Behind the Book: Designing Boone’s Book Nook

July 12, 2026

If you’ve been following my books for a while, you already know one thing about me.

I love places that feel like characters.

Some authors begin with a plot.

Others begin with a murder.

I almost always begin with a place.

Long before I knew exactly how the mystery in Bound by Secrets would unfold, I knew there would be a bookstore. Not just a place that sold books, but a place readers would wish they could visit on a Saturday afternoon with nowhere else to be.

I wanted Boone’s Book Nook to feel like the kind of bookstore where you walk in intending to browse for fifteen minutes and suddenly realize two hours have disappeared.

We’ve all been there.

You tell yourself you’re just going to “look around.”

Then one book catches your eye.

You notice another shelf.

A handwritten recommendation makes you smile.

Someone nearby starts talking about a favorite author.

Before you know it, you’re carrying a stack of books you never planned to buy.

That’s the feeling I wanted to capture.

More Than Four Walls
Designing Boone’s Book Nook meant thinking beyond shelves and cash registers.

I asked myself a simple question:

If I could build my dream bookstore, what would it look like?

The answer wasn’t flashy.

It wasn’t modern.

It certainly wasn’t a big-box bookstore.

Instead, I imagined a cozy cottage tucked into downtown Normal. The cream-colored exterior, dark green shutters, and welcoming front porch immediately came to mind. A white picket fence surrounds the property, flower boxes spill over with seasonal blooms, and every detail quietly invites visitors to come closer.

I wanted the building to look like it had been part of the town forever.

The kind of place that feels as though generations of readers have wandered through its doors.

Walking Through the Front Door
Whenever I write scenes inside Boone’s Book Nook, I picture myself stepping through the front door.

The little bell announces another customer.

The first thing you notice is the smell.

Every bookstore has one.

Old paper.

Fresh coffee drifting in from down the street.

Wood polish.

A hint of vanilla from candles burning near the register.

New books mixed with well-loved hardcovers.

It’s comforting.

Almost impossible to describe perfectly, yet every book lover recognizes it instantly.

Sunlight streams through the front windows, warming the hardwood floors and creating little patches of light that seem designed specifically for reading.

The shelves don’t stand in stiff rows.

They invite exploration.

Every corner offers another surprise.

A display of staff favorites.

Local author shelves.

Kentucky history.

Cookbooks.

Children’s books waiting for story hour.

Mysteries, of course, occupy one of the largest sections.

I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

The Reading Nooks
One thing I knew from the beginning was that readers needed permission to stay awhile.

So I filled the bookstore with comfortable places to sit.

Not perfectly matching furniture.

Not sleek designer chairs.

Instead, I imagined overstuffed armchairs that had already lived interesting lives before arriving at Boone’s Book Nook.

Some came from estate sales.

Others were rescued from forgotten corners of antique stores.

A few found their way into the shop from Buck Davis’s thrift store, where Sadie saw possibility instead of worn upholstery.

Every chair tells a story.

Some are tucked beside windows.

Others hide between tall bookshelves.

A few sit beside little tables just large enough for a cup of coffee and a growing stack of books.

Readers shouldn’t feel rushed.

They should feel welcome.

The Rare Book Room
If Boone’s Book Nook has a heart, the rare book room is its soul.

From the very beginning, I knew this space had to exist.

Rare books deserve more than locked glass cases.

They deserve respect.

Mystery.

Wonder.

That’s why I created the hidden entrance inspired by one of my favorite childhood fantasies.

A wardrobe.

Growing up, I loved stories where ordinary objects became doorways into extraordinary places.

A wardrobe that opens into another room felt perfectly suited to a bookstore where every shelf already serves as a doorway into another world.

Behind that hidden entrance sits the rare book room.

It’s quieter.

The lighting is softer.

Temperature and humidity are carefully controlled to protect fragile editions.

Shelves hold first editions, signed copies, antique volumes, and books whose histories are often just as fascinating as the stories printed inside them.

This room isn’t simply about expensive books.

It’s about preserving history.

Every worn cover and handwritten inscription reminds us that stories continue long after the last page has been turned.

The Details That Matter
When I create a setting, I pay just as much attention to the small details as the big ones.

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The cast-iron owl bookends.

The rolling vintage library cart waiting to be restocked.

Handwritten shelf recommendations.

Fresh flowers near the register.

Bookmarks tucked beside bestsellers.

Seasonal displays changing throughout the year.

A basket filled with gently used books waiting for children to discover.

The old wooden ladder that slides along the tallest shelves.

Those details don’t solve mysteries.

They create atmosphere.

They make readers believe this place exists.

Then There Was Watson
Every bookstore needs someone watching over it.

