Travel is my biggest inspiration for writing. My favorite element of telling a story is setting, so the places I write about are largely places that are special to me. As a reader, I also love discovering fresh places through an author’s work. The journey to a new location is always fun, and I’m fortunate to be able to do that for readers in FINDING TRUE NORTH.  

FINDING TRUE NORTH is my debut contemporary novel. The heroine, Paige, lives in Seguin, one of the oldest towns in Texas. She is a mother who is trying to navigate life post-divorce when she reconnects with Everett, an acquaintance from high school. She gets a second chance at love, but she’ll have to make some tough choices to find her “true north.”

Seguin is near San Antonio, so readers familiar with that part of Texas will find a lot to love about this town. Gorgeous pecan trees create canopies across streets and around the charming courthouse square. An emerald river called the Guadalupe cuts through the area, carving spectacular sights from the banks. Outside of downtown, there are sweeping views of rolling hills to explore.

In many ways, I think of my Texas-set writing as a love letter to the state in which I live. I adore my state as much as my characters do, and I hope readers enjoy the way that I recreate real settings in my books.

To learn more about Seguin and other areas in Texas, readers can request a free Texas State Travel Guide here: https://www.traveltexas.com/travel-guide.

How about you? Do you have a favorite setting from a book, real or imagined? Has a book’s setting ever inspired you to travel to that location? Share your favorite places in the comments section below.

Audrey Wick is a full-time English professor at Blinn College in Texas. Her writing has appeared in college textbooks published by Cengage Learning and W. W. Norton as well as in The Houston Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, The Orlando Sentinel, and various literary journals. Audrey believes the secret to happiness includes lifelong learning and good stories. But travel and coffee help. She has journeyed to over twenty countries—and sipped coffee at every one.