Today it’s my pleasure to welcome the super-talented and always gracious Saskia Walker to The Bradford Bunch! Saskia has one steaming hot read out this month, Reckless (I’ve been waiting for this one!). The busy lady also just inked a two-book deal with Harelquin Spice. (Congrats!!)
Saskia, thanks so much for guest blogging with us!
And now, on to Saskia’s post…
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First up, I want to thank the Bradford Bunch for inviting me to guest blog. You’re an awesome group of writers and this is a real honor. What I’d like to do is chat about what I call “a sense of place.” I’ve also seen this called “setting as character.”
Setting is a crucial element of any project for me, and I truly revel in that part of the writing. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in many different countries. That’s part of what defines me as a person. Maybe it’s also because many of the books I love from long ago echo the setting as part of the whole, from Agatha Christie’s DEATH ON THE NILE to Susan Johnson’s Russia in LOVE STORM.
When I started writing, however, I wasn’t consciously aware I was striving for setting, particularly. Then I happened to notice I was choosing to adopt different places from project to project. Once I noticed that, I started worrying I was doing it well enough, of course. 
My feeling is setting is very similar to historical research, in that the author’s knowledge of the society, customs, and landscape should underpin the story, not overwhelm it. The place and atmosphere should also be integral to the story, and one of my big worries is achieving that. In an article on this subject, author Timothy Hallinan states: “It will play a role in the story. It will affect your characters. In some ways it will reflect them.”
My first novella for Red Sage, “Summer Lightning,” was set on the Northumberland coast of England. This is the most untouched coastline of England and it’s both beautiful and eerie at times, the coastline dotted with ancient castles and long stretches of sandy beach that are all but deserted. My couple met on one such deserted beach on a humid, stormy night. They both care about the place, and ultimately the place had a big part in drawing them back together when a long-distance relationship clearly wasn’t going to work. In UNVEILING THE SORCERESS, an exotic fantasy novel, I explored a fantasyland based on my experience of living in the United Arab Emirates. I was trying to recreate the feeling of living in a place where lifestyle is determined by climate, heritage, and custom.
In my current novel-length release, RECKLESS, the setting moves from the City of London to Barcelona, and then to a villa deeper in the Catalonia region of Spain. The story has a mystery element, and Catalonia is special to me because mystery and seduction truly seem to be everywhere, from the architecture to the sultry eyed locals. I wanted to weave that into the plot, and to the developing relationships. A tall order! As a writer I know I’m always learning, and I know it could always have been better because writing is a constant learning process. However, I gave it my best shot, and if you pick up the novel I hope that you’ll find the flavor of the Catalan region echoes enticingly through the story.
What about you? Are there any books that come to mind when you think about setting? It doesn’t have to be a geographical location. The setting might be a fancy hotel, a sexy nightclub, or an austere block of apartments. Share your memorable book/film settings and I’ll pick one to win a copy of RECKLESS.
July 5th, 2008 at 5:48 am
Thanks, Cynthia! I’m still dazed by the Spice news.
Why is it I always see my bloopers afterwards? Just call me the typo queen. Missing words a speciality.
July 5th, 2008 at 7:53 am
I love what you do with the sense of place in your stories and novels, Saskia. Summer Lightning remains a favourite of mine, because the backdrop of that wild coastline really gives the story a magical quality. It *is* like a character.
Have only just begun to read Reckless, but I’m really looking forward to the action switching to Catalonia, because it’s one of the few foreign climes I’ve ever actually visited myself! It’s a long time ago now, but I can still remember the colour and energy of Barcelona, and I can’t wait to be transported back there, and then to deeper in the Catalan countryside, when I travel there with Katrina.
Oh, and I must say, your sense of place is spot on for the office setting in the first scene. I’ve worked in poky, dusty offices like that myself, and you really evoke the claustrophobic atmosphere they have. Alas, I never ran into a gorgeous hunk like Sergio in one of those offices though. But at least I’ve been able to experience some vicarious office naughtiness via the sizzling opening pages of Reckless! LOL
July 5th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Hi, Saskia! I’m so glad you’re guest blogging with us today!
As for setting, I thought your WHAT YOU WISH FOR had such great setting descriptions! So easy to picture!
July 5th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Hi Portia, and thank you! I thought about your Barcelona trip, too, when I was writing that part. I hope you enjoy.
It’s funny, when people wrote to me about SUMMER LIGHTNING several of them commented on the place, that it had stayed with them, and I think that’s when I began noticing something I was enjoying subconsciously up until that point.
