I’ve been able to milk out my Ella Wood trilogy for not just one fabulous trip to the South, but TWO. My husband and I combined our 18th anniversary with research for Ella Wood (book 1) when I had just started writing it back in 2014 with a trip to Charleston, SC. For our 20th, which we celebrated this past December, I got to do it again! This time we chose Savannah, which featured Blood Moon (book 2). Most of the book actually takes place in Charleston and Baltimore, with only a few scenes in Savannah. Still. How cool is a trip to Savannah! Since the book was published six months before our trip, it wasn’t technically a research trip, but it was really fun to see the places I’d spent time learning about. And a few places we visited will feature in the third and final book, Ebb Tide, due out in May.
Here’s a few a lot of pics…
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Baltimore is the only major setting in the Ella Wood trilogy I haven’t visited yet. Maybe next year. And if the hubs keeps agreeing to visit my settings, maybe on to Scotland? Switzerland? South Africa? The Andes Mountains? 🙂 Where should I set my next book?
Looks like a great trip!! It is always wonderful to visit the settings in your books. Nice to do it with hubby too.
It was so much fun. A great anniversary trip! Have you been able to visit any of your settings, Darlene?
I have visited all my settings. I tend to visit them first and then write the book. Occasionally there is a place within the setting I didn´t get to but want to include, so I do research, like the catacombs under St. Stephan´s Cathedral in Vienna. Perhaps next time I visit there, I´ll check them out.
That’s awesome, Darlene. Going before is definitely preferable, just sometimes not workable. Thank goodness for so many excellent visual online resources.
I loved seeing the settings for Emily, Thad and other characters in the trilogy. When I reread Blood Moon before Ebb Tide is released, I will have some visuals. Looks like you had a fabulous and relaxing time! You look so happy! Great photos! Will bookmark this so I can review the photos again. Next book setting? Depends on what your story is about. A lot of history in all of the countries — I am partial to Scotland and South Africa. So many places to visit, that I won’t except through books and movies. Lovely post!
Here’s another link you may want to browse, Patricia. I use Pinterest as my corkboard for all the images I find during my research, along with a blurb to help me remember what it is and the links to any websites I found especially useful. It’s a great tool. I have all the boards set to public so my readers can see them, too. I started using Pinterest this way about halfway through Ella Wood (book 1), so older books you see on there don’t have near as much content. But the boards to Ella Wood, Blood Moon, and Ebb Tide are all accessible through this link. The blurbs below the images may contain a few teasers, but I try to avoid any spoilers. https://www.pinterest.com/isenhoff/
Thanks. I have a pinterest account but need to figure it out. Will check it out.
Fantastic! So glad you got to do this. The pairings of photos and book references are pushing me to hurry up and read your series, which is on my reading list.
I’d be so honored if you read it, Gretchen. It’s been an enormous, fun undertaking but the end is in sight!
Wait. You went on a historic viewing trip, and you didn’t invite me?! And I thought we were history buff buddies. 🙁
😉 I’m glad you enjoyed your “research” trip! 😀
Looks like a great trip!! It is always wonderful to visit the settings in your books. Nice to do it with hubby too.
It was so much fun. A great anniversary trip! Have you been able to visit any of your settings, Darlene?
I have visited all my settings. I tend to visit them first and then write the book. Occasionally there is a place within the setting I didn´t get to but want to include, so I do research, like the catacombs under St. Stephan´s Cathedral in Vienna. Perhaps next time I visit there, I´ll check them out.
That’s awesome, Darlene. Going before is definitely preferable, just sometimes not workable. Thank goodness for so many excellent visual online resources.
I loved seeing the settings for Emily, Thad and other characters in the trilogy. When I reread Blood Moon before Ebb Tide is released, I will have some visuals. Looks like you had a fabulous and relaxing time! You look so happy! Great photos! Will bookmark this so I can review the photos again. Next book setting? Depends on what your story is about. A lot of history in all of the countries — I am partial to Scotland and South Africa. So many places to visit, that I won’t except through books and movies. Lovely post!
Here’s another link you may want to browse, Patricia. I use Pinterest as my corkboard for all the images I find during my research, along with a blurb to help me remember what it is and the links to any websites I found especially useful. It’s a great tool. I have all the boards set to public so my readers can see them, too. I started using Pinterest this way about halfway through Ella Wood (book 1), so older books you see on there don’t have near as much content. But the boards to Ella Wood, Blood Moon, and Ebb Tide are all accessible through this link. The blurbs below the images may contain a few teasers, but I try to avoid any spoilers. https://www.pinterest.com/isenhoff/
Thanks. I have a pinterest account but need to figure it out. Will check it out.
Fantastic! So glad you got to do this. The pairings of photos and book references are pushing me to hurry up and read your series, which is on my reading list.
I’d be so honored if you read it, Gretchen. It’s been an enormous, fun undertaking but the end is in sight!
Wait. You went on a historic viewing trip, and you didn’t invite me?! And I thought we were history buff buddies. 🙁
😉 I’m glad you enjoyed your “research” trip! 😀
Lol. Yes we are. Next time, Erik!!
Yippee!!! Road Trip! 😉