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Tara Taylor Quinn | Introducing The Chapman Files
June 9, 2010
I’m currently living in a small town in the Midwest. I’m not really a small
town girl. I have nothing against small towns; I’ve just always lived in
cities. I feel at home in the city. I like having a lot of things going on
around me. I like choices. Lots of choices. I’m a shopper and need the
stimulation of many different stores within a short distance from me that I can
wander into on the spur of the moment just to see and touch pretty things. I’m
a people watcher and love knowing that every day when I go out into my world
there will be many new people to observe, in many different walks of life, doing
many different things. I need an international airport nearby so I can fly off
to exotic places. And I like city living because of the anonymity. I can be
out in the city and never be seen. Never be noticed. I can live in the city
and not have anyone else in my business. You can imagine then, my culture shock, when I find myself living in my
husband’s hometown, population 12,000. I’ve learned to love many things about
small town living. Small towns are more peaceful. They aren’t frenetic and
worrying about keeping up with the Jones (whoever they are). Your neighbors
know who you are and look out for you and your property. They don’t think
you’re nosy or interfering if you look out for theirs. When you frequent the
local eatery, they greet you by name and meet you at your table with your drink
of choice. There’s a sense of family and belonging in a small town that you
don’t find in the city. And still, while I appreciate the small town benefits, I didn’t feel as if I was
living in my town. I felt like an interloper. A visitor. And so I did what
writers do. I created my own place. My senses and emotions took in this small
town in which I live and from somewhere within me came my own version of this
town. It’s called Chandler, Ohio. The small counseling office on the corner by
Main Street that I pass every morning on my way for my diet coke became the
office of expert witness psychologist Kelly Chapman. Kelly has a life full of
files -cases and clients she’s handled - and she offered to share them with me.
One at a time. And so, The Chapman Files came to be. The new series starts with four back to back books. The First Wife, (Harlequin
Superromance, 9/10) takes place right here in Chandler. And in Chicago, too
because, well, I’m a city girl! In The First Wife, Kelly’s called in as an
expert witness on a murder case. It’s a husband accused of murdering his wife.
And the key witness is - his wife. Turns out the guy’s a bigamist. Following The First Wife
come three MIRA Suspense novels, The Second Lie (10/10), The Third Secret (11/10),
and The Fourth Victim
(12/10.) MIRA will be sending coupons for these titles to my personal mailing
list. If you’d like to receive the coupons send your name and e-mail to
[email protected]
to be added to our list. Happy Reading!
Comments
15 comments posted.
Re: Tara Taylor Quinn | Introducing The Chapman Files
I grew up in a very small town. Everyone knew everything about each other. No locks on your doors, you walked everywhere. I think I like big city better.
(Pat Wilson 9:38am June 9, 2010)
Small towns feel neighborly, because you know or get to know everybody's business. I grew up in a town of 13,000 and it didn't seem that big.
(Alyson Widen 9:39am June 9, 2010)
After many years of corporate moves to large cities, the peace and quiet and slow pace of small towns is a joy. No neighbor's house within five-feet next door to you is the best perk. Facts of life are going to be with us -- drugs, petty crimes, etc., but there is just a safer feeling when you actually know your neighbors and they keep an out for anything that seems out of the ordinary.
However, being within 20 miles of med centers and malls is also nice, but man -- the traffic getting there vs. a rush hour of maybe 20 cars in small thow. That's the best-of-the best!
(Betty Cox 10:02am June 9, 2010)
Whoops -- should have proofed my post. "a small thow??" how about small town traffic and neighbors keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary
(Betty Cox 10:04am June 9, 2010)
I also grew up in a small town. I have lived in both small towns an big cities. There is so much good about both ways of life. I like the pace of life in the small towns, but the cities have so much to offer. We lived in suburban DC for 5 years. We took advantage of it when we were there and our kids were the perfect age. We go back now to take in what we missed because it wouldn't appeal to the kids or what is new since we left. I like the sound of your new series. Best of luck with it.
(Patricia Barraclough 10:25am June 9, 2010)
Sorry, but I don't consider 12,000 a small town. I grew up in a town with less than 200 (counting the dogs and cows). The only traffic jam was when one of the farmers would drive his tractor to the local garage.
(Karin Tillotson 12:10pm June 9, 2010)
I also live in a very community
outside a small town(5000) and
would not trade it for the world.
(Lisa Richards 1:48pm June 9, 2010)
Ialso live is a really small town and at times it is great and at times it is not so great that is if you do NOT want all to know you whole life.
(Vickie Hightower 4:02pm June 9, 2010)
A small community can be very isolating if the locals shut you out. I think you need to be born into it.
(Mary Preston 4:35pm June 9, 2010)
It is sometimes very difficult for newcomers to a small town, to be accepted.
(Diane Sadler 7:15pm June 9, 2010)
I have never lived in a small town but I want to read about Chandler, Ohio. I'm sure that I will find that the place and the people are worth knowing.
(Rosemary Krejsa 8:28pm June 9, 2010)
After living in the city for all of my life, I now live in a small town. I wouldn't change it for the world!! I now wake up to the sound of the birds and the roosters instead of sirens. We have only one traffic signal. People wave and smile to each other instead of flipping you off and swearing. I can smell fresh air instead of smog. Sure, some things may be a bit of an inconvenience, but I wouldn't change the tranquility for anything in the world!!
(Peggy Roberson 9:23pm June 9, 2010)
It's hard to go to a small community that is all established and you weren't apart of it then. My Grandmother lived in a small town where everyone knew everyone. I would go to stay there in the summers. I found even though we lived over the newspaper right on main street during those times. I felt horribly alone much of the time. The people hanging on the street who were my age were not friendly to me an outsider.
(Brenda Rupp 11:58pm June 9, 2010)
I'm definitely a city girl but I
love reading books with small
town settings.
(Jacqueline Cook 11:12pm June 10, 2010)
I don't feel so alone in my small town isolation now! I guess part of it is what you're used to, too. And what you notice around you. I don't notice smog in the city, I notice the life going on around me. For me, being in the city was nice because I could go about my business without being stared at or talked about. Also, to be fair, my big city is Phoenix, Arizona (I'm moving back in the fall - YEAH!!!) and in Arizona, the natural beauty is so compelling it outshines big city and small town. The mountains own the state and when you're there, you know it. No matter what kind of day I was having, I could always step outside, commune with the mountains, and all would be well. Or at least better enough to give me the strength to move forward.
(Tara Taylor Quinn 10:16am June 14, 2010)
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