Re dusty offices, you evoke offices (and libraries) so well, not to mention the fact they are filled with sizzling action beneath the surface. Yum. When I wrote that opening scene in RECKLESS I was thinking of years back, when I had an interview to work in publishing in London. The job was doing research for a prestigious art dictionary. The office was up a dozen flights of stairs in a garret filled with teetering stacks of books and a tiny sky light. I was quite relieved when I didn’t get the job!
July 5th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Cynthia, thank you! By the time I got to WHAT YOU WISH FOR it was one of my solid ambitions to give a good feel of the place. I truly enjoy it.
You made me want to visit your Paradise Found nightclub in HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT. Yes, I know! I was scared too, but.. wow. I felt the tension of the place. It was the notion of demon energy snaking out of the shadows onto the dancefloor, compelling stuff. I wanted to check it out. Maybe with a shifter bodyguard in tow..?
July 5th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Welcome Saskia! It’s great to have you here!
I agree with Cynthia. WHAT YOU WISH FOR had a great setting and awesome descriptives. I’m very much looking forward to RECKLESS and HUGE CONGRATS on your Spice deal!
July 5th, 2008 at 10:52 am
congrats on your Spice deal.. thats wonderful..
i dont really have a favorite setting, i am a big fan of cowboys so texas is one of my favorites.. I have to say the most memorable is still Gone With The Wind.. my all time favorite book and movie.. I love the deep south…
July 5th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Hi Saskia,
my sister lives in Andorra, that tiny little country between Spain and France not far from Barcelona. I love visiting her and Reckless will be a book just for me!Thanks for writing it, it will be on my wishlist! Spain is one of my favorite settings, and an other is Scotland. Perhaps it’s the castles…
I haven’t read any of your books yet but I love finding new authors and your books sound great.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Marissa, thank you! I think I need to set another story in Cornwall. It seems popular.
Jolene, oh, yes. I can always watch that one over and again. I was hoping to visit Dallas last year for the RWA conference, but couldn’t stretch to it. One day, fingers crossed!
July 5th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Hey Eva, the novel I’m working on next is set in a coastal village in Scotland. Coincidence! I wish I had a sister to visit in Andorra.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Congrats on your Spice deal!
I don’t have a favorite setting. If a book is well written, any setting will do.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Hi Saskia,
Congrats on the book deal. My favorite setting from a movie is the White Cliffs of Dover. It’s such a beautiful sight.
July 5th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Estella, thank you! You’re so right. The best books are the ones where everything is so well done that you feel part of it and you don’t want it to end.
Jane, thank you! The cliffs are awesome, aren’t they. Whenever I see them in any film or TV show, especially a wartime story, it makes me think of homecoming.
Keep the comments coming! I’ll draw one name on Sunday evening. (GMT)
July 5th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I always like a book set in Ireland or Scotland
July 5th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Congratulations on your Harlequin Spice book deal. That’s great. I enjoy books set in tropical settings.
July 5th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Patricia, yes indeed, the celtic countries always signal romance for me.
Crystal, one of the first romances I ever read (aged eleven) was a series romance set in the tropics. I became addicted to romance at that point, it was such a great read. Mostly I recall the hero trapping the heroine in a steamy beach hut, where he stroked the inside of her wrist (while he whispered to her) in such a way that it stuck with me forever.
I wish I knew who the author was.
July 5th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Welcome Saskia! As for setting, I love authors who are able to bring the flavor of setting right into the living room with me. Authors that I think can do this superbly (I am green with envy I think they do it so well) would include Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels, Bonnie Vanak, and Connie Brockway wrote this one novel called as you desire that was set in Egypt that just blew me away. Others include Katherine Sutcliff’s Love’s Illusion (set in 1888 London). My favorite Barbara Samuel book ever is Lucien’s Fall. I’m always attracted to novels set in Britain and Ireland since I lived in England three years and visited Ireland once and adored it. Candace Proctror’s Night In Eden blew me away…it’s set in Australia in the 1800’s. Loved it!
Denise A. Agnew
http://www.deniseagnew.como
July 5th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Sorry…big typos in my last note. SIGH. I meant AS YOU DESIRE by Connie Brockway. I believe it is out of print now. LOVED THAT BOOK!!!
Denise A. Agnew
http://www.deniseagnew.com
July 5th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I love watching movies set in the South. The Big Easy and Steel Magnolias are fascinating for both the stories, scenery, and those gorgeous accents.
