Candis Terry | Welcome to Sweet, Texas

I couldn't be happier than to spend release day of ANYTHING BUT SWEET with Fresh Fiction! Thank you so much for letting me stop by today and give everyone a little tour of the inspiration photos I used to create a small fictitious town. I never knew a research trip could be so much fun until I headed into Texas Hill Country where the people are warm and friendly, the weather is hot, and the visual and cultural stimulation made my cup runneth over.

WELCOME TO SWEET, TEXAS

Population 6,000 + The Wilder Boys, a kooky community, and a goat.

The first store you'll pass on the way into this two-lane blink-and-you'll-miss-it town is Wilder and Sons Hardware and Feed—the store run by Reno Wilder, our hero in ANYTHING BUT SWEET.

Just down the street you'll see the Sweet Senior Center, Charli Brooks' first makeover challenge. Of course this had to be her groundbreaker since the seniors of Sweet were the ones who contacted her and her makeover show My New Town.

The Yellow Rose Cinema was a popular place for the Wilder boys to hang out in their teen years. Of course they always chose the very dark back row to sit with their dates.

In the center of Sweet's Main Street sits Town Square—the hub of activity for weddings, birthday parties, and the Sweet Apple Butter Festival. Besides Reno, Town Square was Charli's biggest (and hottest) challenge.

If you're in need of a sugar high don't miss Goody Gum Drops where the young Wilder boys would spend their weekly allowance on Sugar Babies, Bit-O-Honey, and SweeTarts. Charli took this one-time red and white striped building and made it even tastier by giving it just a hint of the candy cane effect.

Thanks to a century old building and Murphy's Law the makeover of Harvest Moon Mercantile almost didn't happen.

Sweet Pickens is the best place to take a hungry makeover show host. Just ask Reno.

Bud's Nothing Finer Diner is where townsfolk gather to mourn, celebrate, discuss local politics, and just plain old gossip.
On the outskirts of town you'll find Sweet's favorite honky-tonk—Seven Devils Saloon. A place Charli quickly learned was inhabited by women in skin tight jeans and belt buckles as big as silver platters as well as hot cowboys looking for a good time.

On the way down Rebel Creek Road to Wilder Ranch you might find a field of bluebonnets, a longhorn steer, or a Texas-sized windmill.

Wilder Ranch is several hundred acres and pretty recognizable with its fairly grand entry of stone and iron. Behind those gates Joe and Jana Wilder raised their five sons, Jared, Reno, Jackson, Jesse, and Jake. Each son was gifted their own acreage to build their own home and raise a family. Guess who gets started first?

On this lovely back veranda Reno and Charli engaged in some very interesting conversation.

And a whole lot of a different kind of interesting conversation went on after dark at this creek on Wilder Ranch.

If you've read any of my Sugar Shack novels or my short story Home Sweet Home, you know that the fur characters always play a big part in the story. So meet the three from ANYTHING BUT SWEET—Pumpkin, Charli's poodle, Bear, Reno's Australian Shepherd (Actually this is my daughter's dog Jet who's a girl. So don't tell her I turned her into a boy dog for the story!), and Miss Giddy, Jana Wilder's colorful goat.

Thank you all for taking the time to take a quick tour through my inspiration for Sweet, Texas. I hope you enjoyed yourselves and will make a return trip!