IS ‘EAGLE RIDGE’ A REAL PLACE?

A GUEST BLOG BY HER ROCKY MOUNTAIN GUARDIAN AUTHOR MARGERY SCOTT

People have asked me if the setting of Her Rocky Mountain Guardian is a real place. At first, I said it wasn’t, that it was merely a fictional place I conjured up in my imagination to fit the story I wanted to tell. It was a ski town. It was winter. It was surrounded by empty land.  Completely fictitious.

But after I thought about it, I realized that I might have subconsciously used one of the small towns about twenty minutes from where I live as the setting. No, I don’t live in the Rockies, but I do have snow in the winter. Lots and lots and lots of snow. And I do have a couple of ski slopes nearby.

In the middle of winter, the town reminds me very much of Eagle Ridge, the setting of Her Rocky Mountain Guardian. It has one main street with many of the buildings dating back to the 1800’s. Small boutiques, gift shops and cafes line the street, and in the evening, vintage-looking streetlights give the town a Norman Rockwell-type feel.  At the bottom of the main street is a park and a lake.  Although the town is within commuting distance to a large city, it still has a village atmosphere, and is surrounded by farmland.

So even though I didn’t consciously base Eagle Ridge on a real place, it obviously seeped into my brain and showed up on the page. It never fails to amaze me when that happens.

This winter, I think I’ll spend a bit more time in Eagle Ridge … I mean … in town. It’s a nice place to visit.