Big perk of the writing life? The opportunity to travel to the settings of your books!
Last summer, after I submitted Turn to Me to my publisher, it came time to dream up a new series. I decided I’d write about three brothers and titled their series Sons of Scandal. Next I needed to hunt for a location.
So far, I’ve set books in Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington state, and the north Georgia mountains. I hadn’t used the northeastern coast as a backdrop and was definitely feeling a tug in that direction. I asked readers to tell me about their favorite spots in New England. They responded with so many fabulous suggestions. I spent a great deal of time looking at pictures online, waiting for a spark of inspiration to ignite within me. That’s exactly what happened with Maine. The rugged shoreline! The thick forests! The islands dotting the sea!
So… which spot in Maine to choose? I like to nestle my fictional towns in the location of actual towns for several reasons. 1) I glean lots of ideas from the real-life history/look/feel of the place. 2) My characters can interact with real-life sites nearby. 3) It simplifies logistics. (I can quickly look up weather in the actual town during any month of the year. I can Google how long it would take a character to drive from the actual town to anywhere else.) I browsed through many more pictures and eventually settled on the town of Camden as my inspiration.
Ideally I love to visit my setting right when I begin to write book one of a series. However, our family had other plans during the ’21-’22 school year. I started working on book one of Sons of Scandal last September, but wasn’t able to travel north to see Maine for myself. Until now! My husband and I just returned from an absolutely wonderful trip.
Here are a few photos I snapped of Maine in general….
And here are some of the pictures I took of Camden….
I took a large number of photos and saved many more observations in my memory. I can’t wait to rewrite book one and layer in all the details of this beautiful place. And I can’t wait to eventually take you to Maine with me through the novels!
Have you been to Maine? What were your impressions?
Before I go, I wanted you to know that I’m currently giving away three audiobooks of Turn to Me via Instagram! If you’re on that platform, click here or find me there as BeckyWadeWriter. Simply follow me and leave a comment on my giveaway post to enter!
Becky Wade
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I have enjoyed traveling with you virtually! Such a beautiful place. I am looking forward to visiting again through your book series.
Thanks for following along with my travels virtually! I’m always so glad to have things to share and say on social media when I go places. (As opposed to scratching my head and wondering if anyone would find another dog picture interesting.) 🙂
Thanks, Becky, for sharing your travel and writing news. Maine looks gorgeous. I can’t wait to read your new series novels. Blessings ❤️
Blessings!
I’ve never been to Maine but hope to go one day. Your pictures are fantastic!
Thanks! I think it’s definitely worth visiting adding to your “Future Trips” list.
I am most definitely going to go back to the Portland Headlight after seeing your photo. That’s all I’ve seen of Maine so far. I like to visit the settings of your books though so it’s a given that a trip will happen eventually. Now to find a travel buddy!
There are two I can think of…. 😉
Almost 30 years ago, I spent my honeymoon in the Camden/Rockport area. We’ve been back many times since then. I’m a born Mainer and still live here, although in the mountains. I love the Maine coast. I’m excited to see that you are setting your new series there.
What a fabulous place to live! Another friend reached out to say she honeymooned in Camden. My instincts seem to be spot-on! Turns out it’s brimming with romance and thus ideal for romantic novels.
I’m always excited for your books but I’m SUPER excited about this series! Can’t wait. Glad you got to experience Maine. It’s my happy place. 😍
I completely understand why!
I visited Acadia National Park several years ago on a Holland America cruise. I remember cool, clear air and the view from high up. I don’t know if it was the Beehive Loop. I had previously been to Maine on a side trip from New Hampshire and all I remember is rain.
I used to travel a lot before I started writing. Now I wish I’d taken a lot more photos in places I later wrote about.
Acadia National Park was one of the most naturally gorgeous places I’ve seen. The view around every corner was, “Oooh!” then, “Ahh!”
