Guest Author: Terry Spear

Literary Escapism would like to welcome Terry Spear to the room today. Terry is the author of Heart of the Wolf and the newly released Destiny of the Wolf.

Make sure you stick around because we will be giving away a copy of Destiny of the Wolf.
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Making a Setting Real by Terry Spear

When I wrote Heart of the Wolf, I set it in Colorado and in Oregon. Why those places? Both appealed since I had lived in each state, and some wolves have been in the areas, so I wanted to start out with those places.

I’d love to set a story in New Hampshire where I used to vacation. Having lived in an area makes it so much more real. I’ve thought of setting one in Florida since I grew up there. Bears are making a real comeback. They do have red wolves there. So why not a pack of werewolves?

Destiny of the Wolf was set strictly in Colorado based on a conglomeration of silver towns, so that it could be my very own werewolf run town.

But the next two stories, To Tempt the Wolf, coming September 1, set on the Oregon beach, a place I loved to visit when I was in college, and the next in the series, set in the Canadian Arctic to add a new element, Arctic werewolves, are coming next. After that, I’m working on another Colorado story and another Oregon story. But you never know where I …er, my werewolves might end up next.

What makes a place a good spot to set a story? Uniqueness. Something that makes it special. In the case of Oregon, I found Wolf Rock to set a battle scene. I searched all kinds of areas, but Wolf Rock was just perfect, even more so because of it’s name. I even went as far as printing out elevation maps to determine how the characters could navigate through the terrain.

But all in all, the story is a fiction, so some of it is strictly creative license. Although, many of the places do exist, including in Heart of the Wolf, Alfred’s ranch.  I “lifted” that from a ranch that was for sale! I loved the description and used many of the details to make his ranch real. But the interior was my very own concoction to suit my story.

I’ve been to a lot of beaches over the years and so could write some great stories set in more tropical areas, but alas, how many werewolves realistically would be beachcombers? Hmm, could be a new angle!

One of my fans said she’d never been to Oregon so she loved reading about it and it made her long to go there.

So what settings have been memorable for you in stories? Are there places you like to read about and then visit, even if they are far out and pure fantasy?

Thanks for joining me and thanks to Literary Escapism for having me! If you’d like to drop by at my other sites, here are some places I’m at — the blog, Twitter, Facebook, and mySpace.

I can always use new friends, so join me at these places!
Terry Spear

You can find Terry at her website or at her blog.

(Here I’m talking about sexual frustration in the strangest of places! But check out our Mascot, AKA The Blond Muddy Guy!)

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Thank you Terry!  I know I love the various settings one can find in the paranormal genre (or anywhere).  They tend to be so much more exciting than where I am at.

Contest Time! We’re giving away a copy of Terry’s new novel Destiny of the Wolf to one lucky commentary and it’s very easy to enter. All you have to do is answer Terry’s question: So what settings have been memorable for you in stories? Are there places you like to read about and then visit, even if they are far out and pure fantasy?

As always, if you want more chances to win, you can post about today’s contest on your blog, social network, or anywhere you can. Digg it, stumble it, twit it, share it with the world. Wherever you share it, make sure you add a link to it along with your answer.

Join the Literary Escapism blog group and/or Page over on Facebook and you’ll get an additional entry (for each page).  Make sure you leave a comment on the pages wall (and here) so I know that’s why you’re joining.  Only new readers to the group will be considered.

For 2 additional entires, subscribe to Literary Escapism’s newsletter in the sidebar. This is for new subscribers only.

For 2 extra additional entries, purchase Heart of the Wolf (through LE’s Amazon store) sometime during this contest and send a copy of the receipt VIA email for your purchase to: myjaxon AT gmail DOT com.

I’ll determine the winner with help from the Research Randomizer. All entries must be in by midnight on March 17th.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

14 Comments

  1. Great post, Terry! Like you, I like to set my stories in places I’ve lived in – it’s much easier to add authentic details when you’ve actually been there. Some stories I’ve set in places I’d like to visit – like Hawaii. It’s easy to find local history, newspapers, whatever on the Internet, or send for a visitors guide. Colorado and Oregon sound like perfect settings for a were clan – plenty of room to roam!
    Best of luck with your release, Terry!

  2. Hi Terry! When it comes to werewolves, I always liked the stories where they are set in a city, with forest areas nearby for them run off some steam if they need to. Congrats on your latest realease. I absolutely loved Heart of the Wolf. Thanks for holding the contest.

