When I first started writing, I always used real towns and cities in my stories. What was the point with falling in love with a place in a book if you couldn’t go visit it? (Prince Edward Island, I will visit you one day!)
But the longer I’ve been publishing, the more I enjoy inventing my own fictional worlds. I take inspiration from real places but create a community that only exists in the written word (and my imagination). Harmony, Illinois (Home to Harmony books) is loosely located in the same spot as Galena but is a town inspired by my childhood home in New Jersey. Herd, Montana (Match Made in Montana) is an amalgamation of a bunch of towns in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.
Loon Lake is the most inventive of all my towns because I “excavated” a body of water off the southern shore of Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin, built a boardwalk and hotel, and established historical records. But I had a lot of inspiration.
Loon Lake is set south of Ashland, Bayfield (pictured) and Madeline Island, Wisconsin. I first visited the region in high school when my aunt and uncle purchased a vacation home. I quickly fell in love with everything about this area and my very first series was set in Bayfield and Madeline Island (you can read these on Radish–see the menu at the top).
The Apostle Islands are the most beautiful chain anywhere in the world (says this completely biased Midwestern girl) and the logging past has always been so interesting to me. But even more so, the transition of the area from work to play when vacation homes and resorts started to pop up drew my curiosity.
The best part about creating a world, I didn’t stick to just one Great Lake for inspiration.
I grew up watching Somewhere in Time and have always been fascinated by Mackinac Island. I didn’t visit it until 2019 but loved our trip and definitely found the Grand Hotel to be even better in person.
And not every lake had to be “great”…
Last summer, my youngest and I took a trip to Vermont in search of Champ the Lake Champlain monster. This is the second monster hunt I’ve taken and both–Champ and Nessie in Loch Ness, Scotland–haven’t provided definitive proof of their existence. But as a believer, I’m not shaken. I know Champ and Nessie are out there.
A big part of why I had to “dig” a channel and extension off Lake Superior was to include Soupy, the Lake Superior monster. As the series progresses, Soupy becomes increasingly important. Remember–you are all welcome to join the Society of Soupy.
While I was writing these books, and creating businesses for the town, I had the unwelcome realization that the 60s themed ice cream parlor of MY youth would probably be a 90s themed version today.
Yeah….let that sink in!
But I fully embraced it. It’s always a fresh day at Scoops, There It Is.
I’m so excited for readers to stop by Loon Lake, stroll the boardwalk, and maybe fall in love. I hope you are enjoying the first book in the series!
Rachelle Paige Campbell 