Tule Author Q&A: Melissa McClone’s hometown was her inspiration!

Melissa McClone stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the fourth book in the Silver Falls series, A Sprinkle of Spring!

Where did you get the inspiration for the town of Silver Falls?

I live in a small town in Washington, very similar to Silver Falls. So let’s just say my hometown provided much of the inspiration. Instead of a First Avenue, we have Fourth Avenue. The Boo Bash in A Cup of Autumn? The shops here do something similar each year. We don’t have a Christmas decorating window competition, though.

So what I did was fictionalize my town and make it more perfect, as far as small towns go. I only wish we had the same shops Silver Falls did with those owners. I mean, who wouldn’t want one of Raine’s special hot cocoas? The yummy desserts that Taryn makes for Larsen’s Bakery (ours closed, but there is a new sweets shop that just opened.) Or buy the organic dog treats from Callie’s doggy daycare for their fur pup? 

 

What 3 words would you use to describe Flynn and Anna so readers can get to know them better?

Flynn: arrogant, generous, workaholic

Anna: kind-hearted, giving, nurturing

 

four dogs on parkThis book features a dog grooming heroine and her many pets. Are you an animal lover and do you have any pets?

I am an animal lover. I have a dog, a Norwegian Elkhound named Cato, and two black cats, Yoda and Beauty. I’ve also fostered cats and volunteered at a local animal rescue as Anna does in the book. At one point we had two dogs and eight cats with all the fosters, but it is hard to say no when there’s an animal in need of a place to recover or spend their final days.

To be honest, I can’t imagine a house without an animal. They are members of our family, only they have four legs instead of two.

 

Did you need to do any kind of research for this book?

Yes, I did! I did a bunch of research into the life of a surgeon. I realized so much depends on where they are and what they do. Some work privately and contract with hospitals, others work for hospitals. It was very interesting, but I found I could take some leeway for my story, which I did with Flynn.

I researched injuries that occur from falls (don’t want to give away any spoilers so that’s all I’ll say!)

I also went down a rabbit hole researching baby showers. It’s been a while since I attended one, so I wanted to see if they’d changed. I read articles on the games and themes and it was so much fun. Oh, boy, there are some cute baby things out there. Needless to say, I put together an entire baby shower for this book, even though I didn’t mention everything I had put down. 

 

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading Relationtrip by Elana Johnson. It’s a standalone travel romance written in first person POV. I’m not far into the book, but I’m enjoying it.

 

About the Author

With a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, Melissa McClone worked for a major airline where she traveled the globe and met her husband. But analyzing jet engine performance couldn’t compete with her love of writing happily ever afters. She’s now a USA Today Bestselling author and has also been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award. Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three children, a spoiled Norwegian Elkhound, and cats who think they rule the house. They do!

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