Harvey Travel Arts

Writing Juxtaposed brought so many memories to the forefront of my mind. I participate in numerous author and reader groups online, and one of the topics that comes up is the issue of writing realistic fiction. Fiction is comprised of many genres, from science fiction to fantasy, from historic to contemporary romance--the list goes on and on. However, many readers often appreciate a dose of reality within the confines of the intended genre.  Paris was the first European city I ever visited--what an intense experience! The trip was the beginning of a love for the charm that came with Parisian architecture, art, history, food, and the people. From my first glance at the (kinda small and unassuming!)  Mona Lisa to a more recent taste of (authentic!) Texas barbecue at the Beast, I have enjoyed exploring the endless possibilities of such a vibrant city that embraces both the modern and the historic like no other. For that reason, I chose the backdrop of Paris for Juxtaposed, the...

Writing A Pinch of Salt was an exercise in finding balance. As a Christian, I want to keep my writing clean and point others to Christ. As a writer, I also want to keep my stories as authentic to life as they can be. The fact is, life is not always clean. Things get very messy, and the characters in my books are not all Christians. All my characters have flaws, and even the ones that are Christians make mistakes. How, then, should I write in a way that shows the grit and grime of the world while keeping the writing clean enough for my audience to appreciate? Balance. For me, that means showing just enough detail in a given situation to be aware of the harsh realities of life without providing graphic descriptions or language to go along with the scene. ​ Writing a scene that makes the reader a little uncomfortable (for the sake of the character) is one thing, but writing a scene that makes the reader throw the book down in disgust is another. My goal is to afford my readers a...