change in the setting of "By Your Side"

i'm moving the setting of the Starlight Palms-- June's family-owned motel-- out of the deserts of Riverside County and up the coast to Pismo Beach. the desert was a great place to get the story in motion, but i feel that i'm not too familiar with the sights so well. with the central coast, i have more fond memories spent on road trips with my family, and i'll be frank-- it's my spring break approaching, and i just want to write about beaches.

Pismo Beach is such a charming rustic little beach resort in the middle of the state, but it feels pretty remote. San Luis Obispo is the big city to the north, and that's about it. along Highway 1 past Pismo is all little towns that wind through valleys and along the shores until coming to Santa Barbara. it's a rarely-known treasure that's filled with unique shops, plenty of eateries, and a delightful modest ocean-front. the ocean's always been a romantic feature, has it not? it will, i feel, embellish the relationship between Kirk and June in the story. and with Pismo, it's still a faded rustic spot not unlike the desert of the Coachella Valley-- the Starlight Palms is still that, a small quirky motel way past its heyday of the 1960's "surf culture" of California.

it's not much of a drastic change, and it's all for how comfortable i feel with this story that i'm so passionate about. stay tuned, look out for new additions to "By Your Side" as they come, and now importantly appreciate the lovely little setting which now hosts this wonderful little romance.




photos via Pinterest