H.C. Bentley's Blog, page 2
July 11, 2024
The Bedfords are now ALL on Hoopla!
Feel The Heat is now on Hoopla! This means that the ENTIRE collection of The Bedfords is available to check out! If your library uses Hoopla, you can check out these books (and many more) using your library card.
You can find Feel The Heat on Hoopla here: https://www.hoopladigital.com/artist/6293868546
(Print versions are also available for checkout at both Webster County Public Library and Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library. To purchase a copy, please visit my bookstore or stop in at Bobbie's Hallmark and Bookstore in Madisonville, Ky to purchase your copy.☺️)

July 2, 2024
Take Me Home, now on Hoopla!
It's official: Take Me Home is now available on Hoopla! If your library uses Hoopla, you can check out my books (and many more) using your library card! You can find it in my collection here:
https://www.hoopladigital.com/artist/6293868546
(Print versions are also available for checkout at both Webster County Public Library and Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library ☺️)

December 1, 2023
12 of My Go-To Christmas Movies
I love a good romance movie, but there's just something about adding the holiday element to them! I have several favorites I watch every single year (and they never get old) and each year I find a new one to add to my must-watch list. Here are my 8 go-to holiday romance movies (and some honorable mentions that are fun, too.)!
*All images, videos, and/or descriptions are the property of their respective platforms and are only provided here for informational purposes.
1. Holiday in the Wild - Netflix
To keep her spirits high when their son leaves for college, Manhattanite Kate Conrad (Kristin Davis) has booked a ‘second honeymoon’ with her husband. Instead of thanking her, he brings their relationship to a sudden end; jilted Kate proceeds to Africa for a solo safari. During a detour through Zambia, she helps her pilot, Derek Holliston (Rob Lowe), rescue an orphaned baby elephant. They nurse him back to health at a local elephant sanctuary, and Kate extends her stay through Christmas time. With new love on the horizon, will she return home or make her adventure last a lifetime?
2. The Holiday - Amazon
Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.
3. The Christmas Train - Hallmark
From Hallmark Hall of Fame, a journalist embarks on a cross-country train ride at Christmas having no idea this journey will take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart. Stars Dermot Mulroney, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Danny Glover, Joan Cusack. This is also available on DVD from Amazon.
4. Last Holiday - Hulu
The discovery that she has a terminal illness prompts introverted saleswoman Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) to reflect on what she realizes has been an overly cautious life. So Georgia withdraws her life savings and jets off to Europe where she lives like a millionaire. Upbeat and passionate, Georgia charms everybody she meets, including renowned Chef Didier (Gérard Depardieu). The only one missing from her new life is her longtime crush Sean Matthews (LL Cool J).
5. Operation: Christmas Drop - Netflix
While gathering evidence to support closing a tropical U.S. Air Force base, a by-the-book congressional aide warms to its big-hearted captain.
6. A Castle For Christmas - Netflix
Famed author, Sophie Brown (Brooke Shields), travels to Scotland hoping to buy a small castle of her own, but the prickly owner, Myles, the Duke of Dunbar (Cary Elwes), is reluctant to sell to a foreigner. Working to find a compromise, the pair constantly butt heads, but they just may find something more than they were expecting.
7. 12 Dates of Christmas - Hulu
Kate is a young woman who re-lives the same first date on Christmas Eve over and over again. In an attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend on Christmas Eve, Kate ends up ruining her blind date with Miles, a handsome guy she's been set up with. In a strange twist of fate, Kate is given the chance to re-live Christmas Eve twelve times!
8. Time For Me To Come Home For Christmas - Hallmark
Cara, meets with her banker while country star, Heath, plays a concert. When their flight to Tulsa is cancelled, this pair travels together to get home in time for the holidays. Stars Josh Henderson, Megan Park.
Honorable Mentions
(not necessarily holiday romances, but still fun to curl up with a
blanket and watch with an adult hot chocolate)
1. Christmas Chronicles - Netflix
The Christmas Chronicle tells the story of sister and brother, Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Judah Lewis), whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about. After staking out Santa’s arrival, they sneak into his sleigh, cause it to crash and nearly derail Christmas. As their wild night unfolds, Kate and Teddy work together with Santa - as you've never seen him before - and his loyal Elves to save Christmas before it's too late.
2. The Santa Clause series - Disney+
Divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) has custody of his son (Eric Lloyd) on Christmas Eve. After he accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, they are magically transported to the North Pole, where an elf explains that Scott must take Santa's place before the next Christmas arrives. Scott thinks he's dreaming, but over the next several months he gains weight and grows an inexplicably white beard. Maybe that night at the North Pole wasn't a dream after all -- and maybe Scott has a lot of work to do.
3. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - Amazon
Celebrity photographer Connor Mead loves freedom, fun and women…in that order. A committed bachelor who thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call, Connor's mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for his kid brother, Paul, and a houseful of well wishers on the eve of Paul's wedding. Just when it looks like Connor may single-handedly ruin the wedding, he is visited by the ghosts of his former jilted girlfriends, who take him on a revealing and hilarious odyssey through his failed relationships past, present and future. Together they attempt to find out what turned Connor into such an insensitive jerk and whether there is still hope for him to find true love…or if he really is the lost cause that everyone thinks he is.
4. The Christmas Cottage - Amazon
Based on the life and inspiration of artist Thomas Kinkade, The Christmas Cottage shows how he was motivated to begin his career after learning his mother’s home was in foreclosure.
Do you have a favorite Christmas movie you'd like to share? Drop the title in the comments (I'm always looking to add to the list)!
Happy Holidays!