In Boone’s Book Nook, that’s Watson.

Before I knew exactly where the register would sit or what color the walls would be, I knew there would be a bookstore cat.

Watson quickly claimed the best spots without asking anyone’s permission.

The sunny front window became his morning office.

One armchair became his afternoon nap location.

The checkout counter gave him the perfect vantage point to supervise customers.

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Occasionally, he’d decide an open shipping box or a stack of newly arrived books made an even better resting place.

Like every cat, he follows exactly one schedule:

His own.

Readers often ask if Watson was planned.

The truth is, he simply showed up and refused to leave.

I’m very glad he did.

A Bookstore That Changes With the Seasons
One of my favorite parts of Boone’s Book Nook is that it never stays exactly the same.

Just like a real independent bookstore, it changes throughout the year.

Spring fills the windows with fresh flowers and gardening books.

Summer brings beach reads, travel guides, and open front doors welcoming warm breezes.

Autumn transforms the entire shop into a cozy haven with pumpkins, blankets, cinnamon candles, and mystery displays that practically beg readers to stay all afternoon.

Then Christmas arrives.

Garlands wrap around bookshelves.

Tiny white lights twinkle in every corner.

Vintage ornaments hang from window displays.

Holiday books take center stage.

Watson inevitably finds the perfect place to nap beneath the Christmas tree.

The bookstore becomes even more magical.

Why Bookstores Matter
Independent bookstores have always represented something special to me.

They’re gathering places.

They introduce strangers who become friends.

They host book clubs, story times, author events, and conversations that couldn’t happen anywhere else.

Books may line the shelves, but people bring the building to life.

That’s exactly what I wanted Boone’s Book Nook to become.

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A place where readers feel seen.

Where recommendations are personal.

Where someone remembers your favorite author.

Where you never have to apologize for buying “just one more book.”

Building a Home Instead of a Setting
Looking back, I realize I wasn’t simply designing a bookstore.

I was building a home.

Not just for Sadie.

Not just for Watson.

For readers, too.

Every time you open another Boone’s Book Nook mystery, I hope walking through those front doors feels a little like coming home.

Maybe you’ll stop to pet Watson.

Maybe you’ll browse the mystery shelves.

Maybe you’ll wander into the rare book room.

Maybe you’ll settle into your favorite chair and lose yourself in another story.

If that happens, then Boone’s Book Nook has become exactly what I hoped it would be.

A bookstore you’ll never have to leave for long.

Because whenever you’re ready, the front door is always open.

Reader Discussion
I’d love to hear your thoughts!

What is your favorite independent bookstore memory?
If Boone’s Book Nook were real, what would be the first section you’d browse?
Would you spend more time in the rare book room or curled up in a reading nook?
Does your dream bookstore have a resident cat?

Behind the Book: Creating Normal, Kentucky

July 5, 2026

If you’ve read my Camper & Criminals Cozy Mysteries, then you already know Normal, Kentucky has a personality all its own. It’s quirky, welcoming, a little unpredictable, and the kind of place where everybody knows your name before you’ve introduced yourself.

When I decided to create Boone’s Book Nook Mysteries, I never considered building a brand-new town.

Normal already felt like home.

Instead of introducing readers to another fictional Kentucky community, I wanted to invite them back to a place they already loved while letting them experience it through completely different eyes.

That’s where Sadie Whitfield comes in.

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Unlike Mae West, who has become part of the fabric of Normal, Sadie arrives as an outsider. She’s seeing everything for the first time, and that gave me the opportunity to introduce Normal all over again.

When you’ve lived somewhere your entire life, you stop noticing the little things. The familiar becomes invisible.

A newcomer notices everything.

The winding roads.

The towering trees that seem to lean over the highway.

The way cell service disappears just when you need it most.

The old gas station where conversations last longer than the fuel pump.

The downtown shops that look as though they’ve been waiting decades for exactly the right person to walk through the door.

Through Sadie’s eyes, I was able to rediscover my own fictional town.

One of the things I love most about writing cozy mysteries is creating places readers wish they could visit. I don’t want my towns to feel like simple backdrops. I want them to feel alive.

That’s why Normal has its own rhythm.

The mornings begin quietly as shop owners sweep sidewalks, wave to one another, and unlock their front doors. The smell of fresh coffee drifts down Main Street. Someone is watering flowers outside their storefront. Another business owner is already sharing the latest gossip before breakfast.

By lunchtime, visitors have wandered in from the surrounding Daniel Boone National Forest, locals are catching up over lunch, and somebody inevitably knows something they probably shouldn’t.

By evening, porch lights come on, conversations move outdoors, and the whole town settles into a slower pace.

