For those of you who have asked, THANK YOU.
So here I'll share the story ...
Awhile back, I was en route to Cleveland from Pittsburgh and my friend and I stopped there because we were looking for another little town around there. Seville, to be exact. All in Medina County. It was raining, and I still remember the song we played rolling into town. Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer.
Form the moment we pulled in, I just fell in love with it. It was everything you'd imagine a small town to be. The Gazebo, the perfect town square surrounding the small park, and back then a little white house that was the library. It had a sign on it, too. The sign said, "we have a computer;
There was a corner restaurant, for a while it was The Lighthouse, and then there was the Lodi Diner (I think that was the name). I got a mug from there.
And let's not forget the Corn Festival! The people are so nice. They have a festival every year.
Since that day in 1997, for years I would just take day trips up to Lodi. From Pittsburgh it was a little over 2 hours. Just a road trip. Weird I know. I'd pack the kids and tell them we were taking a day vacation to ... Lodi.
It's an obsession and I remember when I went there before writing The Flu, I was telling the lady at the restaurant about it, then I went to the new Library, and next thing I know the police are after me. The Chief of Police (Steve was his name) wanted to talk to me. Here there was a scandal and he was fearful my book was about him.
It wasn't. I'm linking an album to photos I took about six and a half years ago, when me and my boys took a trip to Lodi so I could do an interview with a local paper.
Since that day, I have included Lodi is SO many books.
The Flu
Flu 2
Road to Lodi
Call me Gideon
The Forgotten
Just to name a few.
Of course, I have taken liberties, and added some fiction to Lodi. After all, I do write fiction. But never to I ever portray Lodi in a bad light. Why would I? I love it. And it is the town I plan on one day moving to so I can be that crazy writer lady, everyone talks about.
