Whee! Today is release day for my first Carina Press release, DEMON'S DANCE. Here's the blurb:
Desire roused the demon within him...
Wanting to live freely as a human, half-incubus Tristan flees the Wardens. Broke and starving, he accepts Cory's offer of a paid photo shoot, never dreaming he'd find a man with whom he could be aroused and erotic in his own body without having to submit to his demonic half.
Psychically sensitive Cory didn't meet Tristan by accident; he volunteered to find the beautiful, exotic man for his patron. Cory had never before been able to touch a man without discomfort and soon can't stop, but the hotter the sex gets, the more he can sense the darkness Tristan is trying desperately to escape.
Cory will do anything to keep Tristan safe, even if it means going against both his patron and the Wardens. Cory must learn how to soothe the demon—and to love the man within.
One of the things I've discovered about writing is how important setting can be. The location can add all sorts of fun complications to the plot (like if your hero takes the subway in the wrong direction during an emergency, or a hurricane bears down on the tropical isle he's vacationing on) or it can add to the mood of the story.
The location for this series is San Diego. I lived there for several years and loved it, and one of the activities I enjoyed most was playing outdoors at the beaches (Coronado beach behind the Hotel del Coronado was my favorite) or visiting some of the state parks, such as Cabrillo National Monument.
You've probably heard of Torrey Pines with regards to the famous golf course, but there is also the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. It's a gorgeous place, quiet, peaceful, stunning views and several hiking trails, one of which takes you all the way down the cliffs to the beach. It's a rather fantastical place to set a few scenes of a paranormal romance novel.
Here's one of the namesake Torrey Pines. Looks a bit like a large bonsai tree, but these are special pines that only grow in a couple of places because of the particular climate they need.
And here's the rock where my protagonists--well, I'm sure you can guess what they might get up to when they find themselves alone on a gorgeous beach. . .
And here's the view from the top of the cliffs. How could one not be inspired by such an awesome view?
So now I'm curious--I've shown you one of the places that inspired me. What locations, real or not, have you put in your books, and why? Or what setting have you read about that you will always remember?
Thanks for the lovely pictures! I choose location according to what I know, and places I'd like to know. :0)
ReplyDeleteI like making up locations for books. My WIP is set on a fictional island near Tahiti, although part of the action takes place in Papeete, which I've visited. I find it easier to write about fictional places. When writing about a real place, I get bogged down with getting details like street names etc right. And real places are always changing, roads being closed etc. My fictional places remain the same. They're very obedient. :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures! I love using things I've seen before to recreate a mood I'm looking for. I used the beach across the street from my grandmothers house in New England as one of the settings for my upcoming Carina steampunk romance. I love New England around Halloween time, short of Transylvania, I can't think of a more perfect paranormal setting!
ReplyDeleteFantastic photos. I love the torrey pine. Sometimes I think setting is like another character in the cast. It's that important to the dynamics of the story.
ReplyDeleteBut mostly I want to shout out, "Congratulations!!!" Your first Carina Press release :)
Barbara--you're welcome! Makes sense to write what you know or what you're interested in.
ReplyDeleteJanni--definitely a good reason to use fictional settings, which is what I do when I write fantasy, though I love San Diego so much I just had to use it this time.
Christine--Oooh, New England at Halloween would be very paranormal indeed. Sounds cool.
Jenny--Thank you! I'm excited to be part of Carina, and definitely, setting can be a character in the story.
Wonderful photos. What an inspirational location! And the excerpt sounds HOT!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your book release!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pics! A lot of my stories are set in Scotland, and the beautiful scenery, dramatic landscapes, rugged shores, dark lochs, and medieval castles always inspire me.
Congrats on the new release! Awesome photos.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos. I want to go to San Diego now. Like today now. LOL
ReplyDeleteA lot of my stories are set in places where I've lived. My YA novels (under a different name) are set in the town I live now (small enough to feel "average" but big enough to have a lot of options of things to do and places to get in trouble) and Purdue where I went to college. My Blood Kissed series is set in the Detroit area where I grew up. I love to write about the area because there is so much variety so close together: the harsh grittiness of Detroit and an hour away you have farmland.
My upcoming steampunk is set (mainly) in the west before there were any hints of taming it. Whenever I've been out there, the beautiful, stark solitude has always hit me and I felt it really fit the atmosphere I wanted to create.
As for places I haven't used yet... I went to Italy in the fall and I'm still trying to work out a story that fits over there, and I'm (hopefully) going to Scotland with a girlfriend this summer.
And I talk to much. I'm going to go daydream about exotic locales now.
Love the pics. I like setting stories in places I've been as much as I like making up settings. It's been a boon that my mom has moved around on the West Coast. I'm on the East Coast, and I use excuses to visit as research for my books. I now have a few set in Oregon and Washington. :) And I've never forgotten my trip abroad to Europe. Someday I'm doing to write a story set in Bavaria.
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