July 21, 2023
My Top 3 Ways to Get Discounted (or Free) eBooks
Times are hard and it feels like everything is expensive. But that shouldn't keep you from getting new romance books for your TBR!
As a librarian, I'm a big advocate for supporting your local libraries. Many libraries (including my own) not only offer checkouts of physical materials with a library card in good standing, but they also partner with companies like Hoopla or Libby to allow patrons to check out electronic materials using their library cards.

But there's just something about owning a book, right? Well, let me take you through a list of five places where you can find tons of free or heavily discounted books that won't break the bank!
Book rec sitesThere are so many different book rec sites that you can visit to find free reads! Some of my favorites are Great Books, Great Deals and--maybe my top favorite-- Full Hearts Romance . Full Hearts shows deals and steals, as they call them, for everything from clean romance to super steamy. You can scroll through their main discounted page or go right to a list with your preferred heat level! Author newslettersSome people aren't big fans of newsletters. And I get it...who wants their inbox stuffed with newsletters all the time? But, here's the thing. Authors (like myself) do newsletter swaps where we offer our (usually free) books to the other author's list. I do a "New month, New Books for your TBR" newsletter once a month, which consists mainly of discounted or free titles. Oftentimes, there are small group promos in there, too. Which means you can find even more free reads! So, maybe create an email address just for newsletters so you don't miss a good freebie? :) Special PromotionsIf you follow many romance authors at all, you may see every so often that they are part of a promotion where they team up with other authors to offer a day of free books. One of these promotions (which I love participating in!) is the Romance Book Worms event. This special promotion only happens for one day, four times a year! To share it with their readers, participating authors blast it out on their social media and in their newsletters. There are literally hundreds of books in this promotion and they are all FREE (this last one had 1.3k books)! I try to join every time it's offered, so if you want to make sure you see it next time, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter or follow my social media so you can catch the event next time it's taking place!July 14, 2023
Mysteries in a Small Town with Lois Breedlove

Thanks for inviting me here! I’m Lois Breedlove and I write suspense of all kinds — both as Lois and as L.J. — much of which is set in small towns.No mystery why — I grew up on a cattle ranch outside a small town in Oregon. My first job aftercollege was in Sitka, Alaska as a newspaper reporter. From there I went to Payette, Idaho. Then to Canton, Texas, to start a newspaper for a family company. When I made the switch to higher education? You guessed it. Small towns. Moscow, Idaho. Ellensburg, Washington.And now that I write full-time, I’m living in another small town, Ashland, Oregon.I’ve lived and worked in big cities, and I love them too. But my heart is in small towns.And I love to use the towns I know best for the settings in my books: a mystery series in Talkeetna, Alaska, a historical mystery set in a small town newspaper in Texas in the 1980s. Andmost recently, a contemporary romances/romantic suspense series in Moscow, Idaho. (It’s rhymes by the way — Mosco. Moscow residents are kind of particular about that.)The series is called Second Chance Romances. It features four women friends who have each other’s backs as they face life’s challenges and still find the courage to take a risk on love again. Not that a HEA is going to be easy, you understand, but it’s at least possible with some help from your friends.
Why small towns? Because the town itself becomes a character. Small cafes run by the owner, coffee shops where they remember your order, interesting little shops. Yes, there’s a McDonalds out on the strip, but the heart of a small town is still on Main Street.And man, are those towns full of interesting characters! Quirky individuals — some you love, some you hate, but you know them all and they know you.

