Let’s just be honest, shall we? We can do that. This is a safe environment. Okay, here we go. Everyone knows fall is the best time of the year. Sure, winter is lovely with the falling snow and steaming mugs of hot chocolate. But it’s cold, and eventually that snow turns into kind of a gray slush. And spring is great, with the grass turning green, and the gorgeous flowers and trees bursting into life again. But the allergies! And then there’s summer, with beaches and sand and flip flops. But it’s hot and sweaty, and then there’s swimming suit anxiety.
So… fall is the best season. It brings us bright orange and red leaves that crunch in that satisfying way when you step on them. It brings apple cider. It brings sweaters and boots and fireplaces and warm blankets to snuggle underneath. And since fall is the best season, it was logical to name the town at the center of the Wicked Wick Mysteries series Fall Haven. The most comforting place in the world, where nothing bad happens (except maybe a murder or two).
The idea of the town square is loosely based on the old town square in my hometown. The place where all the shops faced a park with a giant gazebo right in the middle. There was a diner, a dress shop, a gift shop, and City Hall. Almost every day, music and events happened in the park in the middle of the town square, and it gave the whole area a sense of community. It was the place where my mom worked in a store in her early 20s and met my dad when he came into the store one day. The place where shop owners would wander into each other’s stores and offer support and share gossip. Mundane and magical occurrences happened in that town square every day, and I wanted to share that Fall Haven community feeling in the pages of my series of Wicked Wick Mysteries.