Fiction in Real Life #2 (Out of Her Hands)

I think it's fun to see how real life sneaks into fiction. Many authors take something familiar and weave it into their novels. A few weeks ago I posted about Linda's favorite chair from both Searching for Spice and Out of Her Hands.

Both of my books are set in my hometown. I call the town Pine Grove, which is not its current name, but was a previous name of the town.

Today I'm going to give you a peek at the decorations on Mainstreet during the holidays.

On page 304 of Out of Her Hands my characters have parked their car and are walking through the park to the restaurant on Mainstreet I called The Gray Pony. By the way, I wrote this from memory, after having seen these lovely decorations for years. My town likes tradition, and doesn't change the theme. Thank goodness. Here's how I wrote it:

"I feel as if I’ve stepped into another world as we wind our way through the lit-up park to the street. Strands of illuminated white icicles dangle from the edge of the gazebo’s roof, and clear lights strung on garland are draped around the charming pavilion. Gigantic white snowflake lights hang high above, suspended from the lofty cottonwoods, some blinking as if they’re an illusion in the night sky. The trunks of the tall trees sparkle with a cloak of tightly wound white lights. The entire downtown twinkles in the December air, and even the Victorian streetlights dazzle passersby with necklaces of greenery accented with red velvet ribbons."

I took these photos on December 31st, 2008. This is another photo. It was taken later in the evening after darkness fell. You can see from the picture above how large these beautiful cottonwood trees are.

I love my little town park. Nearby are coffee shops, restaurants, neat shops, and a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream parlor. This past summer my Words For The Journey writers met here to have our author portraits taken by Pauline of Fat Tuna Photography.

If you read my books, is this how you imagined it would look?