Who Cares About Setting?

Who Cares About Setting?

When I pick my next book to read, locale isn’t my first consideration. I’m looking for enchanting characters in a mesmerizing story. So, perhaps where the adventure takes place isn’t important. Location is the backdrop, the icing on the cake which adds sweetness but not substance, right?

However, have you ever read stories that could have happened anywhere? Those books usually aren’t memorable. Exotic or captivating venues add a riveting facet to a saga. Without the Australian outback, The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough would have been excellent, but not nearly as haunting. The moors of England add mystery and a gothic feel to the classic romance Wuthering Heights (Charlotte Bronte). The best example of the importance of the environment may be Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. What if Claire landed somewhere besides the Scottish Highlands? Unthinkable! In these and many more romances, setting becomes another character, provides realistic detail, and transports the reader to other lands.

When writers plot a book, one of the things we consider first is: where does this happen? What makes this site the best one for this story? The paranormal romances I write take place mostly in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Since many of the characters are mermaids who shift to human form on land but need to return to water frequently, they must live near the sea. I chose Tarpon Springs because it’s a unique small town on the west coast. With a sponge diving history, sugar sand beaches, distinctive shops, Greek culture, and delicious food, it’s fascinating and charming. Also, I haven’t read any other love stories set there, so it’s an original selection. It’s my hometown. I already loved it and knew a lot about it before I started writing the first book. Because of all these factors, Tarpon Springs was the ideal choice for my debut novel, Water Dreams, Love’s Siren Song Book I  

In the coastal Florida town of Tarpon Springs, Nik Aronopulos avoids the bayou and swimming pools. She never goes to the beach and shuns restaurants with views of the bay. When a gorgeous but arrogant merman reveals his kind exist and informs her they plan to study her, she's stunned. She's not special... or so she thinks.

Bas is tasked with compelling Nik to help his people overcome the need to rejuvenate in the Gulf of Mexico, so they won't dehydrate and die. Although they can appear human, their dependence on the sea prevents them from living where and how they wish, and it's his job to obtain her cooperation. There's just one problem - the girl he's determined to capture is hooking his heart.

When a bullet meant for Nik strikes Bas, saving him means facing her worst fear. Her decision plunges her into a desperate journey where survival depends on the male who once terrified her.

As their feelings for one another intensify, their forbidden relationship endangers Nik, her family, and the water dwellers who must remain a myth.

Water Dreams is available through all digital bookstores and the publisher, Foundations Books.

Here’s the Amazon link:https://www.amazon.com/Water-Dreams-Loves-Siren-Song-ebook/dp/B01IE3FWDE 

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