By Narelle Atkins
Seaside Proposal, my sixth and final book with the Heartsong Presents line, released last week. Although Seaside Proposal is the third book in my Sydney series, the story opens in the fictitious town of Sapphire Bay. I love creating fictitious settings because my imagination isn’t limited by real life geography.
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| Tathra Beach, on the NSW South Coast, Australia. |
Sapphire Bay is a small seaside town on the South Coast of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It’s located south of Sydney on the Princes Highway. Named in 1920 after the Prince of Wales who later became King Edward VIII, the scenic coastal highway connects Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s two largest cities. The South Coast region is a bit of a hidden gem, and not necessarily on the radar for interstate and overseas visitors. A major inland highway is the most direct route between Sydney and Melbourne.
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| Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia. |
Zach and Billie, my hero and heroine in Seaside Proposal, are both from the pretty harbor and beachside suburb of Manly on Sydney’s northern beaches. They are temporarily living and working in Sapphire Bay, and the nearby larger fictitious town of Riverwood, for very different reasons. Despite living near the water in Sydney, they discover the lifestyle in Sapphire Bay and Riverwood is quite different to their suburban home. The pace of life is more relaxed, there’s no rush hour traffic, and the beaches aren’t crowded during summer.
BILLIE RADCLIFFE HAS A SECRET
And she isn’t sharing it with anyone, including Zach Montford. Even though she feels an instant connection with the good-looking banker and youth leader, she’s wary of rejection. Besides she’s only in the close-knit beach community until she meets the one man who can fill in the blanks about her history.
Zach hopes his temporary stint with the church will help him decide whether to go into full-time ministry. Though his career plans are uncertain, he’s sure about his growing feelings for Billie. When a shocking revelation throws everything into question, Zach and Billie have a chance to put the past to rest…and walk into the future together.
In June I’m independently releasing a novella set in Sapphire Bay. His Perfect Catch, a spin off story from Seaside Proposal, is one of nine contemporary Christian romance novellas in SPLASH! The box set is available for preorder on Amazon Kindle for 99 cents.
Today I’m giving away a print copy of Seaside Proposal (worldwide, wherever The Book Depository delivers) to a reader who leaves a comment on this post and enters the Rafflecopter giveaway.
Do you like to write or read stories set in fictional places? Or, do you prefer stories set in real life locations? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