July 5th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Saskia,
I haven’t read any other your books yet. This one looks like a great one to start with. I love books with where the setting is a ranch or the wide open country. It’s the country girl in me.
July 5th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I like reading books that are set in New Orleans. Reckless sounds great!
July 5th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Ooh, Denise, you have added to my tbb list, thank you! My CP introduced me to Elizabeth Peters (I loved NAKED ONCE MORE, such a terrific read,) but I’m making notes on the rest. The Candace Proctor especially. And it brought THE THORN BIRDS to mind. Sigh.
July 5th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Cathy, (and Amy!) anything set in the deep south or New Orleans has me watching. Does anyone here remember No Mercy, a 1980s movie? Steeaaaaming.
Showing my age now 
July 5th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Hi Greta! If you try some of my work, I hope you enjoy. Wide open spaces are always an inspiration. I love contrasts, too, and that’s part of what I tried to reflect in RECKLESS, the difference in city/countryside.
July 5th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
It’s getting late here in the UK, but I’ll be back in the morning to read any more memorable book/film settings. Please tempt my reading/DVD list some more.
July 5th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I like Europe for historical books because of the rich history and tradition inherent there. I read books as a means to vicariously travel to those places. It’s been a long time since I’ve read Anne Rice’s Cry to Heaven, but I remember how lush and evocative the setting of Naples and Italy were. While my memory of the book has faded, I still remember how immersed I became in the book and how strongly my emotions were evoked.
July 5th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I like stories set in New Orleans; the bayou, crawfish/lobster, the music, Mardi Gras. Very interesting food/sites/sounds to experience.
July 5th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Hi Saskia,
Congrats!! I like anything with castles and beautiful landscape. I live in the city, so it’s nice to “visit” those places.
July 5th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
You know, reading this post, I’ve come to conclusion that I don’t really have a favorite location. I just like being transported to different locations by the talented fingers of you awesome authors. It’s amazing how I can envision a place, feel the people and finish a book feeling like I’ve just come home from taking a trip somewhere. I have to thank you for the hundreds of times you’ve saved me from the normalcy or life and going insane.
On that note I am sure there are many people in hospitals, out in the war, etc that escape their surrounding and situations in much the same way. So my thanks for sharing with us your wonderful talent through your books.
July 5th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Hi Saskia - I really don’t have a favorite settin, but I like to read scenic places or something like Texas since that is where I am from.
July 5th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Hi Saskia! I’ve been looking forward to this read when I heard about it coming out a few months back and been patient,
I read alot of historicals too, mostly those set in London, I think because for the past then for Regencies, I loved reading about the culture that included the society rules, the dresses, social (balls), etc. Then too, I’ve come to love reads set in London, Scotland and many places in the UK I’ve never been there and its one place I’ve always said I wanted to visit! I’ve never read them in the current setting, I think. I’m not very good with geography and I might be wrong again with them being in the UK, but I learn alot with reading romance!
I too love to read books set in even imaginary or real islands that give a feeling of being far and separated from the word. Those always keep me guessing in my mind where they are and keep my mind imagining the setting!.
July 5th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Oh too wanted to congrat you on the Spice books! So thrilled for you! Too RECKLESS cover is awesome!
July 5th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
the one i think of with beautiful setting in a book is Eyes of Fire by Cj England gorgous setting I can see in my mind when I read that! loved it. i love being sucked into a setting. take me away
July 5th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Congrats on your book deals! My late Mom and I loved “The Big Easy” a romance/mystery set in New Orleans. Who can’t forget the scene when Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin are ready to “get it on” when both their beepers go off! Today, it would be cell phones or Iphone chirping! I loved that movie. If you haven’t seen this one yet, believe me, ladies, it’s a classic.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Saskia I would love to win a copy of your book, I haven’t had the opportunity to read any of yours yet. Please please pick me!
July 5th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Welcome, Saskia (what a cool name, by the way). Congrats on the Spice deal!
One of the novels that set the standard for me, regarding seamlessly incorporating setting with narrative, is LaVyrle Spencer’s Morning Glory. Every detail of the Dinsmore place, as seen through either Will’s or Elly’s eyes, just drags me more firmly into rural Georgia in the early 1940s. The prose is magical.
A completely different, but just as effective, way of doing this is what both JDRobb (in the In Death series) and Nalini Singh (in the Psy/Changeling series) do with their alternative futures. In both cases, the plot depends on the fabric of the world they have built.
