Setting

Inspired Beauty

| Casey Wyatt

Happy Friday everyone! Don’t miss my guest over at the Scribes today – Lisa Kessler, author of Night Walker

This week’s post is a short one. I’m working on MYSTIC STORM, Zephyr’s story, so I’m a bit preoccupied! I’d like to share with you some photographs of the enchanting real world setting for the book.

Stonington Point is a historic area of Stonington, Connecticut. Just miles away from Mystic, CT.

The houses are beautiful! I love the blue door.

Roses in bloom. I like to imagine that Zephyr would stop to smell the roses.

I imagined the Gallup Inn, Zephyr’s hotel and spa before I ever visited Stonington. I was delighted to find an actual house that fit my imaginary vision. And this is actually a hotel. While we visited, a movie with Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep was filming. (No, sightings, but we did see the film crew set decorating.)

I loved all the colorful buildings!

One last look at the beautiful ocean.

I hope you enjoyed the brief tour! See you all next week!

Welcome to Mystic….

| Casey Wyatt

Happy Friday! Don’t forget to visit me at the Scribes – Tattoo You.

Well, it’s finally happened.

I’m officially a published author!

MYSTIC INK is on sale now from Soul Mate Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Paper copies should be coming in late 2012. I appreciate all the help, encouragement, and support from everyone. Please drop me a line and let me know if you enjoyed the book!

Today, I thought I’d take you on a tour of the book’s setting, real world Mystic, CT.  Mystic is not an official town, but rather a historic district sandwiched between Groton and Stonington. Even though Mystic doesn’t exist as a political entity, it’s a real, vibrant community.

Lovely historic Main Street

Mystic’s two main tourist attractions are Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium (where an important scene takes place in the book).

Throughout the novel, many of the places in the book are real: Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream Shop, Elm Grove Cemetery, S & P Oyster House, and the famous Mystic drawbridge.

The Mystic River Bridge

Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream. Nix and Cal get help here from an unlikely source.

The Ice Cream – Fabulous!

Some places are based on a real buildings that I modified for my own purposes. Fawn’s Pawn’s, Devlin Ward’s pawn shop, is modeled after an old factory site that is really a restaurant complex. Toro’s Pizza is my take on the famous Mystic Pizza.

Be on the look-out for Satyrs

The building that inspired Nix’s tattoo shop, Mystic Ink.

Tattoo anyone?

In reality, if you visit Mystic, you’ll find out that there is no tattoo shop in this building.

Anyone recognize this owl? He’s not in MYSTIC INK but he was in a storefront window in a shop called Whyevernot.

I hope you enjoyed the tour and the pictures. And, if you are ever in the area, be sure to visit Mystic, CT!

What books have you enjoyed based on the location? And do enjoy books where the location is as much a part of the story as the characters?

I’m the Author Goddess…

| Casey Wyatt

I am the Author Goddess, therefore, I rule the universes that I’ve created. The characters are my minions. They exist to do my bidding.

I tell myself this all the time. And it’s true.  Sort of. I am the creator of their world. Sometimes benevolent, sometimes a dictator.

Writers all do this. We fabricate new worlds with new rules. Even if it’s the “here and now” world, we still add our own spin to it. We make the facts fit the story as we need to tell it.  We ask our characters to do things normal people often can’t or won’t do. And most of the time, the characters go along for the happy (or miserable) journey.

Occasionally, they resist or flat-out refuse. They stamp their feet and demand to go in a different direction.

A rebellion in my carefully crafted plans. How dare they? I’m the Author Goddess. They must do my bidding.

Right?

Not really.

Sure, you can ignore your characters and force them to follow your “master plan”. But, just like in real life, it’s not right to make someone do something they don’t want to (making the kids clean up after themselves doesn’t count). When in this situation, instead of indignation, try going along for the ride.

Let the character take you on the journey they want to go on.  Travel their path and see it to the end. They could surprise you and even open the story up in ways you never imagined.