East Halton – A Town I Want to Live In

I love the beach, always have, I imagine I always will. But when I say beach I don’t necessarily mean tropical, ninety degrees in the shade, destination vacation beach. You might be saying a beach, is a beach, is a beach, what’s the difference? Well, for me, the difference lies in the landscape that surrounds the beach. The sand, the surf, the sun, those all make me smile, but I also want the strip of quaint shops selling kitschy crafts or home baked goods. I want the beach that bustles all summer with tourists, but fades to a quiet lapping of waves along the shore in fall and winter. I love a small town beach.

Hleo is set in such a town, East Halton. A fictional location inspired by the different beach towns I’ve frequented over the years. To me East Halton is warm, inviting, picturesque and yet quirky. In original manuscripts of the book, the collection of supporting characters Hannah encountered included many colorful members of the East Halton community. But, as purpose of character and pacing dictate storyline, these characters were one by one discarded when it was realized they didn’t move the plot along or add anything essential to the story.

A Simple Hometown Feel

Still, my East Halton is a wonderful place to reside. Because I want to live in a world where the town bakery hands out cookies at the end of the night, or where I’m greeted daily by Mr. Brisby walking his dog, or where Marge the mail lady accidentally gives people the wrong mail constantly. Give me a town like that any day, as long as I can also dig my toes in the sand and stare out at the waves of the lake waters that border the town.

If you want to find out more about East Halton or the world of the Hleo check it out here.

Happy Reading,

Becky