Why Atlanta Was The Setting Choice for My Latest Novel.

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I moved to Atlanta in October 1989 to take a clinical social work position at Emory University Hospital.  It wasn’t long after, I became fast friends with a social worker who was embroiled in a sizzling affair with a married man. As our friendship grew, she told me about her entertaining, juicy affair, a story I thought one day would make a good romance novel. 

As a wide-eyed transplant from Seattle, I found Atlanta rich with history and quite intriguing. Not only was the city the capital of the state of Georgia, but it also was and still is the most populous, multicultural and economically driven city in the entire state. Metro Atlanta is home to 5.9 million people and it boasts the nickname “city in a forest.” The nickname stuck with the city because of it’s sprawling landscape of green vegetation and beautiful dogwood trees.

 Atlanta is home to Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Home Depot, AT&T, Chick-Fil-A, UPS, as well as higher learning institutions such as Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Morehouse and Spellman Colleges.  The city is notable for its role in the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. Atlanta became the meeting place for civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He met with activists at the historical restaurant Paschal’s to strategize and organized marches. Many years later, Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics earning a reputation as an upscale city to live and work.

Atlanta, with its mild winters and hot, humid summers, rocks a beautiful skyline. Affectionately referred to as the “New York of the South”, on a clear, sunny day, the city’s skyscrapers give the area an impressive regal flair. Atlanta has many mecca offerings such as the arts, theatre, professional sports, festivals, as well as night club entertainment. The city draws thousands of visitors throughout the entire year making it one of the best places to vacation. There is always something to do in the “HOT ATL”, another affectionate nickname given to the city by the locals.

In the novel, Whiskey and Merlot A Love Story, Isabelle’s and Lincoln’s first date was at the La Carousel Lounge Jazz Club on Martin Luther King Way near downtown Atlanta. The club was housed in a popular restaurant called Paschal’s back in the day, and this is where Isabelle and Lincoln had their first date.  To read more about their romantic date, tune in next Saturday for another excerpt from Whiskey and Merlot A Love Story.  Thank-you For Reading.