Shannon Stacey: New England is part of who she is

Shannon Stacey, author of Taken With You, writes what she knows and loves, and she knows and loves New England (and jimmies).

Shannon: Somewhere around 1635, my father's ancestors hopped on a boat in England, ended up in Massachusetts and never left. Oh, I'm sure some branches of the family tree did, but tracing from that intrepid ancestor's first child straight down to me, we were all born in Massachusetts. My sons broke the streak, being born in New Hampshire, for which I blame my husband. We live about 20 minutes from the farm where he was born and raised and, except for a stint in the Marine Corps, New Hampshire is the only place he's ever lived.

Thanks to a stepdad in the Air Force and a nomadic habit that lasted beyond his retirement, I've lived in a lot of different places, including two separate periods of bouncing back and forth between Maine and New Hampshire (long story). If there's one thing I learned from living in places like Texas, England and Missouri, among others, it's that I'm a New Englander.

Setting my books in New Hampshire and Maine is not only writing what I know, but writing what I love. When I think of home, I think of New England. We're an interesting blend of minding our own business and being neighborly, have a reputation for being cranky at times, and we're a hardy bunch. Though, as Matt Barnett — the hero of Taken With You — finds out, the women don't care to be described as "sturdy."

Every region of the country has its own unique flavor, and we're particularly flavorful. You can walk into almost any New England diner on a Friday night for all-you-can-eat fried fish, with beans and franks on Saturday. We put jimmies on our ice cream, drink water from bubblers and eat brown bread from a can. Old Home Day is a big deal, as is fried dough at the agricultural fairs. We understand putting the window down and cranking the radio when it's only 25 degrees (F) because the spring sun is so warm after a long winter. And our parents all walked a mile to school, uphill both ways, in the snow.

I think all the shared life experiences that make up the flavor of a place also bring life to a book's setting. Whether it's Jaci Burton's Hope series, set in Oklahoma, or Julie James setting books in Chicago, when the author's voice and the point-of-view characters' voices come from the same shared life experiences, there's a depth of authenticity that's hard to replicate through research. I can read about Boise or even, thanks to social media, talk to people who live there. I can find out whether they drink soda or pop and I can even use Google's Street View to thoroughly explore the city. But I don't know the personality of the place, so my characters would be New Englanders in Boise clothing. Not that I think an author can only write about places she's lived (I think Nora Roberts would have something to say about that), but as a reader, I love being brought into a world I know the author knows and loves.

New England is part of who I am. Like most people I know, I'm driven by the seasons and can't imagine living in a place with no winter. I need that first deep breath of warm air when spring comes around. We might not offer friendly waves to strangers we pass on the road (they do that in southern Missouri!), but we won't drive by without stopping if you're in trouble. Our reputation for bring cranky at times is probably rooted in truth, but we also love a good sense of humor. And jimmies. Lots and lots of jimmies. (Those are chocolate sprinkles, by the way.) I love the place and I love the people, and I can't imagine the Kowalski series being set anywhere else.

Here's the blurb about Taken With You (courtesy of Carina Press):

Hailey Genest has seen most of her friends marry and have babies, and she's happy for them, but it was a lot easier before she hit forty. She's spent her entire life in Whitford, Maine, and if she hasn't found her Prince Charming by now, she has to accept she's probably not going to. When a new friend suggests they go on an adventure and embrace being single, Hailey agrees.

Surviving in the woods is game warden Matt Barnett's idea of a relaxing vacation. But when he meets two women in need of help, he leads them back to safety—a task that proves more fun than expected, thanks to a certain hot blonde. He can't resist pushing her buttons, even though she's made it clear that the rugged, outdoorsy type just isn't for her.

Hailey is glad to see the back of her tempting-tour-guide-slash-pain-in-the-ass. When he shows up in her life again, she's determined to avoid him, no matter how good he looks in his uniform. But that's easier said than done in Whitford, especially when he's renting the house right next door.

Find out more at shannonstacey.com.