Don’t you love it when you walk right into one of your novels?

Ever done that before?

Well, it happened to me while we were on vacation in the northern mountains of Georgia last week.

My family and I had been staying in an adorable little cabin of some friends, cradled near the tip of a mountain at the edge of the Chattahoochie National Forest. Traveling anywhere was a 30 minute drive.

At the recommendation of our friends, we went to visit the small town of Dahlunega, and as soon as we drove into the flower-framed town square I know I’d entered the fictional town for which I’d been searching.

Rows of quaint shops lined the streets, hanging flower baskets dangled from their porches, and people strolled along at the leisurely pace the mountain breeze and southern culture seemed to encourage.

There was a chocolate shop, and ice cream shop, a mass general store, coffee shop, dessertery (these people KNEW how to make a town ;-). Known best as the first gold mining town in the eastern U.S., Dahlunega was rich with culture, beauty, and friendliness.

And now….

It is the PERFECT representation for my little town of Pleasant Gap, Va. Love it! I finally SEE in reality what I’ve been seeing in my head since I started writing the Contemp Romance series.

So, what about you? Ever had your fictional and nonfictional worlds collide like this?