time or another. My response depends on what book they are asking about. The choice could have been caused by something someone said, an event or even just creative musings. But yes, there are “things” that can spark the idea for a novel setting and Secrets at the Spa, Book 4 in the Lamb’s Bay Mysteries, had an interesting beginning.
But first, where did my other settings come from?
Book 1 Peril at The Point came from my fascination with lighthouses, rocky shorelines and the sea.
Book 2 Malice at the Mansion was spawned by my love of old mansions. So many have ended up being torn down or repurposed. I love imagining the kind of life these places have seen and what crimes might have been committed there.
Book 3 Criminals at Christmas – what can I say – it’s Christmas and there just has to be a town festival with a parade. People are dressed up in costumes so how can you tell who the bad guys are? And can the crimes be solved in time for Christmas?
By the way, Criminals at Christmas was cited in the Contemporary series category in this recent article from Mystery and Suspense Magazine. (Christmas Mysteries | Mystery and Suspense Magazine)
Now back to Book 4, Secrets at the Spa. The choice of location is kind of obvious to those who know me and how much I enjoy a good spa outing. I have a friend, another writer, with whom I share these spa visits. Of course, in 2020, this was out of the question and we probably won’t be able to indulge in 2021.
On one of our trips to a nearby day spa in 2019, we were sitting in the steam room whispering about books we were working on when we suddenly realized a spa would be an interesting setting for a murder. I think my friend mentioned vampires. I thought about my Lamb’s Bay characters.
So now you know why Book 4 starts off with Hilly and Vesta getting a free pass for a weekend visit to a new spa. Sounds great! But when Hilly and Vesta are around, murder and mystery are bound to be involved. And so, it is with this book.
I am happy to say the final editing is going well and I hope to publish it shortly. You will find it on amazon soon.
If you haven’t read the other three books in the series yet, you will also find them on amazon in Kindle and paperback formats. https://www.amazon.ca/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B089XCPQ43?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000
To get you started, here’s a link to a free preview of Book 1, Peril at the Point.
Enjoy!
