Today, I am delighted to be joined by regular guest Morton S Gray as she talks about living in a fictional world. Over to you, Morton…
I write standalone contemporary “romance with a mystery to solve” novels but all set in my fictional seaside town of Borteen. I’m just putting the finishing touches to the seventh novel set in the town, having published the sixth – Summer at Lucerne Lodge in April 2021.
My debut novel, The Girl on the Beach was my first book set in Borteen. I truly find it amazing how quickly a fictional place can begin to feel completely real. In my head, I can walk down the streets and name the shops and their owners, I know what the views are like from various places in the town and surrounding countryside, even how wide the roads are.
When it came to writing Book Two in the Borteen Secrets Series – The Truth Lies Buried, my editor asked if I had a map of the town, so I drew one and added pictures to show how I envisaged the buildings and various landmarks. It was surprisingly easy to do, because I had walked the streets so often in my head. I fully intend to tidy this up at some point so that I can let readers see it, but at the moment the map includes some pictures to which I don’t have sharing rights.
I’ve set two books at Christmas in Borteen – Christmas at Borteen Bay and Christmas at the Little Beach Café and book seven’s timeline goes through the Christmas period too. The traditions of the town at this time of year again feel so very familiar to me, with the Christmas fair, Santa fun run and Christmas tree dressing event.
There have also been two summer books set in Borteen – Sunny Days at the Beach and Summer at Lucerne Lodge, which give the town a different touristy feel with more beach activity. Again, I can happily walk the beach at Borteen and visit the caves in the cliffs. The town is not based on an actual place, more a mixture of lots of seaside places I have spent time in, so it amuses me when my readers try to guess the actual location.
My characters are also very real to me. If any of them walked into a café I would instantly recognise them. I know their appearance and demeanour, how they interact as if I was inside of them looking out of their eyes, as well as from observing them through the eyes of other characters. Not only do I know how their facial features change when confronted with the situations I put them into in my books, but I know how they feel too, how their heart rate reacts and the sensations on their skin.
I suppose what I am trying to say is that I can put myself inside my story, fictional town and even inside the characters’ heads. I realise that makes me sound really odd, but it is how the process of writing works for me. For me as part of the practice of writing, I see my books unfold like films in front of me.
This experience isn’t unique amongst writers, but friends who haven’t had this encounter with a fictional world can look at me a little strangely if I talk about it, especially when I mention that other Borteen residents mentioned in the seven books so far are clamouring for their stories to be told too.
What a great post, Morton. I love your Borteen Secrets series and the way your knowledge of the setting and characters shines through in the writing. xx
Book celebrations:
Morton is celebrating two things at the moment, the release of her sixth novel for Choc Lit – Summer at Lucerne Lodge and the paperback release of Sunny Days at the Beach.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge tells the story of Tanner and Rosie. They first meet at a charity auction held in the grounds of Lucerne Lodge on the outskirts of the seaside town of Borteen. However, that first meeting isn’t as innocent as it sounds, because Tanner has found a private investigator’s file on his father’s desk about Rosie and wants to know why … Discover more, here.
Sunny Days at the Beach begins when commitment free singleton and craft shop owner Mandy takes in an abandoned teenager, but then gin distillery owner Graham arrives in Borteen with some unexpected news. Discover more, here.
About the author.
Morton S Gray lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors.
Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was published after she won the Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Star competition.Her other books for Choc Lit are The Truth Lies Buried, Christmas at Borteen Bay, Sunny Days at the Beach, Christmas at the Little Beach Café and Summer at Lucerne Lodge.
Morton previously worked in the electricity industry in committee services, staff development and training. She has a Business Studies degree and is a fully qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She also has diplomas in Tuina acupressure massage and energy field therapy. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.
You can find out more about Morton and her work via: website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Apricot Plots
