Location, location, location. It’s all about location, which is why you may be wondering why I chose to locate The Ironspell Chronicles in Denver, Colorado.
Denver, The Mile-High City
I spent a good portion of my youth and adult life in Denver, Colorado, which made it a prime target for a book series such as The Ironspell Chronicles. I got my degrees from the University of Denver, met my spouse, and got married there. And I spent a good portion of my town in the Front Range and the mountains nearby.
In other words, I know the area well.
But There Are Other Reasons for Choosing Denver
A lot of urban fantasy writers choose areas they’re comfortable with. Those cities include New York, Chicago, LA, Palo Alto, St. Louis, Kansas City, New Orleans, the Tri-Cities, etc. A good friend of mine, Gary Jonas, wrote his Jonathan Shade and Kelly Chan books in Denver. Although he’s enjoyed some real success with it, I wanted to place my stories in a world I was comfortable writing.
I feel that Denver isn’t used that much in Urban Fantasy–certainly it isn’t a place people think, gee, Harry Dresden has that town... In other words, I wanted to make Denver Ironspell’s home town.
That being said, yes, I know that Denver is the setting for the Kitty Norville series, but because I am writing a different type of series, I felt that Denver could be a good stomping ground for my protagonist who needed a bit more than just Denver to work in.
Lots of Plot Opportunities
Denver is just a stone’s throw away from the Rocky Mountains which gives me great places to include in my stories. I also know the history behind a lot of the places I’ve included, so it’s fun to incorporate them into my writing.