The Rings

All authors have a thing that they do when they write: use a special mug or pen, listen to a special playlist or go to a specific location. I wear rings. With each novel that I write I search for rings that have something to do with the story and inspire me. I wear them throughout the process of writing and editing and then they get retired onto a ring frame that hangs on my wall just beyond my desk.

For It Never Occurred to Her I wore a ring with a rock from the street, Saint Gabriel's wings, and a tape measure. What do these have to do with the novel? Read it and find out!

I love to promote the shops, mostly Etsy, that I purchased each ring from.  As with many small businesses sometimes the Etsy shop links may lead to a shop that has been closed down or on a break.
The wings, Gabriel's wings - ShimmerU
The tape measure - DarvanaleeDesigns
The blank - YihengBeads
The rock - my driveway. ;)

Downtown Baton Rouge

Downtown Baton Rouge is where the park, the streets, and the food kitchen in the novel are located. I am familiar with downtown Baton Rouge which made writing about it really comfortable. Still, to get these shots author Elizabeth Collums and I walked around one day to visit the back alleyways, parking lots, and the park itself where some of the book takes place.

Bayou Blue and Bayou Folse Road

As I travelled the path on Google Maps that Lena took when she escaped The Camp, I came across a beautiful body of water under a bridge, located in Bayou Blue, Louisiana. I couldn't help but to take a stroll down the street. It was breathtaking, even on GMaps, so I decided to go to the end when I came to these crosses by the road. It didn't take long to look up the tragedy that happened there and I knew I had to include that area in the book itself.