Heh, I have no clue if I even make sense…
Either way, have a good weekend, everyone!
July 6th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Sue A – CRY TO HEAVEN is going on my list. That sounds fascinating, thank you!
Another vote for New Orleans, thank you RobynL. I agree, it’s always a memorable setting.
Dina, thanks! Castles, landscapes, and I’m always drawn to books set on a coastline or an island. I loved the Three Sisters island trilogy by Nora Roberts, for example
July 6th, 2008 at 12:31 am
April, I’m looking for memorable locations; it doesn’t have to be a favourite. And you’re so right. That feeling of being taken somewhere, that you’ve been there right along with the characters in their adventure, is part of what makes reading special. I used to travel a lot, grew up travelling with my parents, but I have limited mobility so it’s a bigger deal and nowadays I read about places I will never get the chance to see. When I’m writing I’m revisiting a setting in my mind, or in some cases researching a place I’ve never been. That’s so much fun, too. J. If even one reader can enjoy a place through my image of it, that makes me very happy.
Acdaisy, isn’t it amazing how reading about a familiar place can make us appreciate it all over again. I subscribe to a magazine about my area (Yorkshire in England) because it makes me see things I don’t see, even though I thought I knew it like the back of my hand.
Hi Caffey! Regencies are always going to be popular aren’t they? I grew up on them, and it’s almost liked a comfort read now to pick up a good regency and let myself slide into that world.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Tina, EYES OF FIRE is going on my list. Thank you!
Laura K, thank you! With enigmatic stars like that and NO as setting, it was surely destined to be a classic. Dennis can light my eyes up any day.
Tami, thank you for calling by, you’re in the draw.
Azteclady, thank you. MORNING GLORY is now on my list. I’m reading the Psy/Changling series as it comes out. Nalini has a real knack for taking us there, doesn’t she. Very talented writer. I’ve got one of the In Death series but I’ve been wondering if I need to read them in order. Can anyone advise me on that point?
July 6th, 2008 at 1:20 am
Saskia, what’s that Yorkshire magazine that you read? I’m woefully clueless about my own county… I should probably read it too.
July 6th, 2008 at 2:58 am
It’s called Yorkshire Living. I’ll save you the sub form out of my next edition. I got a complimentary copy at the airport once and loved it. It makes us Yorkshire folk seem/feel glamorous.
July 6th, 2008 at 4:10 am
Cool! Thanks for that, Saskia.
And you and I are living proof that Yorkshire folk *are* glamorous!
July 6th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Portia, I challenge you to say that when you’ve seen me first thing in the morning. You’ve got that joy to look forward to.
July 6th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Saskia, I’m anal about reading the books in order myself, so I would start at the begining (Naked in Death) However, I think the series hits its stride with Vengeance in Death, the sixth installment–which is early enough so that you don’t get too many spoilers for later character development nor feel lost about whatever happened earlier.
July 6th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Thank you, azteclady! That’s really helpful.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:51 am
I love Nora Robert’s In Death series. CONGRATS on the new release Saskia, Reckless sounds interesting.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Hi Phoebe, and thank you!
July 6th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
We have a winner! I asked the man of the house to pick a comment. April, send me your postal address, the book is yours. (mail me at saskiawalker(AT)gmail.com)
Thanks to everyone for all the great comments and suggestions. I now have lots of books I want to find, and I definitely want to make a list of New Orleans movies and plan a steamy weekend of indulgent movie watching
I’ve enjoyed chatting with you. Thanks once again to the Bradford Bunch for inviting me here. Have a great week!
July 6th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I tend to be drawn to small creepy towns. Rachel Caine really grabbed me with her YA Morganville Vampire series. I didn’t really think too much about it until you said it, but it really is so much about setting with that series and probably why I liked it so much.
Also, love your book cover!
July 6th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Congrats, April!
Best of luck with the release and the book deal, Saskia.
July 6th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Congrats Saskia on the SPICE deal!!! that’s fantastic!
July 6th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Hi Zoe! So glad you like the cover. I guess that’s the sign of a truly great writer, where an aspect of the writing is so subtle you barely notice it pulling you in. Kudos! The creepy town thing, oh yes! Great stuff when an author/film maker can capture that.
Thank you, azteclady, and thanks for chatting.
Thank you, Vivi! The news is gradually sinking in. I was in shock at first.