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Fort Rock: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Rock,
Oregon
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My latest book, Oregon Outback, releases in July so I plan to do a series of posts that I hope you’ll find interesting, relating to everything from the unique geography to the complex characters and their law enforcement backgrounds. Oregon Outback includes four novellas, all romantic suspense and heavy on both elements.
As a reader you might wonder how and why writers choose specific locales for their stories. Why did I choose the south central region of Oregon?
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| Ayers Rock Australia
photo by psmorrison on Flickr
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I’ve always been fascinated with Australia and would love to visit there one day so when I heard the term “Oregon Outback,” I was immediately intrigued. From the two images I’ve included, you can see right away the similarities between Australia’s Outback and Oregon’s high desert, hence this region of Oregon earned the phrase, Oregon Outback.
This expanse is part of the Great Basin which includes Oregon, Nevada and Utah. The high desert of Oregon is a rugged, harsh and brutal landscape that contains remnants of volcanic activity even as near as a thousand years ago.
I imagined four brothers who grew up in this region and how they’d have to be rugged and tough in not only their livelihoods but maybe in their hearts as well. Here’s the novella collection blurb so you can see what I mean:
The harsh, yet peaceful Oregon Outback molds the lives of four rugged brothers who stumble into love. FBI agent Jonas Love has brought trouble back home, endangering his life and that of an old flame. Cattle rancher Carver Love finds himself falling for the sheriff in the midst of chasing down modern-day rustlers. Thrill-seeker Lucas Love fears nothing—until he meets a beautiful bookkeeper. Justin Love is trailing a fugitive who’s heading too close to home—and one particular lodge keeper. How will God protect these men as they risk their lives to defend the ones they love?
In the end, it always comes back to God and how He interacts with our lives. Since I’m a Christian writing fiction, His ways reveal themselves through the characters in my stories, too. Now there’s another topic for another day.
If you have questions or anything you’d enjoy hearing about Oregon Outback or the writing process, please don’t hesitate to ask.