An adorable clipart map of the apple farm with little apple trees dotted all over the place, some veggie gardens, harvest barn, cabins, a pond with a duck and, of course, the Worminator!
Guest Bloggers by Name, Jemi Fraser, Author

Jemi Fraser: The Fun of Writing the Small Towns in Small-Town Romance

Catherine

By Jemi Fraser, Author

I’ve been publishing small-town romance for about 5 years now and creating the settings is one of my favourite parts of the process.

To me, the settings are characters. They’re vital to the storylines and can influence the regular characters and the plots. It’s fun to have unique aspects that have the towns stand out.

A header image of an autumnal valley of green grass and trees with the covers of book number 1 in each of the series Jemi mentions in this blog post overlayed.

My first series is set in Bloo Moose. Bloo Moose is a small town on the edge of a large lake. There’s a boardwalk along that lake that is one of the popular features of the town. Across from the boardwalk, locally-owned businesses line the street. Each one is bright and fun and adds something to the town.

One unique feature of Bloo Moose is the life-sized moose statues that grace the boardwalk and businesses. Deputy Mooris hangs out at the police station. Elvis likes the view from the boardwalk. Michelangelo sports a cheesy moustache in front of Fortini’s Italian restaurant. Gill with his fishing gear and lures poses in front of Lachance Fishing lodge.

My next series moved to an old fishing lodge next to Midnight Lake. Tansy and Joe inherit the secluded property from their grandfather. It’s a huge place including the lodge, the lake, a dozen cabins, and an old sawmill. The lodge is a two-mile hike in from the sawmill, which sits at the road, and it’s a perfect place for Tansy to retreat from the world. She takes on the task of taking the property off the grid while recuperating from a betrayal.

The property soon lures in friends and family. The old sawmill and cabins get new life as businesses and work spaces (as well arson investigations, robot workshop, art studio…). The largest cabin houses Midnight Security, a bodyguard training facility. The property becomes central to the plot several times over the series.

An ode to Jemi's No Fail Heroes (spelled with an F despite the town of Phail being spelled with a P H), featuring photos like a flight of beer, outdoorsy photos and a barn.
An adorable clipart map of the Phail Farms (P H Phail but F for Farm) with a tiny horse, tiny peacock, tiny dog, tiny sheep as well the Phail Brewery, Falcon Construction, Shaggy's Place and hops field.
A collage of smalltown romance related photos like a barn and a couple snuggled up on a snowy picnic and the night sky.
An adorable clipart map of the apple farm with little apple trees dotted all over the place, some veggie gardens, harvest barn, cabins, a pond with a duck and, of course, the Worminator!
An adorable clipart map of Phail (spelled with a P H) with businesses like Yoganna Love It, Phail General, Phail Phoods (with a P H), and the No Fail Diner (spelled with an F this time).

My next series is set in the town of Phail, which is a short drive from the Midnight Lake property. With a name like Phail, you know there are going to be lots of cheesy puns (which I love!). The series features a group of former army teammates who work together to build a brewery, improve the town–and find love of course!

The town’s businesses revel in the name. No Fail Diner. Phail Phoods. Phail General, Phail Jail, and many more that pop up throughout the series. You can’t drive through without smiling!

My latest series is set on an old apple farm just down the road from Phail and Midnight Lake. I’m having so much fun with this series which is centered around a family who inherits the farm from a relative they never knew existed.

Planning out the farm and the buildings was a blast. There are two farmhouses, three barns, cabins, and sheds that are all integral to the various stories. So far there’s a compost facility (The Worminator) and a duck coop (Duckington Palace) and a B&B (Inn Cider Inn) that add to the fun.

Small towns have their own unique personalities. Creating quirky names is (obviously) one of my favourite parts of the process. Bring on the puns and the idioms!

Want to check out my books? Visit jemifraser.com I bet some of the small towns you love have their own share of quirky!