This Used to Be Easier is my first small town romance, and exploring the setting was one of my favourite parts of writing the book. The town of Chapel Creek might be fictional, but I drew a lot of inspiration from personal experience and from my family history.
Just like Meg's family, my dad's parents owned a general store in rural Canada for decades. Most of their customers were cottagers from all the lakes in the area, including my mom and her family. My parents (pictured above at the lake- please ignore my dad's retro moustache) met when they were just little kids. My dad's stories of growing up in a remote area and helping out at the store played a big part in me crafting the Chapel Creek community and the lifestyles of the characters who live there.
The cottage my mom's parents built is still in our family, and it's been a huge part of my own life too. There are lots of ski towns in the area, and it was easy for me to imagine Meg and Connie growing up in the kinds of places I spent every summer visiting.
To capture the #cottagelife vibes, I've found a few old pictures as me of a kid to share for today's release week event. These are the kinds of moments I imagine Meg and Connie's childhoods being filled with too. Enjoy the blast from the past, and don't forget to grab your copy of the book here!