  3. I like shifter stories set in wooded areas, versus cities. Like Chris’s idea about the Black Hills, plus I don’t recall a shifter story set there before.

  4. Great post. It depends on what type of book it is, shifters I like out in the country, vampires I like in the city. If its descriptive sometimes I end up wanting to go visit, but I am really more of a city person so outdoorsy type places usually drop off my wanting to go there chart. I love to read about things in the wild and woods and see things there but Im not really fond of being out there.

  5. Ok, I forgot to say – Don’t enter me, cause I already read Destiny of the Wolf, and the winner is gonna love it!

  6. Congratulations on your release, Terry, and I do love your covers. Beautiful.
    I’ve lived in Colorado and Minnesota and love to set books in both states. I think the setting that stands out most in my mind, however, is from Nora Roberts, who sets some of my favorite series in Ireland. Ever since reading her series set in Ireland I’ve had a mad desire to see the country. There is Irish in my ancestory, but she set off such a longing.
    I’m writing a vampire series now, which will be set in California, Colorado, and Arizona. I’m also plotting a were/shifter series which would probably be set in the north woods of Minnesota, which are vast and gorgeous.
    Thanks for running this contest,
    Taylor Tryst

  7. Great post, Terry!
    One of the great joys of reading is the ability to visit a variety of places real and fanciful.
    My favorite local to read about is Spain during the Moorish period.

  8. Thanks to everyone for responding! I’ve had a really sick mother in the hospital, so haven’t had time to drop in today. Thanks, Cate! Hmmm, I’ve been to Hawaii. Wonder about a werewolf living there? LOL

    Hey Chris, that sounds like an interesting place to set one too. :)

    Thanks so much, Barbara! Hope you enjoy Destiny of the Wolf too! :) I really appreciate your dropping by!

    Cathy M, that reminds me of a story that was set in Keene, NH. I used to go there quite a bit and loved the area. It’s kind of interesting to get a feel for an area. Like a friend of my mother said that she felt overwhelmed by trees when she moved to Maine, because she’d lived in Western Texas where trees are shorter and sparser. And when we moved from California to Florida, I remembered thinking how flat it was. :)

    Donna, I did a lot of outdoorsy stuff with Girl Scouts and with the Army, so I’m with you there. Give me a hotel any day! We did the Adventure Out with camping too. That was more fun. Until we ran into NO-SEE-UMs. Itty-bitty bugs with huge teeth. For real! :)

    Thanks so much, Teresa!!! :) Ready for To Tempt the Wolf???

    Thanks, Taylor! They are great covers, aren’t they? :)

    Patricia, I thought it was real interesting that we had a guy come to our library who applied for a library card and crossed out African American and put Moorish. I loved the Robin Hood version with Kevin Costner and the Moor who saved his life. :)

  9. I do love to read about Ireland, Wales and Scotland…and mostly in a Medieval setting :) So would like to put some more paranormals there too, or more towards the iron age or something. Haven’t read anything about that.

    Oh and a werewolf or vampire never do seem to visit my country, Finland :( Lol, yeah maybe it’s just too cold for them ;)

  10. Hi Terry! I hope your mother gets well soon!

    I absolutely LOVE when books have wonderful descriptions of the places in which the story takes place. For me, it’s New Orleans and Hollywood that I’d love to go and visit. At least on this side of the ocean, lol. I’ve alway been a sucker for the Scottish Highlands too. :)

  11. London, London, London, English countryside, Scotland, London! I really can’t get enough of it…either in historicals or modern day…and in real life it is my absolute favorite place! But that’s not to say I can’t be carried away to another, unexpected, setting. Twilight turned me on to the Pacific Northwest, so I’m definitely excited to read of your Oregon setting :)

    Wonderful post, Terry! Sending get well vibes for your mom!!

  12. Blodeuedd, now a cold place would be perfect for a werewolf! Finland sounds like a fun place to set a story!!

    Hi Judi, I wrote a story set in New Orleans in the 19th c. I loved the place because it was so unique.

    Thanks so much, Jerrica! The Pacific Northwest was one of my favorite places to live. :) Although we used to visit a place I used to call moon rock, a California beach where the ocean had carved holes in boulders, making it a pretty fascinating place. :)

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