Thursday, February 20, 2014

Where in the World are...Megan Shepherd, Saundra Mitchell, & Tiffany Trent?

All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.

Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).

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Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

Set in: Victorian era London

Why did you pick this setting?
The first book in my series, The Madman's Daughter, took place on a tropical island. I liked the challenge of continuing the story in the opposite setting: a harsh winter in a bustling city. I enjoying tying the two setting together in surprising ways, like pointing out how savage a city can be beneath its respectable veneer, or finding pockets of warmth, like steamy winter greenhouses, that evoked the setting of the first book.

What makes your book's setting unique?
As part of my research, my husband and I took a trip to London last winter, where we toured old-fashioned surgical theaters, visited botanical gardens, and found some good inspiring settings for the action of the book. We took a Jack the Ripper tour that was so grisly one woman fainted!

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Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell

Set in: Down East, Maine

Why did you pick this setting?
My best friend and I decided, and I'm not sure how, that when we died, we would board a ferry and go to an island just off the Maine coast. She grew up in North Georgia. I grew up in Southern Indiana. Neither of us had ever been to Maine, but we were both drawn to it. The first spark of MISTWALKER came in an idea about a boy cursed to a lighthouse until he collected 1000 souls. A lighthouse. Of course it had to be Maine. Of course. The rest of the story fell into place instantly. This book simply belonged there. I think my best friend and I do too-- we finally visited last year, and it was every bit as wonderful as we'd hoped.

What makes your book's setting unique?
Lobstering is a big (perhaps the biggest) industry in Down East Maine these days. When people want luxury, they want a big, beautiful Maine lobster, dripping in butter and nothing else. That wasn't always the case. Lobster, due to its abundance, used to be considered poverty food. There were even laws against feeding prisoners lobster more than twice a week, because more than that was considered cruel and unusual punishment!

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The Tinker King
 by Tiffany Trent

Set in: The fictional City of Scientia

Why did you pick this setting?
The adventure moves to this locale, and is where many of the questions set up in the first book are ultimately resolved.

What makes your book's setting unique?
Parts of Scientia are based on the Forbidden City in Beijing.

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Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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