Travel to Copenhagen

 By Katherine McIntyre

     One of the things I love most about writing and reading is how it sates my wanderlust. Don’t get me wrong—I still adore traveling, and each year I try to chip away at my ever expanding bucket list—however, writing new stories in different locations helps me get through those pockets in between. So, when I signed up for the Beyond Fairytales challenge and was assigned the fairytale String of Pearls, I knew I had to seize upon that location: Copenhagen, Denmark.

     String of Pearls is an older woman’s recollection of the Copenhagen line and how she met her sweetheart along the way. Immediately a yearning seized me to explore the jewels of Denmark and what it might hold. The main character, Erik, is a soul collector who travels along the Copenhagen line, stopping at a different club each night. Not only did that allow me to explore the club scene in Denmark, but also different structures, like St. Mikkel’s Church, and the Great Belt Bridge.

Only problem is, I’ve never been to Denmark in my life.

So how to get details and properly envision what it would be like? One of the ways I do that is through Google Maps. That has been a lifesaver for me when I research my settings for any contemporary romance or urban fantasy stories that I work on. I zoom in on the areas and check street views of the spots to get a scope of things, and searching images works as well. However, I also had some help on the more detailed cultural questions since one of my friends happened to live in Denmark for awhile.

Once I wrote about it though, the travel bug bit me, and although Denmark was never on my list of places to go before, it’s marked down there now. Join me in falling in love with another city, and read Soul Solution, part of Decadent Publishing’s wonderful Beyond Fairytales series. Hopefully the city will cast the same magic on you as it did for Mina and Erik.

Soul Solution blurb:

For Erik Anderson, the Copenhagen line is his curse. He takes the train every night en route to collect souls. Like any lovelorn fool, he bargained his own long ago, and now pays the price—a lifetime of loneliness as a grim reaper.  Stay distant—that’s been his mantra and what keeps him sane.

Until Mina Castner drops into his life like a whirlwind, one spilled drink leading to staying up until dawn with the woman. He believed one night couldn’t hurt, but he sorely underestimated her determination. Every encounter between them is a reprieve from the guilt of reaping souls every night, but it can’t last. Even if she sparks long buried feelings, and even if her sheer presence intoxicates him, he can’t let this continue. For humans, his touch is poison, and if he slips up, it could cost her life.

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Discovering Pinterest

By Katherine McIntyre

I resisted—for awhile. Years went by and I’d hear friends talking about the recipe they found on Pinterest, or that new craft they had to try. When I checked it out for myself though, I wasn’t too thrilled. For me, I’m fairly comfortable with Facebook, and if I keep up with a form of social media, I like having a practical application to it. When I want recipes though, I’ve got my resources, and chances are, I don’t embark on crafts unless I fully commit, like when I learned soapmaking.

However, this year changed all that. I discovered my practical application for Pinterest: inspiration boards for my books. Now, I’m sure this is no novel concept (har, har) for most writers, but I really have enjoyed this gamechanger. Despite being a writer, I’m actually not great with visualization. I need picture or art prompts to flesh out details of surroundings, and if I’ve never been to a place before, I spent a lot of time on street view in GoogleMaps. Since Pinterest involves organizing pictures to different boards, it was an easy step to pin pictures that fit the settings, style of dress, or technology from the different worlds I’ve created.

So of course, my Decadent releases were given designated boards. By the Sea is filled with beautiful pictures of coastal Massachusetts, selkies, and the rippling ocean at night, which are all themes and settings from the paranormal romance novelette. Same with my contemporary novella,

Poisoned Apple—I added in some Philly area diners, gritty street lamps, goth girls, and unique Snow Clear art since that story was the inspiration for this darker take. And as for my next Decadent Publishing release on the horizon, Soul Solution also has a board. It’s based on the Hans Christian Andersen story, String of Pearls, and part of the Beyond Fairytales line. I am beyond excited for this story, and in anticipation, I’ve been filling up the Soul Solution board with pictures of Copenhagen train line, Denmark, and dark, gritty clubs.

I’ve fallen prey to Pinterest, folks, but one thing it reveals is the sheer amount of different locations and places the stories take you. So if you’re craving summer escapes—books offer the cheapest vacation of them all!

By the Sea Buy Links

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Poisoned Apple Buy Links

Amazon || Kobo || Barnes and Noble || Smashwords

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