Escape to Wisconsin!
I did. This phrase is seen on bumper stickers in primarily Wisconsin and Illinois. And it took me awhile to escape to WI. Texas, Illinois, Iowa—are the other places, I have lived.
Wisconsin is where my husband and I and our three cats live now. We live on a lake in a pine forest. Within fifty miles of our home, there are 2500 lakes. No wonder, it’s called the Lakeland Area. Two national forests, the Nicolet and Chequamegon are also nearby. Also, Sylvania Wilderness north of us is one of the few old-growth forest preserves in the Midwest.
I suppose that some might wonder why it is important to mention where I live. I think that is because most Americans live in many different places in a lifetime. And I don’t think anyone can argue that where one lives makes a difference to a life. Whenever I plan a story, I always start with a place. What a person does for a living and where are a big part of a person’s life is place.
I have never lived in a small town before, so this has been a new experience for me. I also had never lived in a tourist area. That has proved even more interesting. In summer on a holiday weekend, the Lakeland area might host twenty to thirty thousand extra people. The idea is staggering. I avoid town during the busy, crowded summers, taking the back roads to avoid traffic. Summer is so busy here and noisy.
We live on a chain of several lakes. In the summers, I always say I sit and watch what I call the boat parade go by, especially on those busy weekends. I hear snatches of the music from the boats, giving me a wide variety—hiphop, C& W, hard rock. No opera though. Perhaps boating and opera don’t go together. <g> And have seen a lot of people having a good time. It’s hard to be grouchy when practically everyone that goes by is laughing.
The winters are the opposite, quiet and almost silent. Last January my husband and I stepped out onto our porch at night. The temperatures had risen near freezing and it was snowing. The sky was black velvet; the large fluffy snowflakes drifted down among the evergreens; not a sound was heard. It was one of those special “Ahhhh” moments. Beautiful. Breathtaking.
So that’s a window into our life.
And here are a couple of candid photos.
My husband and I in front of our Christmas tree.
My husband on a special fishing day.
Professional Note:
If you’re interested in the scoop about my writing career, drop by:
Avon Inspire
http://harpercollins.com/authors/32696/Lyn_Cote/index.aspx
Love Inspired Authors
http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com
Harlequin-Love Inspired
http://www.eharlequin.com
Christian Romance Novels
http://www.christianromancenovel.com/
Christian Romance Authors
http://www.christianromancenovel.com/christian-romance-authors-list
Drop by my GoodReads profile
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/101121.Lyn_Cote
Drop by Craftie Ladies of Romance blog
http://www.craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/
And if you’d like to subscribe to an email service, called ChapterAWeek, here is the signup link.
ChapterAWeek sends out once a week email with the first chapter of two books. This keeps you abreast of some great new fiction and lets you sample it. Also several times a year, CAW has a contest and a chance to win 10 LBS. of autographed books by outstanding inspirational authors.
Now, click the link to my books page and Christian Book Publishers page to learn more about what I’ve written and what I’m doing to help other authors.
