Fiction versus reality.
I’m often asked where I get my ideas for the stories I
write. What can I say? From everyday life. And not just ideas, objects and
locations also.
Take my Lella York Mysteries series, let’s compare some of
her everyday items with my own, past and present.
Her car; she drives a Mustang. For years I drove a silver
Mustang with custom paint job on the hood. The young men at the car wash would
argue for the fun of taking the car through the wash. It was that cool. Later
on I traded it in for a 2 door black Infiniti, but that's another story...
Her townhouse. Yes, I'm describing the gated complex I lived
at while in Dana Point. Common garage and even the views. Eventually I moved
south.
Mission San Juan Capistrano. I was a volunteer there for a
couple of years, and did everything Lella describes...including answering the
phones on Swallows day.
Flash the cat? The name of my black cat was...Cat. RIP.
All the restaurants and places named in the book are real.
Some are now gone, like the bar where Lella first met Ruby. Quiet cannon is now
called Cannons, and my beloved Sarducci moved from across the Mission to the
train depot.
But don’t take my word for it…read the books and then you’ll
have a good reason to visit Orange County, the old Mission and the wonderful
beaches from San Clemente to the South to Seal Beach to the North. Believe me,
you’ll be happy you did.
Author Bio
Award winning author Maria Grazia Swan was born in Italy,
but has also lived in Belgium, France, Germany, in beautiful Orange County,
California where she raised her family. She is currently at home in Phoenix,
Arizona.
As a young girl, her vivid imagination predestined her to be
a bestselling author. She won her first literary award at the age of fourteen
while living in Belgium. As a young woman Maria returned to Italy designing
haute couture. Once in the U.S. and after years of concentrating on family, she
tackled real estate. These days her time is devoted to her deepest passions:
writing and helping people and pets find the perfect home.
Maria loves travel, opera, good books, hiking, and
intelligent movies (if she can find one, that is). When asked about her idea of
a perfect evening, she favors stimulating conversation, Northern Italian food
and perfectly chilled Prosecco.
Thank you so much!!!!
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