One of my favorite characters in the Second Chance Romances series is Marilee Dupont. She grew up on a ranch (ahem) and became a professor at the nearby university. (I write what I know, what can I say?) When her brother dies, she takes over the family ranch. And it isn’t easy.Now there’s a new banker in town....Marilee is wicked smart. She can dress up in heels and silk dresses to teach, and then go home and drive the old wheat truck if need be. Everyone knows her. She knows everyone. And she knows all the good gossip.“The feed store,” her friends agree knowingly. Marilee just laughs.“That’s how you know you’re from a small town,” Marilee’s attorney teases. “You don’t even protest that it’s no one’s business. You’re just grateful that people gossip so that you don’t have to repeat yourself.”“True,” she said and sighed. “Oh, Mark, things can get in such a tangle.”But she knows she’s never going to leave Dupont Ranch. And the banker, Trent Williams? He doesn’t plan to stay — not in a small town like this. Not when the big city is calling his name.And that’s the other thing about small towns. Some people stay. But they’re not for everyone.(At one point, Marilee rewrites the words to the old country western song Lucille to make it about a man who won’t stay, and a woman who can’t leave. She sings it at Pete’s, the local bar, when she and her banker are fighting. Because of course there’s a local bar. And you can find Marilee and her friends there on Friday nights. Probably half the town is there too. They were that night, and they’re still talking about it.)

So check it out: Second Chance Romances, wherever you buy your e-books. Full of strong women, the men who love them and the town they call home.It’s not the only small town I write about. You might try the crew in Talkeetna — a woman who came to Alaska to kill herself and finds a reason to live. A cop who’s running from his mixed Tlingit/white heritage. A pilot who can’t keep an office manager. A woman who drives an 18-
wheeler up the haul road to the oil fields. And all the other characters that populate small town Alaska. And if Marilee thinks her small town has characters? They’re nothing compared to those in Alaska. Trust me. I lived in both places. And there is no comparison.Now Texas? A booming small town in Texas that hires a Yankee woman to modernize the newspaper? It might have enough oddballs to even rival Alaska.And really, that’s why I write —to tell people’s stories. And in small towns, there are no anonymous people. I borrow liberally from the people I’ve known from my childhood on a ranch, to the towns where I was a reporter, to the universities I worked at.This summer I ventured out on a road trip with my dog Sam — a husky mix who is the best companion in the world. And we ended back in some of those small towns: Payette, Idaho, where I once ran a newspaper, the ranch I grew up on in Union, Oregon, and a host of places throughout eastern Oregon and Idaho. And I realized how much of who I am — as a person and as a writer — is rooted in these small rural towns.They still feel like home.And true story? When I left home for college, like a lot of kids I couldn’t wait to get away to a larger city. Two years after that my parents sold the ranch and moved away. I graduated from college, went to Alaska. In the ten years after graduation, I lived in over a dozen towns, spread across five states, from the West Coast to the East.But you could send a postcard to Lois Breedlove, Union, Oregon, and I would eventually get it. (People did, yes.) It had to be a postcard, I figured out, because the postmistress was nosy, and wanted to know what I was up to. And then she’d track down an address and forwarded it on. (She called my Mom once for an address and an update. I stopped by to say hello on a trip that took me through town — and she updated my forwarding address right then. I was sad when it finally stopped; I figure she must have finally retired.Small towns. Where everyone knows everyone and everyone’s business. Even when you’re gone.Lois Breedlove is a former journalist and journalism faculty member. In this new romance series, Second Chance Romances, she's writing about what she knows: Moscow, Idaho, and the Palouse. And universities.Mark Twain said university politics are so vicious because there is so little at stake.That's what he thinks. Welcome to a university where there's a lot at stake.
Lois Breedlove also writes suspense novels under L.J. Breedlove.Second Chance Romances by Lois Breedlove https://books2read.com/ap/8GkPeW/Lois-BreedloveAnd check out these small-town suspense series written under L.J. Breedlove: Talkeetna https://books2read.com/u/mvZJ92A Newspaper in Texas https://books2read.com/u/brWJR7Thanks for having me! If you’d like to learn more about my books, you can subscribe to my newsletters: Start with Love Notes if you like. There’s a free short story about the four women who are ready for a second chance at love. https://bf.ljbreedlove.com/h9k8vz4272
July 7, 2023
A Plane Ticket to Anywhere
I love to travel. I love seeing other places, experiencing their culture, trying their food, learning their history. I did a lot of this when I was stationed overseas. When we knew there was a four-day weekend coming up, our little group of friends would get together, decide on a place, and put in our leave requests. I got to see a lot of places this way.
Now, it seems, my oldest daughter has inherited her mother's travel bug.

