Settings: Why Should
Readers Care?
I believe settings make a huge difference in the pleasure
readers can get from a story. I know for myself I love trying to visualize the
cities or mountains or moors the characters visit. When the author adds in
details, I feel like I’m right there with the characters. I strive to do the
same thing with my own writing. Each of my books is set in a place I’ve visited
or lived. My goal is to paint a picture for my readers. It almost feels like
it’s my responsibility to give them a chance to “see” a place they may never see
in real life.
With my new Hidden Destiny series, I set the stories in
Austin, Texas. I have been here quite a while and there is so much to love.
South by Southwest, Austin City Limits, University of Texas (Go Longhorns!), eclectic
shops, various festivals, Tex-Mex food and a ton of other interesting places. We
are the live music capital of the world. What better place to set my
not-so-ordinary paranormal stories than a not-so-ordinary city?
Wake Me is the 1st
book in the Hidden Destiny series, a group of stories all revolving around
Trinity Tavern, a fictional pub in the city center, and a band of friends who
must learn to accept and control their paranormal abilities. I’m excited about
this story, of course, but I’m really looking forward to continuing to paint
that picture of Austin. With the connected series books, readers should
hopefully have an accurate depiction of life in Austin and maybe, just maybe,
some of them will book a vacation to our unique Texas city!
Alexa is giving THREE prizes throughout her Wake Me Blog
Tour! Leave comments in any (or all!) of the tour stops and you will be in the
running! So for this stop, where do you think I should set my next set of
stories in & why?
The rest of the tour is here:
10/18-- http://teririggs.blogspot.com/
10/20-- http://catemasters.blogspot.com/
10/24-- http://labellebooks.blogspot.ca
10/29-- http://www.lolakarns.com/
Wake Me
Bio:
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Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day
and a romance writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She also
teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She writes romantic
suspense and contemporary romance and is thrilled to have the chance to share
her stories with readers everywhere.
When she’s not concocting sinister
plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa
spends her time reading, watching brainless TV, and thinking about exercising.
Okay, she also spends way too much time interacting with readers and writers on
social media sites. But don’t tell her editors! Find out more about her and her
books on her website, www.alexabourne.com.
Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexaBourne
Website: www.alexabourne.com
Email: alexa@alexabourne.com
Buy Links:
Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=995&osCsid=cilqte4j0chb5atbb1khme9a67
Blurb:
Her psychic
dreams come true.
Sarah McKinley’s attempts to take
her foreknowledge of crimes to the Seattle Police Department marked her as a
troublemaker and were never taken seriously. Starting over in Austin, she plans
never to reveal her gift, but shortly after she arrives, the dreams begin
again, and the local police want to know why she has knowledge only the killer
could possess.
Detective Jesse Cordell watched his
mother con people with her “psychic ability” all through his childhood. He
hones in on Sarah, who has means, motive, and opportunity to have murdered the
victim in his current investigation. Instinct tells him she didn’t commit the
crime, but she definitely knows more than she’s letting on.
Can he put aside his doubts and join
forces with her, against everything he believes in, to find the real killer? Or
will he do his job and put her behind bars? After all, there’s no such thing as
the “psychic ability.” Or is there?
Excerpt:
The buzz around her head grew louder as more students joined
the crowd. Yellow tape secured the crime scene several yards away, but limbs
still stuck over the cement edge of the water fountain.
A guy in plain clothes ducked under the tape and ventured
toward them. A gold shield hung from his belt. “Can anybody tell me what
happened?”
“She can!” a male voice from behind called out.
Hoping to take attention off herself, Sarah joined the other
students in whirling around to see who the guy meant. Several voices rushed
toward the man, accosting him with different versions of the crime. Sarah
floated through the sea of people, away from the crowd.
For the nine months, she’d lived in Austin, she’d never mentioned
a word about her so-called psychic gift.
Almost a full year had passed. She’d started to think she would be normal
again.
But a brand-new dream reminded her she would always be
different.
Heading toward the street, she picked up her steps. Don’t look back. You’ve done enough damage.
“Miss! Hey, wait up!”
“Damn.” She slowed her feet. No point in trying to run.
She’d look guilty of something then the cops would have a reason to haul her
off the school campus in cuffs.
Turning, she came face-to-face with the striking
plain-clothes cop. “I’m Detective Cordell with Austin Police.” He stood at
least six inches taller than she, his jet-black hair sheared in a standard cut
for police. The bulk of his chest stretched the material of his short-sleeved
dress shirt. With dark eyes and sexy confidence, he was all sorts of
captivating. If he hadn’t been such a threat to her freedom, she might even
have called him handsome. “Do you have a minute? I’d like to ask you some
questions.”
There died his charm.