Location, Location, Location by June Shaw

 Where will you set your story? I think that’s one of the most important questions to decide when starting a series or stand-alone novel.

Many authors set their seedy works in large cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Orleans. More of the lighter stories take place in smaller communities. Some of these towns are fabricated, many times with humorous names given for light-hearted mysteries.

Authors most often seem to set their stories in settings they know. They have lived in those locales or worked in the professions they use. There are series set in zoos and national parks, newspapers and veterinary offices and almost any setting you can think of. So what did I do?

I wrote my humorous mystery series that features a spunky widow of a certain age who thinks she wants to avoid her hunky lover so she can rediscover herself. But he opens Cajun restaurants wherever she travels—and she is so bad at avoiding tempting dishes and men. I live near a lazy bayou in the heart of Cajun lands.

“Why didn’t you set your books down here?” a few readers from this area who enjoyed my books asked.

“Because I’m wise,” I replied, or something like that. You see I’m also of a certain age, and I like to travel. Whenever possible, I don’t mind getting to write off my trips because I am doing research. And I do keep my Cajun culture close by having my main character’s hunky dude with his tempting restaurants, where many scenes (and dishes and recipes) are included.            

For RELATIVE DANGER I enjoyed a research trip to Chicago. KILLER COUSINS takes place in one of my favorite places to visit, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Of course many of you can recognize the fantastic trip I needed to take for research for DEADLY REUNION. I’d taken many cruises, but that one to Alaska was wonderful. And the executive chef and ship’s doctor and many others aboard the ship provided answers to all of my questions. One of them even sent chilled champagne to my cabin—I guess for asking so many things about murders onboard!

Now I’ve decided to work on something different. I am into the first in a series that will take place down in this area I know so well. We’re all proud of where we live down here, and I want to show it off to more readers. I’ll let y’all know more about it when it’s farther along.

Now here’s my most recent novel, JUST ONE FRIEND a dystopian that one Amazon reviewer said is better than HUNGER GAMES. My teen granddaughters and I loved HG, they’re avid readers who’re loving sisters, and wanted to write a book with me. Here we are.

 After warfare destroyed most of the country, only one area remains where people can survive. Because of limited food and space, the leaders decreed that each person is allowed to have only one friend. A teenage girl believes things should be otherwise.

http://amzn.to/1yaAEUt

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id974818416

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-one-friend-june-shaw/1121368474?ean=2940046324006&itm=1&usri=2940046324006

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/just-one-friend

https://www.scribd.com/book/257915603/Just-One-Friend

You can guess our book’s location. We really hope you’ll check it out! You can see more

about my other books on Amazon or my website. www.juneshaw.com.

How important do you believe location is to a book you read or write?

Thanks for allowing me to tell y’all about my work.                                           June Shaw   

June Shaw is serving her third term representing Louisiana on the board of Mystery Writers of America's Southwest Chapter and as the Published Author Liaison for Romance Writers of America's Southern Louisiana Chapter. She's written novels for Five Star, Harlequin, and Untreed Reads. Her essays have appeared in Southern Writers, The Writer, Mystery Readers Journal, and the Agatha-winning Writes of Passage.