Back in May, she did a tour with the college humanities class and she went to two places I really wanted to visit (but didn't get to) during my time overseas: Italy and Greece. She was gone for about two weeks and tortured her poor mama with pictures (okay, I loved but still. Way to rub it in!). She had a great time and came back exhausted but full of stories. And I haven't even seen all the pictures yet (two months later)!
Speaking of pictures, she's allowed me to share some of them with you! I think this first one is my favorite out of this batch she's sent me!
[image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error]If you've enjoyed these pics, let me know in the comments which one was your favorite! and be sure to give my girl some love over on Instagram! :)

June 22, 2023
Well, Butter My Butt and Call Me a Biscuit
Don't you just love Southern sayings? lol. I felt this one was appropriate, considering this week's topic.
If you've ever read any of my books, you may have noticed several things that appear on a regular basis. Small-town settings (obviously). Cinnamon roll heroes. Sassy heroines. Muscle cars. And the fact that my characters really enjoy their food and drink.

It's a big part of Southern culture, the bonding over food. Sunday dinners at Grandmas's house. Church picnics. Potlucks. Funeral receptions. There's food everywhere you turn. And, because I'm a Southern girl myself, naturally food and drink find their way into my books on a regular basis.
In my Small Town Hearts series, there's Kari's Cafe. It's a central part of the community and a common place for the girls (and sometimes their guys) to meet up for lunch. (Fun fact, this restaurant was based on a small cafe here in my town. The food there is SO good!). And Lynn, Kari and Bethany love their wine, as they often relax together with a glass of it after a hard day. The guys tend to stick to beer.
With The Bedfords, Grace's house is the place to be if you want to be well-fed. Her sons, Colt and Clay, often drop by to (as their sister, Charlotte, says) mooch breakfast, because they know their mama will make sure they get biscuits and gravy, eggs, and a chunk of country ham. And because she loves having her family all together under one roof, Grace hosts family dinner once every week or so with the help of her mother-in-law, Ann. With all of her kids now paired up and grandkids at the table, Grace needs the extra set of hands to help in the kitchen to feed the crowd! And, like the ladies of Small Town Hearts, Grace and the girls like to relax with wine at the end of the evening while her husband, Ray, and the guys indulge in a beer (or sometimes a little moonshine. They are, after all, in Gatlinburg TN!).
At this point, I feel like food and drink are characters of their own in my books. Characters that add a little something extra to the stories. Characters that bring my actual characters together. And I like that. :)
What about you? Do you like seeing the use of food and drink in stories? Let me know in the comments! I look forward to hearing from you.

