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Meredith, NH, one inspiration for Coventry |
Coventry became a little more real to me with every novel. We explored the mountains in Glimmer in the Darkness, saw more of town in Tides of Duplicity. Betrayal of Genius introduced an ice cream shop and a coffee shop--which became a central location in Lineage of Corruption. Traces of Virtue introduced the church. And the creepy house in Touch of Innocence was inherited by Aspen in Inheritance of Secrets and then purchased by Denise in Wreathed in Disgrace.
Vengeance in the Mist, which released last month, was the last official Coventry Saga novel. Though most of the story took place in the Boston area, all of the Coventry characters had at least cameo roles in the story, and it was such fun to catch up with them again. They started out single and alone, many in some kind of danger, and seeking to solve mysteries or simply trying to stay alive. Seeing them again at the end of the series, most married or engaged, some with children...it's the kind of scene that make me cry happy tears.
Also, it's a little bittersweet.
I've been living (metaphorically, anyway) in Coventry, New Hampshire, for three years and ten books, and I love the little town I created. Surrounded by the mountains and nestled against a clear lake, Coventry is just the kind of small town where I'd like to live someday. Or at least own a vacation home.
When I first envisioned Coventry, it was a smaller version of Meredith, a charming tourist spot on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee (see image above). But Coventry is closer to the White Mountains, like Lincoln.
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Lincoln, NH, another inspiration town |
Man, I'm going to miss that town and the people I came to love there. Sure, they're fictional, but I spent a whole lot of time with them, enough that they feel real to me.
Although we won't be visiting Coventry again, there is one more Coventry novel--I'm calling it a bonus book because it takes place in Utah--a long, long way from New Hampshire. But the heroine is connected to Grant Wright, the hero in Courage in the Shadows. His oldest brother, Daniel, is missing and presumed dead... Obviously, that was a story that had to be written. 😉
Now that A Mountain Too Steep is with the editor, I'm working on my fall release, which will introduce a whole new town, this one a coastal village. I can't wait for you to visit! Here's a little glimpse at one inspiration for Shadow Cove, Maine.
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Camden Harbor, Maine |
Check out the Coventry Saga novels and grab A Mountain Too Steep while it's on preorder--and still only $2.99.
What fictional town would love to visit? Comment below to win a paperback copy of Vengeance in the Mist.