Ashland, Oregon at Christmastime
Magic & Memory begins and ends in Ashland, Oregon. It's a location I know well -- in fact, it's my adopted home town.
My local friends thought it was kind of funny that I'd set a paranormal urban fantasy here, maybe because they don't quite see the magic of this place like I do. To me though, it was the perfect setting. And in fact, I think it's kind of a perfect town in general.
Maybe that's because I grew up in the cookie cutter world of Orange County, California. In the neighborhood I lived in, all the houses were one of four floor plans. So when you went over to your friend's house for the first time, you wouldn't have to ask where the bathroom was, because you already knew -- either because it was exactly like your house, or exactly like one of your other friend's houses.
Uniformity in general was a big theme back then. My friends and I all lived in the same houses, wore the same clothes, liked the same blonde surfer boys. And I suppose some people like that kind of sameness, that kind of predictability.
But I'm not one of those people.
So now I make my home here, and every day I appreciate all that's unique and off-beat about Ashland. It's the perfect antidote to uniformity, a vibrant community that I knew would serve as a wonderful real-life backdrop to a story with elements of fantasy.
An interesting aspect of this town is that if you drive even a little way up the mountain right behind it, you almost immediately end up on some truly scary narrow dirt roads with heart-stopping drop-offs along side. It takes a bold individual to choose to live up one of those roads. It was the perfect setting for my main character Lu Harper's house.
And a few hardy souls really do live up there.
If you ever have occasion to drive through southern Oregon on Highway 5, Ashland's either the first or last town you come to, depending on which direction you're headed. Even just a glance from the freeway gives a hint of its unique character. And if you look just a bit more carefully, you'll see the sprinkling of houses up in the mountains behind the town -- any one of which could be Lu's.
Though if you ever do pass through here, do more than just look from the freeway. Head on into town. Ashland has charm by the bucket load -- and maybe a few mysteries hidden behind its pretty face. I think you'll love it as much as I do.