June 16, 2023
The Long and Winding Dream of Writing with Isabelle Grace

For as long as I can remember, writing has been something I’ve always loved to do. Over the years, I’ve dabbled in a few different areas—poetry, a weekly column about my high school football team for the local newspaper, grants, educational curriculum, individual education plans, and a few other odds and ends. Although most of my writing was done as a high school educator, my passion has always been for contemporary romance fiction.
Until a few years ago, I had about fifteen works in progress (WIP). Self-doubt, boredom, life’s interruptions, and newer, fresher ideas had me stopping mid-way through each of them. I’d either start something new, or if there were too many extraneous demands on my time, I’d just stop writing for a while. There just didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to work an often more than full-time job, care for my home and family, and have enough brain power to write (even if I could squeeze in an hour here and there to do so).
Then one day several years ago, I decided to get serious. I had a WIP that I wanted to make into a series about four brothers. So, I found Jack right where I left him on my computer, did a few hundred rewrites, and determinedly finished his book. And for the first time EVER, I decided to let someone read one of my “stories.”
But who?
Ironically, there was only one person I considered—one of my former teachers who was now my colleague, dear friend, and a voracious reader. To say I was nervous when I approached her about reading my work would be a gross understatement. Yet, she was eager and willing. Still, I made her promise to be brutally honest with me, no holds barred. She agreed with a smile.
Handing over my manuscript was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Waiting on her review was a very close second. Long story short, she loved it, assured me she thought my work was as good as any of the published romances she’d read, and told me to get to work on the other three brothers’ stories.
Which I did. But like so many hopeful romance writers, my dream was to write for Harlequin, the flagship of romance books everywhere. Of course, that was much easier said than done as I’m sure many fellow writers can attest. Still, along with likely millions, I tried. And as you’ve probably guessed, a full manuscript was never requested.
Sure, I was discouraged, but I didn’t give up on my dream. Lucky for me, I connected with a fantastic small group of fellow romance writers on Facebook. These ladies have been and continue to be the best voices of reason, shoulders to cry on, motivators, cheerleaders, and inspirational humans I’ve ever connected
with as individuals or as a whole. Together, we keep each other on track, pick each other up when we falter, commiserate about shared fears, doubts, and anxieties, and provide validation for doing the best we can each and every day.
And through this group of fabulous women, I realized my dream of becoming a published author
when several of us put together a collection of winter/holiday-themed novellas where all proceeds went to charity. That was in 2020 when the world came to an abrupt standstill thanks to the coronavirus. Although a daunting and scary time, some good things did arise from the “new normal” we were forced to embrace.
With more time on my hands, I joined another collection of novellas with my author friends, independently published the first book in my series, and prepped the others for release. By May 2022, three of the four novels had been released, and I’d also dipped my toe into the Kindle Vella pool.
As I entered into final edits for book four, I received an email from a managing editor of an actual publisher. She’d read book three (inhaled it, I believe was the word she used, causing me to squeal with joy…and a bit of disbelief) and invited me to talk with her and the publishers about coming on board.
Of course, I did. Liking what I was told, I signed on, rebranded the three published books, and significantly revised the fourth. October 2022, January and March 2023 saw the release of A Baby Changes Everything, A Proposal Changes Everything, and A Summer Changes Everything respectively. And on June 21st, the fourth installment, A Wedding Changes Everything will join the series in the literary world. Since this is the first time it’s ever been in print, I’m really anxious to see how it does.
Meanwhile, as I enjoy my second year of retirement from public education (teaching in a pandemic? NO JOKE), I’m in the process of expanding Hickory Ridge, the fictional area in northern Virginia’s section of the mighty Blue Ridge Mountains—a place I admit is loosely based on where I actually live. I’m also enjoying spending more time with family and friends while I once again try to adapt to another new “normal.”
Had someone looked into their crystal ball in January 2020 and told me I’d be on the cusp of releasing the fourth book in what is now the Hickory Ridge Series, I probably would have collapsed into a fit of laughter. But as I look at copies of my books on the bookshelf and send off the dedication and acknowledgments to the author liaison/social media manager for A Wedding Changes Everything, I am pleasantly and overwhelmingly surprised.
And so very thankful.
As one saying goes, you have to believe it to achieve it. Which, of course, is true. But I think a better saying is: teamwork makes the dream work. At least, for me, it does.
June 2, 2023
One Author, Well-done Please
It's summer, which means grilling season. Which is great, because it means winter is in the rearview mirror (hallelujah!). But the only thing getting overcooked around the Bentley house is me. And I don't mean a sunburn (though, let's face it, as a redhead that's a fair assumption).

