I once lived in a village so small that when my family (I have five siblings) moved out, they changed the population on the welcome sign. Everyone knew everything about everyone else, whether they wanted to or not. Most times, of course, they wanted to. Village gossip, true or not, was better than any daytime soap and, as a kids, we would fuel that gossip with some tall tales of our own. A couple of them, my mom swears, turned her hair gray.
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I now live in a city so large it takes me 2 hours by bus to get downtown and I’m not that deep in the ‘burbs (though we do have deer in the backyard from time to time). Once I venture beyond my tight little neighborhood, I am practically invisible. Practically. Not truly like some people seem to think (I SEE you bus riding, toenail clippers!).
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The personalities of the people living in the two places are very different. Their daily routines are different. How they relate to others is different.
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In my first novel Breach Of Trust, Anne and Philippe had to live in a big city. Why? Because Anne wouldn’t have been able to keep her identity secret in a small town. One of my dear ol’ Aunties not only would have told Philippe what Anne was up to but also shared with him her weight, her romantic history, and what she had for breakfast. I don’t know how they know these things. They simply do.
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As a reader, I have a preference. I like urban tales (usually set in Regency England). I’ve mucked out enough barns in my life not to find the country that romantic. I hear about herds of cows and think ‘that’s a lot of shoveling.’
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Where do you prefer your romances to be set? In the country or in the city? And why?
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