Location, Location, Location (And a Fun Giveaway!)-by Nancy Fraser

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Location, Location, Location

Nancy Fraser

As dedicated as most authors are to the authenticity of our characters, their professions, and the historical details of the time period we’ve chosen, we get a small amount of latitude from… you guessed it… our latitude and longitude! Our location, to be exact.

While some authors choose to set their stories in real-life towns with the location’s history already built in, a good majority of western romance authors create their own small pieces of eventual paradise. I say “eventual” because it’s not uncommon for one or both of our main characters to be thrust into a place or situation not of their choosing.

As an author with over sixty sweet, western romances under my belt, I’ve gone in both directions. The three books I wrote for the popular Christmas Quilt series were all set in the real town of Castle Rock, Oregon. I chose Castle Rock because of it’s interesting history. From the early Native American Yakima tribe who drove their horses across the Columbia River, to the thirteen-family wagon train campsite in 1847 who were subject to a livestock stampede initiated by a number of tribes from the surrounding area, the early going was difficult.

Eventually though, Castle Rock was settled. By 1881 they had a train station, a steamboat landing, warehouses for wheat and wool, and a general store. They got their first post office in 1883 (a fact I used when I made my heroine’s father the postmaster). And, while some dreamed of leaving Castle Rock for bigger and better things, that didn’t always happen. My heroines, Audrey, Sarah, and Raine, were destined to find their HEA so I’ve bundled all three stories into A Castle Rock Christmas and the ladies seem right at home.

While bringing history to life is a worthy endeavor, creating a fictitious town is also a lot of fun. In one of my earliest sweet western historical romances, A Christmas Baby for Beatrice, I created White Mountain, Washington. Designed as a somewhat remote location, my hero’s home sat on the side of a mountain, surrounded by trees. Given my hero is an author and a professor of horticulture with his own university-funded greenhouse, the location made sense… even to a city girl like my widowed heroine.

All these exciting locations (real and made up) aside, I’m about to embark on my biggest location challenge. On September 25, I’ll release Agnes: Cape Breton Highland Bride. Set in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia in the early 1900s, it’s part of the National Park Brides series that began a couple of years ago and is still going strong today with it’s third set of books scheduled for this fall.

It’s not just the location that’s going to be a challenge. I’ve been to Cape Breton Highlands National Park a number of times. The story I’m planning is a homage to my late mother-in-law and father-in-law. It’s their love story and, while I may bend a few of the details to fit the book, the locations and romance are all true. I’m excited and nervous in equal measure.

However, before I get myself off to Cape Breton, I still have to deal with one of my favorite twice-used locations, the fictitious town of Santa Rosa, Montana. My latest release, Their Marriage Bargain, is the second book set in the small town not far from Bozeman.

Their Marriage Bargain

Julia Wilson is tired of life in Baltimore, and of her mother’s incessant attempts to marry her off despite having a career of her own. When the opportunity to travel to Montana and work with her doctor cousin presents itself, she jumps at the chance.

Lucas Palmer is the sheriff of Santa Rosa, Montana, a growing town surrounded by large cattle ranches and mining concerns. He’s also a recently jilted groom, his intended shunning the cold winters of Montana in favor of the warmer western coastline. Determined to remain single rather than face another failure, he must delicately sidestep the young women looking to snag a husband.

When Julia arrives, it’s attraction at first sight for both her and the handsome lawman. Yet, she’s determined to settle in with her new job and new home before she even entertains being courted. Frustrated by the unwanted advances of the town’s men, she’s at her wits end when Lucas suggests they strike a bargain.

A pre-marriage, engagement bargain. While they’re both immediately taken off the market, their ruse is anything but convenient with each passing day making them long for a real arrangement, rather than make believe.

Which one will crack first and admit their feelings? Or are they destined to suffer in companionable silence?

You can find Julia’s and Lucas’s adventure on Kindle Unlimited HERE.

GIVEAWAY

I’d love to hear from the followers of Petticoats & Pistols. Do you have a favorite book location? It can be either real or a figment of the author’s imagination. Did they sell their make-believe town so well, that you fell in love?

