Do you like to read novels set in a familiar or a foreign—by which I mean unfamiliar in time and space to you—location?
A long time ago, I overhead someone say they loved Peter Corris’s crime novels because they were set in the city where the reader lived. That reader knew the streets, the spaces and could imagine themselves in the action. It was another layer to their enjoyment of the book, but one that hadn’t registered with me at that time.
Oh no, said another reader, I love to be an armchair traveller when I’m reading, to find new places that I can dream of visiting or to revisit places I’ve been and remember the excitement, the awe, the sparkle of discovery.
Then we hit historical fiction—the quote that pops into my head is from L. P. Hartley’s 1953 novel, The Go Between “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” That sentence resonates on multiple levels. Yet 1953, and even the beginning of the 20th century where the story starts are at most 120 years ago, baby steps when you’re talking historical fiction.
In historical fiction, you may recognise places, the facades of buildings and streets might look unchanged, but just think of the plumbing and wiring! That’s before you consider furniture, clothes, design, music, art and attitudes. It’s why I’ve always thought writing historical fiction is challenging. You need extensive research and attention to detail for accuracy in setting the scene and understanding the cultural conventions.
A fan of J.D. Robb’s futuristic crime novels, when describing them to me a few years ago, told me J. D. had covered all bases, in the sense of making rules and building a world that can’t be challenged by the reader because the books are set in 2040. Well, look out, 2040 is getting increasingly close. AI tools are already stealing the settings, characters and words authors sweat to produce.
The world of video game design is a setting and world that is completely unfamiliar to me. But for Gabrielle Zevin, who wrote Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, it’s been part of her everyday all her life. I had to pay attention to this setting because it’s so integral to the story, but the characters are immensely powerful as well.
Take paranormal or fantasy novels where the world building and setting are the attraction for many readers.
Despite finding some settings fascinating, I’ve never chosen novels specifically for their setting. It’s always been the characters for me. The characters who capture my imagination and keep me up late at night to make sure they’re happy, or safe. Although happy and safe operate in so many dimensions in our current world. You can be physically safe, but emotionally or mentally at risk.
That’s not to say I don’t seriously consider where my books are set, and how the setting suits the characters. Lela’s Choice is set in Malta and I can’t imagine it would work anywhere else. Planting Hope is set in a large garden on the edge of a regional town. It may sound like a small setting, but it was right at that moment for those characters. I’ve set books in Sydney, my home town, and I’m currently contemplating one set in Finland, because why not?
For me, characters drive the story. I’d love to know what you think.
June 2024 Giveaway: Masquerade—Choosing Family Book 1
Quinn, by design—Choosing Family Book 2 releases on 18 June, so I’ve decided to do a giveaway of Masquerade—Choosing Family Book 1, just to give you a taste of Liam’s twin, Niall.
All subscribers to my blog on 10 June 2024 will automatically be entered in a draw to win a copy of Masquerade—Choosing Family Book 1.
International: e-book copy
Australia: e-book or paperback (winner’s choice)
Note: Getting my ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) together:
ARC readers get advance copies of new releases with the request to post an honest review on one of the major sites, for example, Goodreads, Bookbub, Apple, Amazon, Kobo or Barnes & Noble.
If you’d like to be an ARC reader for my upcoming books you can sign up to Booksprout, where you’ll have a choice of my books or the books of other authors.
Alternatively, you can contact me directly via the contact link on my website. Let me know a little about yourself. I always post the blurb for my next book on the My Books page of my website, so have a read of that and see if Quinn, by design is a story you’ll enjoy.
By agreeing to be part of my ARC team, you are in no way obligated to leave a review on any site, although I’d appreciate it. I welcome all reviews, good or bad, as long as they are honest.
Find me on
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/romanceauthorjen/
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrainesauthor
- Goodreads—https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22577889.Jennifer_Raines
- Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-raines
- Diana Kathryn Penn’s Indie Reads Aloud podcast has recordings of me reading the opening 20 mins of my books:
- Lela’s Choice (episode 143)
- Planting Hope (episode 101)
- The Anderson Sisters (episode 54 Taylor’s Law and 80 Grace Under Fire) http://www.dkpwriter.com/indie-reads-aloud-podcast.html
You can also contact me directly via the contact page on my website if you have any other questions.
Jennifer Raines 