Tag: Location

Is there a location you would like to see in Christian fiction?

Bookish Question #387 | Is there a location you would like to see in Christian fiction?

This is a tough question!

(But not for the reason you might think.)

Most Christian fiction is set in the USA, so it stands to reason that I would look at locations outside the continental USA, or further afield.

So I started running through other places I’d like to see in Christian fiction … but I can actually think of books with those settings.

Let’s list a few:

Italy is the setting for at least some of the story in each of the books in the multi-author A Tuscan Legacy series.

Athens, Greece, is the setting for Athens Ambuscade by Kristen Joy Wilks. (Actually, check out the entire Passport to Romance series.)

Elizabeth Musser has set many of her novels in her adopted country of France, including This Promised Land and the upcoming From the Valley We Rise.

Michael Phillips is an older author, but set his Secret of the Rose in Poland and Germany.

Nadine Brandes set Romanov in pre-Revolution Russia.

Jeanette Windle set several books in South America, including Crossfire (Bolivia) and The DMZ (Colombia).

Kimberly Duffy has a Dreams of India trilogy set during the Raj.

Milla Holt has several international settings, including Uganda (Falling for the Foe) and her Seasons of Faith series, set in Norway.

Going Back Cold by Kelley Rose Waller is set in Antarctica!

And, of course, New Zealand features in Close to You by Kara Isaac.

The only location I can think of that I haven’t already read about is Iceland.

Jenny Erlingsson is from Iceland, so perhaps this is a location she can use as the setting for a future novel.

What about you? What location or locations would you like to read about in Christian fiction?

How do you find books set in a specific location?

Bookish Question #383 | How do you find books set in a specific location?

I thought about this question for a while, because I don’t usually look for books based on where they are set (although an intriguing setting will often entice me to pick up a new book).

However, I know a lot of readers do location-based reading challenges, so the answer to this question is important for filling in the gaps!

When I review books, I do try to include the location in my review or in the tags so I can find the book again, and I know some other reviewers do this as well (I admit I got the idea from Narelle Atkins). That helps me locate books set in specific locations again in the future, and I hope it helps other readers.

If I did need to find a book set in a specific location, I can think of three places I’d look:

1. Amazon

I would search the location name on Amazon, in the hope that authors writing in different locations would include that in their subtitle or book description.

2. The Story Chats Podcast

The Story Chats @ Inspy Romance podcast has (sadly) closed down, but the old episodes are all available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. The team did a whole series of episodes on locations.

3. Avid Readers of Christian Fiction on Facebook

If all else fails (or if you want to save yourself a search), the Avids always come through with a veritable trove of suggestions, not matter how obscure your question. I am not responsible for how much your bank account will suffer should you ask.

What about you? How do you find Christian novels set in a specific location?

What is your favourite setting to read about?

Bookish Question #99 | What is your favourite setting to read about?

Setting can be a big part of a novel.

It usually refers to the novel’s geographical setting (place), but can also mean the time setting.

Contemporary Christian fiction currently seems to favour small-town settings.

These can be fun, but they’re not consistent with my own childhood experience of living in a small town in New Zealand. Well, I guess it’s fiction so they make things up, right?

Some Christian fiction is set in big US cities.

Honestly, these all feel the same to me, because I’m not intimately familiar with any of the cities. Sure, I’ve visited many of them, but as a tourist. Tourist LA or Denver is very different from resident LA or Denver. (LA in novels is a lot like LA in the TV series “24”—no one ever gets caught in traffic jams on the 101 freeway.)

While I love reading contemporary Christian romance, I’m almost always reading for the story rather than the setting.

When it comes to setting, I prefer historical settings: Regency London (most of which still exists in real life), or the American West (home to all those mail order brides). In these stories, the setting is vital—almost as though it’s another character. I think my analytical brain prefers these settings because I have no idea if they’re accurate or not, so I can settle in and enjoy the story without thinking about the setting. At the same time, the setting plays a part and adds to the story.

What about you? What’s your favourite setting to read about?