For all those who comment, I’ll be giving away a few prizes as follows:

Two e-book copies of my latest release, Their Marriage Bargain

Two e-book copies of A Castle Rock Christmas anthology, and

I’ll reserve one e-book copy of Agnes: Cape Breton Highland Bride to be sent on release day.

BONUS! In addition to the above giveaways, Nancy has a free copy of A Christmas Baby for Beatrice for everyone! You can download your free copy Available today through the weekend only.

Thank you so much for allowing me to spend some time here on the blog. I look forward to your comments.

Blessings,

Nancy

~*~*~*~

NANCY FRASER is a bestselling and award-winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.

Her preferred genres are sweet western historical and sweet small-town contemporary. However, she has been known to dabble in the most unusual genres.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

You can follow Nancy here:

Amazon Author Page ~ Bookbub ~ BlueSky Social  ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

 

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60 thoughts on “Location, Location, Location (And a Fun Giveaway!)-by Nancy Fraser”

  2. A lot of Western romances are set in Montana. Especially, the town of Marietta. It seems to be a popular location.

  4. During the Petticoats and Patriots series I fell in love with the town of Hope. So many beautiful people, such loving stories and the community is someplace I would love to live in. It seems so real you become very close to each and everyone and wish you had the opportunity to shop in some of the stores and to pop into the bakery for one of those cinnamon rolls. Oh my, home sweet home.

  5. not any favorite locations – just love to read cowboy stories – and my Grandma’s name was Agnes born in 1905!!

  6. I have fallen in love with many places as I’ve read so many series with characters I love. It almost breaks my heart when a series ends because I know it’s time to say goodbye to the people and community I feel so close to.

  7. Shanna Hatfield does a super job of putting her readers in locations. You feel like you are part of the town/area and actually know the people she’s writing about. A great example is the town of Holiday, Oregon that has been central in numerous books, most recently in “Declaration of Love” from the Petticoats and Patriots series. As mentioned previously, the town of Marietta, Montana is another setting that makes you feel at home.

  8. I’m not particular about the location as long as it’s somewhere out west. I usually try to figure the layout of an area especially when it’s in more than 1 book.

    • I’ve done a couple of topical maps in my books before, especially to get the layout if I know I’m going back to the location later.

  9. I love stories with a location twist. I have been a fan of the Marietta, Montana stories from Jane Porter at Tule Publishing group.

  10. welcome today. oh what a fun post. I have always found “locations” fun and exciting. I tend to look up on the maps where the different stories are set and find for myself if they are real or not. Oh such a wonderful give a way. thanks for thinking of us all. I grew up on a farm in Apple Valley, CA and I don’t really know if there is a western set in that town. but that would be so cool.

    • Lori, I’m not sure about Apple Valley in particular, but I have done a number of books in California. Santa Rosa is an oft used location for me, along with a few “created” locations.

  11. Welcome again Nancy! I enjoy a lot of fictional towns. Since Shanna has been mentioned, I’ll mention another Filly, Kit Morgan. She also has some fictional towns mentioned, but it’s the characters of hers which keep a lasting memory. I loved the Weavers! They made a go of being self sufficient on their farm! Since I grew up on a farm, I can understand that!

    Thank you for stopping by! And giving us a free download! Many blessings! I also have enjoyed reading your books! I hope kindle unlimited stays around! I wouldn’t read as much if it weren’t for it!

  12. I love stories set on Ranches or farms, and small towns especially if they are set on mountains , it doesnt matter what state or town. I do love the town of Hope. Have a great weekend. (I am not entering this ebook giveaway as I am not tech savvy, but Thank you. I enjoyed reading your post.

  14. Welcome back, Nancy! You’re truly a generous author to feature all these books in your giveaway! Wow! Enjoy your visit and accept our best wishes for continued success.

  15. It doesn’t really matter to me if the location is fictional or real as long as its an interesting place and fits the story. I do love reading about places I have been but also about places I have always wanted to visit. I do appreciate all the work you authors put into researching a location though, makes it more authentic. Thank you.

