Ever since childhood when I first saw the film Somewhere in Time, starring Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) and Christopher Reeve (Superman), I dreamed of visiting Mackinac Island (pronounced Mak-i-naw). Once the writing bug bit me, I searched for a good story to set on Mackinac. Two years after sending the story to my agent, I received a call telling me I’d sold the book!
Mackinac Island is vehicle-free, and transportation is limited to bicycles, horses, or walking. Utilizing your footwear allows you to take things slowly and investigate anything that piques your interest.
Hike the Island
In my story, Libby relishes the fun of experiencing everything she can, while Alyssa prefers to curl up with a good book and take life a bit slower. In one poignant scene in my book, Scott and Alyssa take a walk along the rocky shoreline while Ben and Libby go for a swim. From their vantage point at the northwest corner of the island, they can get a glimpse of the Mackinac Bridge.
Tour the Grand Hotel
In 2003, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Grand Hotel to its elite list of “America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations.” At 660 feet, it’s the longest porch in the world. Scott works here as a tour guide. The hotel itself is one of the primary focal points of activity in many scenes in A Grand Design, including a feature of a fairly new ice cream parlor built on the southeast corner of the Grand.
Attend the Little Stone Church
The Little Stone Church, a registered Michigan Historic Site, is the church my main characters attend near the end of the book, and it’s the same one that’s been attended by my heroine and her family for three generations.
Ending the Tour
I greatly enjoyed exploring the unique characteristics of this little island and showcasing them in my latest novel. Several reviewers have stated how much they loved the descriptive passages intertwined with the story, and that’s quite a compliment, especially from those who have been there with photos to substantiate or discredit the veracity of what I wrote. Even if you’ve never been to Mackinac Island, I hope you’ll enjoy the visit with me in A Grand Design. I know I did!
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Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood. Today, she is an award-winning author and speaker who has partnered with Nerium International in the anti-aging industry, helping others achieve optimal brain health and live better. She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have one girl and one boy, a Retriever mix named Roxie and an Australian cattle dog named Timber. She has sold nineteen books so far, and is happy that A Grand Design has just been selected to become an audiobook. You can also find her on Facebook and other places online.