Kate Welcomes Robyn Carr

I’m in New York this week for a conference and a chance to meet with my editor and agent, but I am absolutely thrilled to introduce my guest, Robyn Carr, who is posting in my place. I met Robyn a couple of years ago when I read the first book in her wonderful contemporary romance series, Virgin River. I didn’t just read it once—I read it twice, and then I decided I had to meet this amazing woman who wrote so beautifully. So, I did what every sane fan of a good author does—I stalked her. Literally followed the poor woman all over the RWA conference in Dallas. Finally, after she managed to dodge me on every occasion, I left a note at the spot where Robyn was going to sit for the literacy signing and told her I was stalking her, and would she please introduce herself and put me out of my misery. She was gracious enough to do exactly that, and to her credit, she’s forgiven me. (I hope!) It’s with great pleasure I introduce Robyn Carr, who will be celebrating the release of the seventh (I hope I’m right!) book in the series, PARADISE VALLEY. Please give her a resounding Quills welcome, and thank you, Robyn, for filling my spot so beautifully.

~kate

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First let me say what an honor it is to guest blog with my favorite authors, true Goddesses. Thank you.

When Kate asked me to fill in, she suggested I talk about visiting the actual Humboldt County setting for the Virgin River Series. I’ll go you one better. The whole thing began many years ago when I went to Mendocino County to hear Alice Walker read to a literary group. To say it was a momentous occasion for me would be an understatement. But it was after that reading that the creation of a northern California town was born.

I was standing on a country road with a local when a helicopter flew over. It was painted in camouflage and I said, “I didn’t know the Army had an installation out here.” He replied, “That’s not the Army, that’s the DEA. This is the biggest illegal marijuana growing area in the country. You know — the Emerald Triangle. Humboldt Homegrown. You know?”

I hadn’t known. Recall that sound your cell phone makes when you get a text message. My brain went ping. Yeah, I can work with that! So I developed a small town in northern Mendocino County called Grace Valley. It involved a woman town doctor, a sexy undercover DEA agent and all the quirky town folk with a story arc that spanned three books. My readers loved it and begged for more, but I felt that story was complete. My solution, a few years later, was to invent Virgin River in Humboldt County, just a little north, but close enough for the major Grace Valley characters to visit the Virgin River characters. After all, my readers wanted more, but they really didn’t want me to mess with the happy endings in Grace Valley to create enough drama for more books! They just want to make sure their people were okay.

Grace Valley had its following, but Virgin River trumped it, and I believe it’s because, like Grace Valley, the series is anchored by a woman in medicine. Mel Sheridan is a nurse practitioner/midwife in this fictional town of six hundred; her specialty is women’s health. And women’s health does not stop with the mammogram — women’s health professionals are keyed up to watch for all women’s issues from domestic battery to the stress of caring for aging and/or sick parents. Add some hunky military men who enjoy that part of the world for its hunting, fishing, camping, et cetera and what do you get? A nice juxtaposition of women’s issues and romance.

It’s just a little spec of a town in the mountains where men of honor protect the town for the women they love. Oh — and did I mention there’s a lot of pot? Ping.

Living in this little town day after day has been so much fun for me, I tend to forget it’s a job. I’ve been back about five times since Mendocino and Alice Walker and every time I discover something new and exciting — but nothing quite as incredible as the natural beauty of the place. It’s staggering. It dwarfs you immediately.

And about Alice Walker — I wanted so much to be cool when I met her. I had and still do so admire her work. I was not cool. I got out about four words before I burst into tears, simply overwhelmed. And she took me in her arms — she’s smaller than me — and patted my back. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. And like all amazing experiences, like a seed, it grew.

Robyn Carr