Back twenty years ago or so, when I first settled in and got serious about writing novels, I came across a piece of advice for writers attempting commercial women’s fiction: make it glamorous.

Cities. Wealth. Fantastically luxurious homes and fantastically powerful people (meaning rich men and gorgeous women).

The problem is that I’m a country girl.

Which isn’t to say that I don’t like cities. I actually do (although I liked them a lot more a few years ago than I do today). Some of my most treasured memories are from visits to cities: Chicago, London, San Francisco, and of course New York. I love their culture, the pace, the people, the food.

But I’m a country girl. I grew up surrounded by woods.

My brain is steeped in rural landscapes and the people who live there.