I'm talking about burnout. And I think I finally figured out the root cause of why I burn out as easily as I seem to do. It's only taken me seven years or so, but better late than never, right? Here it is, in a nutshell:
I'm trying to be a full-time author with part-time availability.
Don't ask me how this term came to me, but it did. One day, out of the blue, as I was trying to figure out (again) how I was going to get it all done, this realization hit me. And it's stuck with me, which tells me I should pay attention.
For those who aren't familiar with me, let me fill you in a little here. I work full-time at the main branch of my county's public library. I'm responsible for cataloging (labeling and entering all items for circulation into our system). This is in addition to being responsible for coordinating interlibrary loans and courier items, managing/scheduling our social media, and handling our newsletter. I also create and run several programs throughout the year, and do builds for programming decoration (think prop creation-type stuff in movies on a really small scale. lol). Oh, and the college classes I have to take for certification (I'm too old for homework!!). Needless to say, I stay pretty busy in my day job.
Then there's the home stuff. Husband, kids, grocery shopping, meals, appointments, and so on. Plus whatever crisis of the week pops up and has to be handled. It's a lot. And when I do take time to do what I want (hobbies, television, and so on), the infamous guilt creeps and I wind up working while trying to do those things.
To say I get burned out easily tends to be an understatement. I rely heavily on coffee to get me through a lot of days. I would love to hire a full-time assistant but, as we all know, times are tough and bills have to get paid. So, I did what my little list-loving self does:
I made a list of everything I absolutely needed to do each week.
Not what I want to do, or what other authors are doing, but what I had to get done. Things like booking promotions or doing newsletters, or-you know-actually writing. The essentials. Then I charted out my time, blocked off when I am absolutely not available, and worked with the time I had left (including a block to get things done that I may have forgotten to list). And, I'm happy to note, that I blocked off time for me. Time when I'm not required to do anything but what I want to do. Watch a movie, read a book, do some crafts. Sleep!
It's early days yet with this chart. I'm hoping it will get me into a better routine and into a place where I enjoy the creation of stories again. Because it's become more work and I miss the fun of it! The thrill of knowing you're creating a new world and the characters that live in it. The absolute elation of releasing that book out into the world. I know it's a lot of pressure to put on one little chart, but I think it can handle it.
After all, my little list-loving heart laminated it and everything. ;)

May 26, 2023
Writing Chat with J.L. Baldwin

Hello!
I’m J.L. Baldwin and I’m happy to be here. H.C. Bentley has graciously allowed me to pop in here and talk about myself for just a little bit. Well, I don’t actually like talking about myself, so how about I talk about my writing instead?
I write contemporary romance and romantic suspense. My first book came out in 2015, and even though it’s no longer available online, I still feel very strongly about that book and what it started for me. From the time I was young, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I also wanted to be an astronaut, but that required way too much math. Haha! I’ve always loved storytelling and losing myself in a great book, and I know that’s where my love of writing came from. I wrote my very first short story when I was eleven or twelve, and I knew in my heart that was going to set the stage for how my future was going to be.
One of my favorite things about writing is being able to create characters and worlds and having the ability to literally create something out of thin air has always been very appealing for me. I don’t do it for the reviews or the money, I do it because I love it. And I think that’s how all writers should be, right?
Believe me, being a published author is the best thing ever. It’s the first thing I think about as soon as I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep at night. To say it has taken over my life is a huge understatement. In a way, that’s good. But that is also bad. Where it is bad, has caused severe burnout and anxiety. So, to anybody out there who has thought about writing a book or has written a book, don’t be like me. Don’t let it consume your every waking minute because it can cause anxiety and worst of all, burnout.
But enough with the heavy! I’m here to talk about good and happy things. Positive vibes, and all that!
Let’s talk about world building and character development because those are two things that I actually struggle with. I tend to use real cities but create fake businesses within them, and my characters range from anywhere. I’ve used real people as inspiration, even though I tend not to do that anymore. It just gets complicated with mixing that real person with the fictional person.
I have books I want to write where the main focus of the story is based in a certain town or location, usually local to me so I can get a feel for that town. For example, Racing Christmas is based out of eastern Tennessee. I drove through there last year and was immersed in that world again because it’s what I created in that book. It felt so good to drive through a place I had only written about.
Having good characters and a good fictional world makes all the difference in the story. At least it does in my opinion. I’m always learning about different elements of writing, and I love sharing what I have learned with everyone on my social media channels.
You can find me on all the socials under @authorjlbaldwin
Thanks for having me! It was so much fun!