As you have already heard in some of my posts here and in Cheer Squad, Maine is one of my FAVORITE vacation spots. Once we discovered how beautiful it was on our first stop at Ogunquit in southern Maine, we knew we would return. I booked several b&b’s going up the coast so we could explore and experience Maine – Kennebunkport, Boothbay Harbor, and Newcastle – then Bar Harbor, where we continued to return for many years. We visited the towns of Camden, Rockport, Rockland, and Portland, but never stayed there. Of course, as we traveled to Bar Harbor, we would stop at the outlets in Freeport. We loved driving around Mt. Desert Island, taking many of the boat trips, and settling in for the night in our hotel to listen to the piano player in the Great Room. So glad you got to experience Maine! Did you know Stephen King lives in Bangor? We saw his home, which is surrounded by a very high black wrought iron fence that has spiders and bats intermeshed.
Love the pictures! Looking forward to the books!
Yes! I did know Stephen King lives in Bangor. 🙂 And I’d love to return one day and visit the places you mentioned that I didn’t get to this time around.
Oh, I really want to go to Maine! Some day. Gorgeous!
It’s SO pretty!!!
This southerner loves Maine! As a result of our trips there, I wrote a book set there too!
I completely understand why! It’s such a perfect backdrop for fiction.
Don’t forget blueberries, lobster rolls, and popovers. Our daughter spent the summer of 2018 working as a summit steward for the Friends of Acadia on Cadillac Mountain, so we had to visit. She lost track of how many times people asked her to take photos of them up there! It’s the highest elevation east of the Mississippi.
I didn’t realize Cadillac Mountain was the highest elevation east of the Mississippi! Thanks for that info. And yes, I won’t forget the things you mentioned. 🙂
Maine is beautiful! We visited Portland last summer and Acadia National Park about 17 years ago. I’m guess on the return from that trip we may have been by Camden, but our only stops were in efforts to find authentic clam chowder, or chowda, as they say.
“Chowda” for sure! Ha ha ha! The pursuit of authentic chowder is a very worthwhile activity. 😉
Gorgeous scenery! It looks like you had perfect weather, too. Thank you for sharing your pictures. I have never been to Maine, but now it’s on the bucket list, but even more than that I can’t wait to experience it through your next series (very, very good news that you are working on another series!!!)!
♥️🙏
The weather was (mostly) glorious for us the entire trip!
Loved this post, Becky – – and look forward to your new series!
Maine has been at the top of my “Wish List” of places to visit for years – – so much so, that my oldest daughter has given me wonderful books about Maine. I’ve also received tons of free info and maps from the online Maine site. In fact, just a couple of days ago, the Chamber of Commerce for one of the coastal areas sent me a booklet filled with information, pictures, etc. – – just making me even more eager to visit! (And I sat up until the wee hours looking through the booklet, LOL!)
Now seeing your post and photos adds even more longing to visit in person, so hopefully before too long I will. (Plus, Maine has an official State Cat—the Maine Coon!) 🙂
Hugs from Georgia, Patti Jo
Yes! I think you’ll love traveling there! And how can you resist, knowing they have a state cat?! 🙂
I’ve actually been to Main with my husband before children! WE loved it! I pulled out the old photo album to remember where we went. LOL We went to Bangor, Bar Harbor, Boothbay and Portland. Boothbay was my favorite and we were there over 4th of July and it was one of the best 4th of July’s. All the ships blew their horns and firewords shot off in the sky. It really was magical.
I am thrilled to hear some about your new series! I am already intrigued. I need to go google Camden and learn all about it. How exciting!
It sounds like you stayed in wonderful places! We traveled to two of the places you saw — Bar Harbor and Portland. There are so many wonderful towns there, it’s hard to choose!
I meant MainE not Main. LOL
I visited Maine with my family six years ago when I was 15 and loved it! We hiked the Beehive too—my 12 year old sister did it in flip flops!
WHAT?!!!! She hiked Beehive in flip flops? LOL! I truly can’t imagine that. I felt lucky to come away alive wearing tennis shoes. 😉
It was crazy! We didn’t realize how tough of a hike it was (I think we meant to go on an easy trail) but next thing we knew we were hiking almost straight up 😅 I have no idea how she did it!
I love Maine! Glad you had a good time and got lots of good inspiration!
Thanks! It was a wonderful trip.
I love Maine and in my dream world, I would have a summer home there. You visited some of my favorite places, Camden, Acadia National Park, etc. That drive up coastal Hwy 1 is beautiful. I’m so glad you were able to experience it all. Weren’t your Summer Harbor novels set in Maine?