Fact & Fiction 2

Since the first post was so much fun, here’s another installment in Fact & Fiction. (For those of you who missed the first post, it was dated June 12.) I find it fun coincidence that I get to follow Ann Roth’s post on where she gets her ideas, for you’ll see that I’ve gotten a lot inspiration from events, and a lot of what happens in my life or the world around me makes it into my books in some form. It’s amazing how a writer can take reality, put a new spin on it, and come up with something totally fun and fictional.

From my book Legally Tender (January 06), the entire opening scene where the firefighters show up at an elementary Brownie troop Halloween party is completely real. Smoke machines set off fire alarms. It happened at my high school, my daughter’s school, and the YMCA during their Fright Fest. While airing out the gym at my daughter’s school, the firefighters showed them the truck. Add some what if, and Christina and Bruce’s story was born. In fact, my best friend was there and she told me, “you’ll use this in a book.” To which I said, “uh huh.” (PS—the end scene, where a beam comes down on his arm is also based in reality. That happened in my little town of Labadie when the Hawthorne Inn burned to the ground, a few months before I moved here.)

In Sweeping the Bride Away (2002), I’ve been through most of those home repairs poor Cassidy Clayton goes through. I actually spilt latex paint all over the ceramic tile in my very first house. My mother helped save the day. I also based both of Blade’s trucks on my contractor’s first Ford F150 and the new one he bought. One of my favorite things to do is research what cars my characters are going to drive.

From Emergency Engagement (Feb 05), where the younger daughter eats the cold medicine, the entire ER scene happened to my older daughter when she was about three and a half years old and ate two of my Drixoral pills thinking they were candy. My younger daughter fell and bit entirely through her lower lip once, and she’s the patient mentioned in the other room. However, Quinton and Beth, my heroine and hero are very made up, and although I’ve run across three Quintons in my life, none of them are a sexy ER doctor.

Nine Months’ Notice (April 2007) ended my three-book American Beauties mini-series. I set the story in Kansas City, but Jeff brought Tori Ted Drewes. This is a historic frozen custard stand on Chippewa, which is Old Route 66—the Mother Road. If you are ever in St. Louis, you have to go there. While other custard stands are just as delicious, you have to go to Ted Drewes and experience the original for yourself. Also, if you’re ever in St. Louis, the A.G. Edwards headquarters building is the place I set Jacobsen Enterprises (and Jacobsen is maiden name of one of my best friends) which is found in Catching the Corporate Playboy, About Last Night…, Capturing the Cop, and The Playboy’s Protégée. The park I took Darci and Cameron too really does exist, only further south than I set it. (I like to move things around.) By the way, Henrietta’s Restaurant pays homage to Tony’s, the fine dining establishment that is a landmark in St. Louis, and a place in which I have yet to eat. Maybe someday.

On June 30th, I’ll talk about my upcoming works and give you some teasers . (I am at 99.9 percent finished writing my April 2008 book—hooray!)

Michele