small town, big dreams

​What Inspired Me To Write my Moonlight Valley series

​​Summer.
A popular time to escape whether it's a staycation or weekend getaway. It’s no wonder summer is pegged as the perfect time to read. Beach read, anyone?
New places to visit, familiar hideaways or a favourite escape, whichever it is, I use my surroundings as an inspiration for future books. There’s truth in writing about something you know. 

When my kids were young, flying was undesirable, so my hubby and I would drive to the Okanagan and spend time in Osoyoos and Oliver. Located in British Columbia, close to the US border, it’s a desert in the summer months, offering beautiful lakes, mountain terrain, award-winning wineries, distilleries, breweries and fruit orchards is more than expected in a small-town. The quaint towns became our go-to, a familiar and homey place to visit.  
 
With all the fun rolled up into one exciting place, these towns have mastered big dreams for all it produces. It’s a place I love for its memories and setting. It’s what inspired me to write my Moonlight Valley series. 
 
One summer, while exploring Oliver, known as ‘Canada’s Wine Capital,’ I toured and did wine tasting along the main road. The stunning views of rolling hills, the acres of grape vines, peach and apple orchards, mountains, and Osoyoos Lake… is paradise. It has all the qualities of a small-town dream. My mind wandered about how these wineries came into existence, and as I learned, some had been in families for generations. What a great place to be inspired!

Emily Hill, my heroine in, Playing For Love, is a proud winemaker wanting to carry out her passion and commitment of her family’s business, Cottage Hill’s Winery. However, when hit with financial troubles, she fears somebody might remove her family’s name if she can’t find the money to save it. She can’t fathom a future without her business, and when her old crush brings home the Stanley Cup to celebrate his win, she’s not just fighting for her career; she’s fighting the feelings that surface again when she sees Mason again. Keeping her financial troubles private, Emily resists help from the only man who has always had her heart. 
 
I hope you enjoy Moonlight Valley.  
What’s your favourite small town to visit?
Let me know in the comments.
 
Cheers!
 
Charlene