  16. I would have to say one of my favorite book location is the fictional town of Wyldehaven in Washington state. This is the setting for Lynnette Bonner’s Wyldehave book series. Several of the books describe different areas of the town and I can visualize the field of sunflowers, the quiet dew on the meadows, the creek that runs beside the town. The many houses, Dixie’s boarding house, the schoolhouse, and the Church that is such an important part of the community all make this a town I would love to be a part of. I think it is a combination of the community, the people and the town coming together that make it one of my favorites:)

  17. I enjoy fictional as well as real locations as long as it is described in a way true to the actual state or province where it is located. My favorite would be whatever book I am currently reading :). Thanks for the free book.

  18. I love most books that are set out west and most fictional towns are believable to m e. Also enjoy books that are set in Kentucky.

    • I have a lot of extended family in Kentucky. I haven’t been there in years but hope to go back for a visit someday.

  19. I do not have a favorite… I just love whatever location fits the story… some authors are very talented in creating their own towns and making them come to life… feeling real!

    • Colleen, that’s our job… to create that unforgetable place. We don’t always get it right but we try.

  23. I’ve read a couple of series that use Colorado as their local and while their town is fictional, the surrounding towns they mention put the story right in the area where I live! I also read a series about northwestern Nebraska that was in the area where my grandfather grew up. Again, fictional town, but surrounding geography was identifiable! Sorry I can’t remember the series or authors right off hand, but they were much more enjoyable because of these identifying points!

    • Ginni, I think that’s the secret to creating a believable fake town. You have to anchor it somewhere within the state that readers will recognize.

  24. Well, I’m a mood reader so many different locations come to play depending on my mood. I do drift towards small town stories when I want something easy to read that doesn’t take a lot of mind power to keep up. lol When I want the more adventurous and intense, I drift towards fictional places in a paranormal world.

    • I’m with you on the paranormal towns. It’s so easy to create a really unique place. I’ve done a couple of historical ghost stories, set in fictional New England towns that’s I’m especially proud of.

  25. There are so many but recently it was Harvest Hollow with the sweather series and the Apples series sweet hockey series by Jenny Proctor Emma Sr. Clair which were both set in havest Hollow The sweater weather has several different authors but is set in the same fictional town as the sweet hockey series. All 14 books are in Kindle Unlimited and are kisses only romance novels.

    • I’ll be honest, as a mother of hockey sons, I can’t get into hockey romances. Not sure why, but it’s just me. Of course, I keep trying. I will have to take a peek at those set in smaller towns though. Maybe that will add the spark I need.

  26. I don’t have a favorite location, but there are quite a few fictional places I’d love to visit! Hope Harbor would be tops, as I’d love to have some of Charley’s tacos that Irene Hannon writes about. Also, Chapel Cove that Autumn Macarthur, Alexa Verde, and Marion Ueckermann wrote about. I did go to Savannah, GA because of reading Eugenia Price’s books!

  28. Location is not as important to me as the story. Fictional towns are enjoyable as they can be whatever the author wants.

  29. No real favorite location. It is wonderful to be able to “travel the world” to places both real and imaginary in this world or others. I do enjoy books set in the American West and the Scottish Highlands.
    We have visited Cape Breton Island and loved it. That was back in 2001. It was interesting noticing the cultural shift from the west side of the island to the east side. The Cabot Trail was a beautiful and interesting drive. It was an unplanned part of the trip (9-11 happened while we were on PEI). I wish I had had time to plan it better. As it was we discovered so much, among them the Barra MacNeils, the Celtic school, and the Fortress of Louisbourg. We ha planned on visiting Halifax and few other places on the lower island which wasn’t possible due to the diverted planes.
    Thank you for A Christmas Baby for Beatrice. I look forward to reading Agnes: Cape Breton Highland Bride and visiting Cape Breton again.

    • I’m so glad you enjoyed Cape Breton. It’s my favorite place on earth with tons of wonderful memories. I don’t get there as often as I’d like anymore, but my grandchildren go at least once per year to visit their grandfather. There’s nothing as relaxing as a drive around the trail with a stop or two for some great seafood.

  30. All historical VA. Forefathers fought with Washington, so that area holds a big part of my heart.
    Moving west, wagons west stories. Living in Hill Country TX, westward movement.

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