Who's Your Author? discussion

I'm curious, do you have a preference about where authors locate the settings of their books? For instance, do you prefer a real place to one that is made up? Do you prefer a book or series being set in the country you live in as opposed to somewhere else? The reason I ask is because authors like Nalini Singh and Kelley Armstrong both live outside the US but their main series are set in the US. I'm not sure if it's because they like the cities they chose or to try to appeal the the US market. Then there are series like Diana Rowland and Jennifer Estep which are set in imaginary towns with names that sound like ones that truly exist. I'm thinking this is to allow the author more artistic freedom to set it up the way they want. Has anyone ever been tempted to visit the locations of books you love that truly exist? Let us know.

I don't mind either way. Nalini slips in mentions of the NZ coven from time to time in the Guild Series.

As most books are not set in Aus I learn something new nearly everytime I read a book and when they are set here I just go awwwww ... (like Riley Jensen)

I'd definitely like to see Kate's Atlanta, but somehow I don't see the local tourist authority going to the trouble to destroy it just for me :DDD

Sandra wrote: "I'd definitely like to see Kate's Atlanta, but somehow I don't see the local tourist authority going to the trouble to destroy it just for me :DDD"

FOFLMBO!

LOL Yes, I don't think they'd trash the place for a bunch of Kate Daniels fans.

*snicker* ROFL

Too bad they don't make theme parks based off of popular books instead of just movies and TV shows. At least we got Harry Potter.

I prefer the made up world - it can be based on reality or just the authors world but I love it when the setting is like a character (for example in Sunshine). But I am biased because I started out reading epic fantasy so I guess somethings don't really change.

It is really cool when reality gets combined with fantasy like in Daughter of Smoke & Bone or Neverwhere

Lisarenee wrote: "LOL Yes, I don't think they'd trash the place for a bunch of Kate Daniels fans."

That would be awesome...I hate Atlanta which is part of why I love Kate Daniels because the city is so messed up


**I probably should not admit that lol

I'm have mixed feelings on this. I'm Canadian and Kelley Armstrong has thrown quite a few Canadian connections into her books which I love. But as I know that it's a book I don't always worry about the location being real. It is nice if I read I something and I know the difference areas that an author is talking about it's fun. But as long it works and enhances the story line the location is not a major thing. Although I did just read Nicolas Claire Sweet Seduction series (at least the ones released) and it takes place in Auckland New Zealand which I really enjoyed.

Dawn wrote: "Lisarenee wrote: "LOL Yes, I don't think they'd trash the place for a bunch of Kate Daniels fans."

That would be awesome...I hate Atlanta which is part of why I love Kate Daniels because the city ..."

Strangely enough, I think it was Ilona Andrews who asked several months ago which city would you most like to see destroyed in one of her/their books. I thought it was a funny question. I wonder if that will happen in one of the upcoming books?

You're right, that is a funny question :)

We'll have to look out for it in coming books.

If the a author is familiar enough to make someone native to that city feel comfortable, then sure use a city halfway across the world! But otherwise, you would be better off to make up a city or make sure that your world is far off our reality enough to hide any huge mistakes. Like let's take Laurell K Hamilton as an example. She's kept St Louis pretty true to form in mentality and somewhat in geography. At least as far as I can tell. One of these days I'm going to have to go back and read the whole series again with a notebook at my side, to write down every street name she does mention, every true landmark she talks about, because other than Anita, Micah and Nathaniel living in Jefferson County, the strip clubs being in East St Louis on the Illinois side, and Jean Claude's clubs being downtown, couldn't tell you a dang thing about her city!! And I lived in STL for 10 years. THAT'S how you trick even a native from knowing if you've made a mistake!!

I think Chloe Neill is a true Chicago Native, or else she would never DARE try to take on their geography. Either that or she's got an amazing helper to keep her on track!! Because she names names and shouts street names!! And Chicagoans are VERY proud of their city. You don't play games with it!!

Angie,

You're right about Neill staying true to Chicago. I grew up in the suburbs and even some of the restaurants she talks of exist. I'm not sure if the Mallowbars (is that the right name) are real, but I've eaten at some of the places she's mentioned.

I am from DC and people do amazing things in stories with streets and places to eat. It drives me nuts, like would it hurt to use a map heck google maps can even give you a time estimate.

Lisarenee wrote: "Angie,

You right about Neill staying true to Chicago. I grew up in the suburbs and even some of the restaurants she talks of exist. I'm not sure if the Mallowbars (is that the right name) are real..."

Just wanted to say I think Chicago has some of the best food in the world I love to eat while I am there.

See and Hamilton doesn't hardly talk about the food in STL much, I think the best she's don't is mention The Hill, which is a neighborhood filled with Italian Americans with some amazing food. And grocers!! Not to mention they paint their fire hydrants the colors of the Italian flag, that's how proud they are of their heritage. She may have mentioned the hydrants, when she was tailing someone or going to a cemetery. And the only claim to food fame St Louis has is that they supposedly invented they fried ravioli, but not everyone agrees about that. And of course all the foods introduced at the 1904 World's Fair, even though they weren't "invented" in St Louis. Other than that, St Louis is a giant melting pot, ethnicities from all over the world, except you have to drive about 2 hours outside of the city on a hilly, curvy two lane highway to get to a decent German restaurant, since the one good one closed sometime in the last 6 or 7 years. Hermann MO is renowned for it's Oktoberfest!! Also it has tons of wineries.

I love when a book is set in a made up place but they have ties to the real world for example: The Nightside Series (Simon R Green) it's an entirely different world inside London also Yasmine Galenorns Otherworldly and Earthside