Yesterday we kicked off the Fearless read-along, in which I'll focus on one chapter per week. You can visit yesterday's post for all the info and links to the discussion group. I'm hoping to make this the most comprehensive look back at the book to date, so all your comments and questions are welcome.
Chapter One does a lot of heavy lifting, and that's by design, because I knew this book was going to be a massive endeavor from the start. One of the many things the first chapter does is establish the setting - or both settings, as it were.
We get a mention of New Orleans, which I made Mercy's birthplace because I love Anne Rice. Her Vampire Chronicles brought that city to life for me in such a way that I knew I wanted to visit it with my own writing. My version is a little less Mayfair and a lot more swamp, but its storied, supernatural aura lends itself perfectly to the mythical aspects of this novel, and the series as a whole.
I chose Knoxville for several reasons. I wanted the club's mother chapter to be based in a Southern city, but not my own, and not one as bustling as Nashville or Atlanta. Knoxville certainly has its own energy and attractions, but it's not as well-known as tourist stops like Memphis. It has a smaller feel, and I think that allows the Dogs to have a larger, more influential presence, rather than be swallowed up by a major landmark. Plus, I have family ties to the city. My mom's family is from there originally, and the orange blood runs strong.
I use some real city sties in the book, but the main settings, like the Dartmoor property, Bell Bar, and the bakery Mercy lives above are all fictional.
Given Mercy's boating past, the Tennessee River is one of those unlooked-for bonuses that happen sometimes in writing. A wonderful and useful coincidence.
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