You Are There

I like to give readers a "you are there" sensation when they're reading my books. I want you to feel as if you've been dropped down in the middle of the action, and you can taste, touch, smell, and hear everything happening around you.

That's why I pick real places for most of my scenes. I scout locations like a film director, and I match the place to what's happening in the book. While I'm there, I capture what it feels like to be there -- all of the senses -- so I can pour it into the novel. I take pictures and video, and I record my impressions on a voice recorder.

This creepy road sign that Stride finds in THE COLD NOWHERE? It's a real sign in Duluth. (And no, I didn't bring any paint with me!)

The graffiti graveyard where much of the climax takes place? Yes, it's a real place, too. This is true of nearly all of my books. I make up the action, but usually, you can actually visit where the action takes place.

So readers will often ask: Where does this scene or that scene really take place? They like to "visit" my novels, either via Google Earth or by actually going to the areas where the books take place.

There's a very cool web site now called www.placingliterature.com. You can "map" scenes from novels, so visitors know exactly where different chapters take place. I'm the featured author this month, so I've been mapping out scenes from my novels. Go ahead and check it out -- and see where THE COLD NOWHERE and other books are set.

That road sign? The graffiti graveyard? You can click to see where they're really located.