Quaint, quirky Key West is one of my favorite places on the planet. For as long as I’ve been writing I’ve wanted to set a book that takes place on the island. When I decided to write Rum Runner, the setting was the first aspect of the story I decided on. Jimmy Panama’s voice came next. I saw him cruising along the Florida Straights in a speed boat with two bikini-clad babes at his side. I heard his unique voice in my head and envisioned his blond, broad-shouldered form.

Everything propagated from the setting, even the subgenre. Key West seemed like a natural place to set an adventure-themed story and it got me thinking about my favorite romantic adventure film “Romancing the Stone,” which inspired me to write a fish out of water story about a woman who is way out of her element and a man who has ulterior motives. Book two, Bahama Mama, is also set in Key West, but it’s a very different kind of story. It’s an exploration of what it might be like to have a romantic adventure with your celebrity crush.  

But getting back to the setting. Here are the top 10 reasons why I think Key West is the perfect place to set a romantic adventure novel:

• The architecture – The quirky little town’s pastel-hued homes and tin-roofed conch houses are just as colorful as its history.
• Speaking of history – Key West has a long and fascinating one with tales of shipwrecks, pirates, treasure-hunters, and a really creepy doll you wouldn’t want to cross paths with in the night.
• Cool notables like Ernest Hemingway, President Harry Truman, and Jimmy Buffett resided on the island at one time or another.
• “A drinking town with a boating problem.” Sure, people may say they come to Key West to sail on its pristine blue waters, but the laidback Caribbean atmosphere combined with the tasty drinks are the real draw. Over at the Schooner Warf Bar, Happy Hour starts at 9am and reoccurs three times a day. While on Duval, you’ll find a string of watering holes, everything from legendary dives like Sloppy Joes Bar to world-famous chains like The Hard Rock Café.
• Clothing optional bars and beaches. 😉
• Did I mention Key West is quirky? From the six-toed kitties at Hemingway’s place, the flock of roosters hanging out on a street corner in Old Town, the above-ground cemetery, fantasy fest (an annual celebration where people let it all hang out,) the annual Hemingway lookalike contest, a dessert restaurant called “Better Than Sex,” the nightly sunset celebration where acrobats, stilt walkers, and street musicians strive to dazzle onlookers out of their pocket change, to sunburnt tourists on mopeds, Key West is a mecca for the odd and unusual. And whether you’re a drag queen, a biker, an artist, a freak, a geek, preppy, posh, or famous, you are welcome in a town whose official motto is “One Human Family.”
• Nostalgia – Despite all its modern conveniences, Key West has a flavor of an earlier, less complicated time.
• The sunset – You haven’t seen a sunset until you’ve seen one from Key West. It’s so amazing, the locals celebrate it every night with a big party in Mallory Square.
• It’s romantic. The stunning sunsets, the cobble-stoned streets, the laidback vibe, the picture-perfect palm tree lined beaches, and balmy temperatures that inspire the removal of clothing, Key West is just a very sexy locale.

And the number one reason, Key West was the perfect place to set a romantic adventure novel:

1. Sticky coconut oil, warm sand, and salty sea breezes. Just the thought of these things takes me on a vacation.

(Vivi here, I agree on all ten counts!)

Please follow me on twitter @tricialeedom or Facebook at Tricia Leedom – Author. And you can visit my publisher’s website: www.fireflyhillpress.comto find my author page and finally, keep up to date on all of my future releases, book bargains, sneak peeks, giveaways, special offers, & so much more by subscribing to my publishing house’s newsletter – Click here to join our Firefly Hill family!(Link to include for newsletter subscription: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/j/D24ACE41F6AD1E96)

This is a Tour, so you can know more about the Tricia or the story by following the whole thing. You can find the schedule here: (http://xpressobooktours.com/2018/02/09/tour-sign-up-bahama-mama-by-tricia-leedom/).