There's a Reason I Write Small Town Books
My current books are set outside Fort Worth. I love Fort Worth like I love chocolate martinis, pumpkin spice lattes and long, slow kisses with my hubby. But Fort Worth isn't small town. And even the used-to-be small towns around Fort Worth aren't small towns any more. So it's a good thing I grew up in a small town.
I loved a lot of places as a little because my dad was military. I don't remember all of those places but round about Bald Knob, Arkansas, I do. I loved Bald Knob, but it's not why I know small towns. Tecumseh, Oklahoma made a huge impact on me since I spent summers with my grandma there. BUT the reason I know and love small towns in Texas is because when I was nine, my dad got stationed at Sheppard AFB and we moved to Burkburnett.
Burk is everything great about a small town. It used to have a thriving downtown, and they're working on that again. It definitely had its hometown places to shop. Life centered around school and church. We could walk barefoot down the street to the corner store for candy and Icees. That store closed, sad day, but there are others.
When we were out and about playing in the park we knew ALL the parents on the block were our parents and if we crossed the line....OMG, we were in so much trouble.
It's funny because I couldn't wait to leave Burk at 18. Now I miss it.
If you ever get the chance to visit, do. It's just south of Oklahoma on I-44. The people are nice, the food is great and there's a casino right across the river. If you come in October, you might catch Friendship Days in the park. On Friday nights in the fall you can watch the football team play, but the real reason you'll go to the games is to see the renowned drill team, The Boomtown Babes. Not that the football team is bad, but football is the second favorite sport in town. Burk basketball is the big game. Has been as long as I can remember. Softball might be second.
I think the Sweet Shop has closed, which is really too bad, but you can go to the Mexican restaurant that used to be Dairy Queen or you can stop by The Feed Lot for the best chicken fried steak ever. OR if you just want something quick, grab a burger at Whataburger. I worked there for a short time. It snowed twelve inches on a SPRING BREAK night and my dad had to come dig my car out for me to get home. It rarely snows like that, and definitely not that late in the year, but Burk is North Texas, and the thing about North Texas is the weather can change on a dime.
Speaking of weather, even though it's smack dab in the middle of tornado alley, Burk doesn't have tornadoes. It was blessed by a Chief. I heard Quanah Parker growing up, but I don't know. There was a tornado warning this year, but the funnel didn't touch ground in town.
I love small towns because I lived small towns. I guess that's what you call blessed. <3
Speaking of small towns, Texas Gold is free right now-Thursday on kindle (Book title is a link that will take you to the kindle page). The book is set in Serendipity, Texas. It's a billionaire meets small town girl story, and it makes me happy. One day I'll go back to Serendipity and write more books. I'm finishing the Caldale/Fort Worth It Started in Texas books with the current WIP, so that might be next. We'll see.
I loved a lot of places as a little because my dad was military. I don't remember all of those places but round about Bald Knob, Arkansas, I do. I loved Bald Knob, but it's not why I know small towns. Tecumseh, Oklahoma made a huge impact on me since I spent summers with my grandma there. BUT the reason I know and love small towns in Texas is because when I was nine, my dad got stationed at Sheppard AFB and we moved to Burkburnett.
Burk is everything great about a small town. It used to have a thriving downtown, and they're working on that again. It definitely had its hometown places to shop. Life centered around school and church. We could walk barefoot down the street to the corner store for candy and Icees. That store closed, sad day, but there are others.When we were out and about playing in the park we knew ALL the parents on the block were our parents and if we crossed the line....OMG, we were in so much trouble.
It's funny because I couldn't wait to leave Burk at 18. Now I miss it.
If you ever get the chance to visit, do. It's just south of Oklahoma on I-44. The people are nice, the food is great and there's a casino right across the river. If you come in October, you might catch Friendship Days in the park. On Friday nights in the fall you can watch the football team play, but the real reason you'll go to the games is to see the renowned drill team, The Boomtown Babes. Not that the football team is bad, but football is the second favorite sport in town. Burk basketball is the big game. Has been as long as I can remember. Softball might be second.
I think the Sweet Shop has closed, which is really too bad, but you can go to the Mexican restaurant that used to be Dairy Queen or you can stop by The Feed Lot for the best chicken fried steak ever. OR if you just want something quick, grab a burger at Whataburger. I worked there for a short time. It snowed twelve inches on a SPRING BREAK night and my dad had to come dig my car out for me to get home. It rarely snows like that, and definitely not that late in the year, but Burk is North Texas, and the thing about North Texas is the weather can change on a dime.
Speaking of weather, even though it's smack dab in the middle of tornado alley, Burk doesn't have tornadoes. It was blessed by a Chief. I heard Quanah Parker growing up, but I don't know. There was a tornado warning this year, but the funnel didn't touch ground in town.
I love small towns because I lived small towns. I guess that's what you call blessed. <3
Speaking of small towns, Texas Gold is free right now-Thursday on kindle (Book title is a link that will take you to the kindle page). The book is set in Serendipity, Texas. It's a billionaire meets small town girl story, and it makes me happy. One day I'll go back to Serendipity and write more books. I'm finishing the Caldale/Fort Worth It Started in Texas books with the current WIP, so that might be next. We'll see.
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