Set Me Up

List your favorite books in your mind and what stands out as the reason you love reading them? Probably you enjoyed the characters—their personalities and their stories—whether their stories were adventure, intrigue, romance, or all of those things and more. What about setting?

I would put at the top of my list of favorite books all the books in the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. The first one I read, Bitten, hooked me, to put it mildly. Armstrong wrote strong, three dimensional characters I wanted to spend time with. Throughout the series, the characters remained consistently interesting and the plots were sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-seat good. The characters and their stories were highly engaging, but for me, the setting proved equally satisfying. I realized that a good story, for me, offers a variety of elements that together make a complete and satisfying read, and setting is one of those elements.

If you're a Harry Potter fan, imagine the story without the backdrop of the various settings. Didn't you want to walk down the short stairway into the Gryffindor living space and settle in front of the fireplace—with a good book? Couldn't you imagine yourself walking through the hallways of Hogwarts, watching the movement of the subjects in the many paintings, and finding your way into Dumbledore's office, with all its fascinating objects? The characters and the adventures were large, but the setting was the backdrop of their lives and we get a feeling of being there because it's so well done. We enjoy Hagar's cozy abode and the quirkiness of the Weasley home and we want to come back.

In Bitten and other Otherworld books, the setting for the werewolves includes Stonehaven, the home of the pack's Alpha and essentially home base for them all. Stonehaven is a large, beautiful and secluded, well, haven for the family of werewolves. They can luxuriate in being themselves while being protected by unfailing privacy (from the outside world) and plenty of space, both indoors in the spacious home and outdoors in the surrounding fields and forests. I wanted to live there myself. In Stolen, a subsequent book in the series, though the setting is predominately in an underground prison, when main character Elena finally escapes, she goes home to Stonehaven to recover. The description is so well done that readers can relax, too, in the concept of a place of comfort, safety, and support.

 A book's setting doesn't have to be fantasy in nature but it can still be magical if it fuels a reader's understanding of the struggles characters suffer, even when their setting is dangerous territory. A few years ago I read Donovan's Child, by Christine Rimmer. It's a category romance that was an easy read for a variety of reasons, but, in part, because the setting was mesmerizing. Circumstances bring together Donovan McRae and Abilene Bravo on his ranch setting. Again, cozy and comfortable, the setting played a role in the appeal for me.

Though characterization and plot are primary in importance, of course, a detailed and authoritative description of setting can support characterization and plot. In R.T. Wolfe's Black Creek Burning, the description of the heroine's home supports her attachment to family and her ongoing sense of loss. We can imagine how Brianna feels connected to her parents while surrounded by the structure of the home she grew up in, and yet haunted by their absence. The description of setting woven for woodcrafter and hero Nathan supports his expertise of his craft and makes him believable as a caring and sensitive man. In Rena Koontz's Love's Secret Fire there is plenty of intrigue and danger, but when hero Adam Michaels offers heroine Valerie Daniels his hotel suite as a place of respite after a terrible ordeal, his gesture shows us his kindness, but the setting—his luxurious suite—gives readers a place of relaxation and safety to watch their relationship develop. In the setting we can believe that Valerie can imagine letting down her guard.

Whether a writer or a reader or both, don't you find setting is high on your list of things that make a book good? What books have you read where the setting was masterfully done? What about the setting resonated for you? Share?

An Interview with Rena Koontz

Today, The Write Way Café would like to welcome Crimson Romance author Rena Koontz.

How long have you been writing?
I think I’ve been “writing” all my life. I used to leave long notes for my mother on the elementary school paper with the two wide lines and the dotted line in the center – remember those? When I was a teenager, I received a one-year diary as a Christmas present but I ran out of pages in May because I wrote so much. I wised up and got a job as a newspaper reporter. They paid me to write!

How long did it take you to write Love's Secret Fire?
About one year from beginning to end but I kept going back to revise it as I received feedback from beta readers and contest entries. My first chapter was actually Chapter Three in the original draft.

What did you draw from to write the book?
This book is loosely based on a real-life arson case I covered as a reporter in PA. I was assigned to ride along with a fire captain one night – the fire and police were patrolling the streets and alleys trying to catch the arsonist. So we crept down back alleys and side streets with the headlights off hoping to come upon him. It was scary and memorable. I’m glad that night wasn’t the night he was caught.

Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
Some of the characters are based on real people, especially Jimmy, Bud and Chester who were three of my favorites in the Beaver Falls Fire Department. Hence the name of my fictitious city, Benton Falls. Readers will find an insight into the relationship between twins when they read about my heroine and her twin brother. There is a lot of me and my twin brother, Ron, on the pages.

Do you face any blocks while writing, and if so, how do you handle them? If not, what's your secret?
Some days the words just flow and others, I find myself straightening the papers on my desk, playing with the dog – he’s always right by my side – and generally doing anything but writing. But every day I sit at the computer and type something. That action sometimes opens the floodgates. Other times, it screams delete.

What have been surprises you've encountered while writing the book and after?
I think the biggest surprise has been people, especially a few husbands of my friends, who read my book. I expected my girlfriends to read it but not their spouses and I’m beyond flattered that they did. I’m honored. Even better, they liked it.

What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world, your characters?
I’ve learned so many things along this path to becoming published and I’m still learning. I knew nothing about writing the proper query, writing POV or getting published. I wrote my first book in single-space – I learned that’s a no-no. I’ve still got a lot to learn.

What are some of your favorite books and why?
I lean toward the suspense. I’m a John Grisham, James Patterson fan because I love the workings of a courtroom and as a reporter who covered lots of trials, I’ve been to the inner sanctum. I am a Brenda Novak and Suzanne Brockmann fan because their women are strong. And when all else fails, I pick up my dog-eared copy of “The Flame and the Flower” because the love in that book is so intense.

What are you working on now?
I recently finished another romantic suspense that I hope to publish. It’s about a woman who witnesses a murder and runs from the shooter, who is mob-connected. She runs into the arms of a police officer. I have the utmost respect for police, fire and law enforcement officers and I hope my books can pay tribute to them. This story also is loosely based on a real-life case.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
My high school aptitude test showed I should pursue a career as a skilled mechanic.

For more information about Rena, please visit:
Website:  http://www.renakoontz.com/

Blog:  http://renakoontz.wordpress.com/renas-ramblings/
Love's Secret Fire is available from Apple iBooks, Amazon, B&N, and other e-retailers.