Behind the Scenes: A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island

I often start my books by thinking about a setting that I think readers will enjoy escaping to through the pages of a book. A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island was no exception.

I didn't grow up aware of Mackinac Island. I wasn't even sure what I was getting into the first time we drove the ten hours from Lafayette, Indiana, to the tip of Michigan's mitten. I knew is it took a long time to reach this tiny dot on the map. It didn't take me long to learn the island had worked hard to preserve a feel of days long ago. It took even less time to fall in love with this retreat. We've stayed at the Grand, in B & Bs and in Mackinaw City. Each time, I couldn't wait to reach the island and explore its roads, shops, and Fort. It was only natural that it became the perfect place to set a contemporary romance. 

 The island is a little over 8 miles in diameter. Bike shops dot the town from the docks to the area near the B & Bs. Each visit, we rent bikes. The trips stay the same, the number of bikes grow.  In the beginning it was two adult bikes with a burley cart. In July, we had three adult bikes, a burley cart, and a tandem attached to my bike. What doesn’t change is the way I relax as we circle the island, listening to the waves. Or the way I push to complete the loop in an hour so we don’t have to pay more for rental. Maybe next time we’ll take our own bikes and our time. Another thing Mackinac Island is known for is its fudge.  As I evaluated what elements to add to the story, fudge had to be part of it. The island has many fudge shops. Yummy!  One problem came as I incorporated fudge into my story…a key event in the mystery occurs there. My Facebook friends helped me come up with the perfect name for my fudge shop: I’m Not Sharing. And once you’ve walked into a shop, smelled the sweet scents and tasted a free sample, you’ll agree…the fudge is too good to share!
A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island:  Join attorney Alanna Stone as she returns home despite her determination to never set foot on Mackinac Island again. Once again in close proximity to Jonathan Covington, her first love, she vows to protect her privacy and her heart from the man who still makes her pulse race. But when her  worst fears are realized and history repeats itself—landing her in the midst of a murder investigation—Jonathan may be her only hope. Will they be able to lay aside the past and let God heal their hearts, or will reconciliation come too late?  Read the first chapter here.