posted on June 23, 2022 by Aliyah Burke

There’s Just Something About Small Towns

Hey y’all!

I’m Aliyah Burke and I’m honored to be here today. Thanks for joining me. I write romance—paranormal, historical, and contemporary—as well as cozy mysteries.

Small towns. I love them. Love living in them. Love writing about them. Not as much of a fan of the fact everyone knows my business, but it’s still my place of choice to live versus a big city.

I grew up in a small town with one stoplight. Our entire county went to school with everyone else. It was a bunch of small towns that made it up. Surprisingly, ours was one of the larger ones. Yeah, that’s not saying much at all.

I could walk into town, we lived about a mile outside of town on a few hundred acres. And my friends and I would walk in, go to the gas station and get a drink or some ice cream then walk around town. Play on the train tracks (so long as the train wasn’t coming of course, we weren’t completely crazy) and invent games that I’m pretty sure we would get into huge trouble for doing today.

I know my brother enjoys living in a metropolis but me, I am so ready to head back to the country and a slower paced, small town life.

My love for the small town life played a huge part in this new series.

Rock Falls, VT has quite a few things in common with my hometown. Like the people who are all in your business even if and when you den-t want them there. You went to school with the same kids. Probably even saw the Homecoming Queen’s ta-ta’s before she had any to speak of because of a skinny dipping party. Or you saw the homecoming king junk before he began to brag about it.

Yes that was true in my town. I did see them both far earlier than we were ever needing a Homecoming King and Queen. We all played youth sports together, so you know there were friendships and rivalries made young.

You get to have friendships like Tully, Zinc and Mitchell, as well as the ones Dawson makes. And there are rivalries similar to Jamie and Tully, which aren’t good or fun, but hey, they happen.

We had church groups. quilting clubs that were full of people who knew your own life sometimes better than I did.

My heroine decides to try and make this move to focus on her future. There is the perfect job for her in this small town. Now, she’s moving from San Francisco to this tiny little mountain town across the country. Having left the big city, she comes face to face with the reality of small town life and how everyone does know her business and that they will meddle, mostly with good intentions, in her life. Helping her to realize that she should be with the hero, even if she is trying to convince herself, she shouldn’t be.

All of this to say, for me when creating a new series, having a small town where memorable characters show up, helping to cement the feel of family.

I, for one, love that. I hope you enjoy the story and thank you, for hanging out here with me today!

I am curious. Are you a small town person? Or big city? One reader who comments will win a $10 Amazon gift card and any ebook from my backlist.

Let me know!

Happy Reading,

~Aliyah Burke

 

Aliyah Burke

Aliyah Burke

Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached here. She is married to a career military man. They are owned by three Borzoi, and a DSH cat. She spends her days sharing time between work, writing, and dog training, showing, and racing.

http://www.aliyah-burke.com/

12 thoughts on “There’s Just Something About Small Towns”

  1. Rachel "Raonaid" Flesher says:

    Small town person.
    My husband came from Chicago. He took me and my brother there once. It was just too fast paced for me. I felt more comfortable in my small little town.

    1. I grew up near Atlanta and I am definitely a small town girl.
      Thanks for stopping by!
      Happy reading,
      ~Aliyah

  2. Sherry H says:

    I love small towns. I’ve been all over the USA and I’ve been to plenty of big cities and I have absolutely no desire to live in one.

    1. I’m with you on that. Small towns are the way to go in my book.
      Thanks for stopping by!
      Happy Reading,
      ~Aliyah Burke

  3. Colleen C. says:

    Small town… not a fan of big crowds and busy streets

    1. I’m for wide open spaces, myself.
      Thanks for stopping by.
      Happy Reading,
      ~Aliyah Burke

  4. Vicki says:

    I have always lived in a fairly large suburb, not too far from Seattle. But my entire life I have been absolutely fascinated by small town stories, in books and movies. It seems so magical to me and I feel like I have missed something by not living in one. Sometimes I still even fantasize about moving to one but then I would be the “outsider” and it’s not the same (according to the books!) as someone who was born and lived there with all of those lovely and exasperating (at times) neighbors in your business but also there to help you.

    1. I love Seattle, to visit. We’re happily in the PNW now.
      I just like knowing who is behind the register and who I am waving at when I see a car go by, because I still do that when I pass a car. Most of the time I get an odd look, here. Sigh…

      Thanks for stopping by.
      Happy Reading,
      ~Aliyah Burke

    2. Hi Vicki,
      You’re the winner, if you can send me an email or contact me via FB to let me know where to send the gc and which book you would like, I’ll have those off to you asap.

  5. bn100 says:

    like both

    1. Nothing wrong with liking both!

      Thanks for stopping by.
      Happy Reading,
      ~Aliyah Burke

  6. Aliyah says:

    ***Contest Winner***
    Okay, DH (Darling Hubby for those who don’t know that about him) picked the winner.
    Vicki is the winner.
    If you can shoot me an email and let me know where to send the gc and which book you would like, I will have those off to you asap.

    Happy Reading,
    ~Aliyah Burke

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