Seeing the setting

 Each book in my Doug Fletcher series is set in a different national park or historic site. While there is information about all of the locations on the internet, there's really no substitute for having been to the locations. As fiction writers, we create a variety of towns, businesses, and people who never existed. One writer explained how she, and introvert, worked. "I create things that never happened, in places that don't exist, with people who were never born. All this while sitting at my computer. It's a perfect world for an introvert."

That's not an option when setting the books in national parks. They do exist, and readers know what they look like, even if the events and characters are fictional. In a few days, we're going to Kentucky where I plan to visit Lincoln's Birthplace National Historic Site. I've got an outline for a mystery I want to set at Lincoln's birthplace, and I need to experience the place before finishing the book. Being there, allows me to add "texture" to the setting that I can't get from Google Earth or YouTube.  My victim owns a fictional distillery, and his murder is related to the imminent release of the first batch of his new bourbon. 

I've really enjoyed the research about bourbon making (not sampling,,,internet research). The definition of bourbon requires the largest portion of the "mash" be corn, and that the liquor be aged for at least two years in charred white oak barrels. Kentucky is the birthplace of bourbon, but it can be made anywhere in the U.S. as long as it follows the rules. Beyond that, there are nuances in the grains, and aging that add flavor and mellowness to the liquor. Having some chemistry background allowed me to dig into the science behind the art. There are literally hundreds of ways to tweak the flavor profile on the final product, and my victim was a master distiller, who was making his competition nervous. 

That said, I may have to make room in our trip to visit a distillery, or two. Just to better understand the process and the feel of the facilities. Hmm. That may require me to sample some product. Hmm. Maybe we'll visit a couple of distilleries. I wonder if they have Uber in central Kentucky? I'd hate to be ticketed for oversampling and driving while doing my research. (Seriously, that will NOT be a problem).

Look for "A Bourbon to Die For" next summer. In the meanwhile, check out "Strung Out to Die" and the previous Doug Fletcher Park Service mysteries from BWL publishing.

Hovey, Dean Doug Fletcher series - BWL Publishing Inc.