Before
getting into a story about reality vs. fiction, I have an offer to make. If you
leave a comment, I’ll randomly select two to receive “gifted” copies of the
audio version of A Well-Kept Family Secret. The blog will be up for a week and the winners will be announced on Monday, October 20th. Take a chance. Leave a comment.
~ * ~
Many times
I’ve heard authors say if you find a current event that has something to do
with one of your books, make the most of it. Well, the other night my daughter
called and read me a headline she’d found on the Internet.
“Hiker Discovers an Abandoned Town Inside Tennessee's Great Smoky
Mountains National Park.” (Huffington Post) (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roadtrippers/hiker-discovers-an-abando_b_5927164.html)
I immediately thought of Old Murders Never Die where Sandi and Pete discover a fictional ghost town in the mountains of
Arizona, and where they become stranded. My next move was to read the article.
There were a number of interesting similarities, and some definite differences.
Jordan Liles discovered Elkmont in May of
2013, a town built around 1912, in the Great Smoky Mountains. Wolf Creek, the
fictional town in my story, is considerably older, but there were those
similarities staring me in the face. By the way, the book was released in July
of 2013.
There’s a river by Elkmont. Wolf Creek had a
large creek nearby. The real town was located in the woods. The fictional town
was located in the woods. The real town had a hotel, and the fictional town had
a saloon/hotel. Many of the pictures Mr. Liles shared reminded me of my idea of
Wolf Creek, including some houses that were overgrown with foliage.
One of the differences? Although the real
town had buildings still standing, they weren’t in safe condition. I can
understand that, being located in Tennessee with more moisture and humidity.
The fictional town was located in Arizona where the weather is arid and dry. In
the book, most of the buildings were relatively
safe to explore.
Another difference is that Elkmont had
electricity. Wolf Creek didn’t because it was a much older town, abandoned
shortly after 1880.
If this makes
you curious about Elkmont, check out the video Mr. Liles made as he walked
through the town. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfaTpunhJRs)
It’s quite interesting. Be sure to take a look at his website, too, at http://www.jordanliles.com/blog/.
Along these
lines, I was contacted by a woman who’s been a steward for ghost towns for a
long time. She said she was enjoying the story partly because the way I
described Wolf Creek would be what you might actually find in a deserted town,
with one notable exception. A real town would have been a lot dirtier. Well, I
didn’t want Sandi to spend the entire story cleaning, so I downplayed the dirt
and limited her to cleaning one house – the place where they would stay while
stranded.
The
background on the cover of Old Murders Never Die is actually Bodie, California.
The house featured on the middle of the cover is an abandoned house found in
Nevada. It has no special significance, except that it’s the basis for the Wolf
Creek adventure. Hmm. So I guess it really does
have significance.
Many people
don’t realize how much unexplored land is still left in America. There are, I’m
sure, other towns waiting to be discovered.
Take a hike
sometime in an area where there’s not generally a lot of foot traffic. You
never know what you might find. Another Wolf Creek, only the real deal, or
maybe another Elkmont area?
Thank you
Jordan Liles for sharing your story.
Until next
time, check out some historic homes and sites in your area. You might find some
fun exploring ahead of you.
CLICK HERE to
visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com
There aren't too many things in life more exciting to me than finding an old abandoned house. I can't imagine the thrill of finding a whole town. That has a lot to do with why "Old Murders Never Die" is one of my favorite mysteries. Well, that and the intriguing plot and great characters.
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd found a town, too. I did once have the opportunity to walk a newly located ancient Indian trail, but I wasn't the one who discovered it. Thank you for your comments about the book. I hope one day you find the abandoned house that makes your day. : ) Thank you for commenting!
DeleteHow exciting! I did read about the other town on Facebook--does make you wonder.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the excitement of a discovery like that. What fun! Thank you for stopping in, Marilyn!
DeleteI thought I had posted a comment Monday but must have forgotten to click Publish! I have never discovered an old abandoned house although I have seen one on my grandparents' farm out in the woods. My uncle inherited it but as far as I know, never lived in it. I've often wondered why it was built in the first place. All my father would say when I asked him was, "It belongs to Red. He keeps his hay there." But at one time it was a regular little house but I could never get anyone to tell me why it was built in that place and for whom. A family mystery indeed.
ReplyDeleteA family mystery might be the most interesting of all. The only thing I can recall was a barn down the street from where we lived. We weren't allowed to enter it. You have a fun and mysterious memory. Thank you so much for sharing your story!
ReplyDeleteWOW your timing writing your story was right in the zone. Must be psychic to have such a coincidence. Another fascinating blog posting. Now a tad late this week but put me in the hopper for the audio please.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jake. I was mighty surprised to see his discovery was around the time the book was released. You're in the hopper, and thank you for stopping in!
DeleteWhat intriguing events. How exciting to discover fact imitating fiction. Love your cover photo. In fact I went to visit your 'photo' page & fell in love with all of them. Wish I could figure out how to share them. They're awesome. Should I win, instead of an audio, could I please receive an e-copy? Hearing has grown difficult the older I become & I just hate the squeal of hearing aids. Thank you for this opportunity & I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a win. :)
ReplyDeleteThere was a deserted house in our neighborhood that we were warned to stay away from, similar to the barn down your street, I suppose. My friend & I were peeping through the front door when my father arrived home early from work. Boy, did I get my hide tanned...not done nowadays but then, it was common.
Love your story, Carolyn. Considering your hearing issues, I'll be happy to give you the ebook if you win. Winners will be announced on Monday. Thank you for stopping in!
DeleteHow did so many of the details in your story mimic reality? Was that due to research? Bet you enjoyed comparing the real thing to your story.
ReplyDeletePure coincidence. There was a lot of research, but it didn't involved other ghost towns, only the things people used and the way they lived in that time period. Yes, I really enjoyed comparing the two towns. Thank you so much for stopping in, Sharon!
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