That slower pace was intentional.

Sadie comes from New York City, where everything moves fast.

Publishing deadlines.

Traffic.

Meetings.

Noise.

Success.

Normal operates by an entirely different clock.

Nobody rushes a conversation.

People stop to help strangers.

Neighbors notice when someone hasn’t been seen in a day or two.

Life isn’t slower because people have less to do.

It’s slower because people make time for one another.

I think that’s something many of us quietly long for.

While creating Normal, I also wanted every business to feel like it belonged to someone readers would eventually know by name.

I didn’t want generic storefronts.

I wanted personalities.

Boone’s Book Nook couldn’t exist without neighboring businesses that felt just as welcoming. Each shop has its own history, regular customers, and owner who contributes to the life of the town.

Walk through downtown and you’ll discover places that have become as memorable as the mysteries themselves.

The Tough Nickel is filled with forgotten treasures just waiting for someone to recognize their value. It’s the sort of place where one person’s clutter becomes another person’s prized possession. You never know whether you’ll walk out with an old library cart, a set of owl bookends, or a rare first edition hiding in plain sight.

The Laundry Club is much more than a laundromat. It’s where conversations begin, friendships grow, and information somehow travels faster than the internet. If something happens in Normal, chances are somebody at the Laundry Club has already heard about it.

The Milkery offers another side of the community. Visitors arrive expecting a peaceful bed-and-breakfast, but they quickly discover that hospitality in Normal comes with homemade meals, heartfelt advice, and just enough curiosity to make newcomers feel noticed instead of questioned.

Trails Coffee gives people a place to linger a little longer than they intended.

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The Stitchin’ Post reminds readers that hobbies build communities just as surely as books do.

Even the courthouse, sheriff’s office, and newspaper become familiar landmarks rather than anonymous buildings.

I wanted readers to know exactly where they were standing at any point in the story.

One of my favorite parts of creating Normal was designing its downtown.

I could picture it long before I ever described it on the page.

Two one-way streets gently wrapping around a wide grassy median.

Mature oak and hickory trees offering shade during warm Kentucky afternoons.

White gas lanterns glowing softly after sunset.

Benches where readers can imagine sitting with an iced coffee and a mystery novel.

Flower beds that change with the seasons.

An amphitheater where festivals, concerts, and community events bring everyone together.

It’s a downtown built for walking.

Built for conversations.

Built for running into someone you know.

Those accidental encounters become incredibly useful when you’re writing mysteries.

Suspects don’t have to travel far.

Witnesses naturally cross paths.

Secrets become much harder to keep.

Of course, no discussion of Normal would be complete without the Daniel Boone National Forest.

The forest surrounds the town like another character.

Some days it feels peaceful.

Other days it feels mysterious.

The changing seasons constantly reshape the atmosphere. Spring fills the woods with fresh green leaves and birdsong. Summer invites hikers and campers into the mountains. Autumn transforms every hillside into brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold. Winter strips everything back to quiet simplicity.

That natural setting constantly reminds readers that beauty and danger often exist side by side.

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It’s also one of the reasons mysteries feel so believable here.

A hidden trail.

An abandoned cabin.

An overlooked campsite.

A forgotten family cemetery.

The forest keeps its own secrets.

Another thing I wanted to preserve was Normal’s sense of humor.

This isn’t a perfect town.

It’s a wonderfully imperfect one.

People gossip because they care.

Businesses support one another.

Neighbors occasionally argue, but they’ll still show up when someone needs help.

Everyone has a story.

Everyone has an opinion.

Everyone knows at least one secret they probably shouldn’t.

That balance is important.

Without warmth, the mysteries become too dark.

Without mystery, the town becomes too comfortable.

Together, they create the kind of cozy world I love writing.

As I continue writing Boone’s Book Nook Mysteries, you’ll discover more streets, more businesses, and more corners of Normal that haven’t appeared yet.

The town will continue growing alongside the series, just like real communities do.

New neighbors will arrive.

Businesses will evolve.

Traditions will begin.

Holiday celebrations will become annual events.

Readers will gradually feel less like visitors and more like locals.

That’s always been my goal.

I don’t simply want you to visit Normal for a weekend.

I want you to miss it when you close the book.

Because once you’ve spent enough time wandering downtown, chatting with shop owners, stopping by Boone’s Book Nook, and watching Watson supervise customers from the front window, leaving starts to feel a little bittersweet.

The good news is that Normal is always waiting.

All you have to do is open the next book.

Reader Discussion
I’d love to know your thoughts!

Which business in Normal would you visit first?
Are you drawn to bookstores, coffee shops, antique stores, or somewhere else?
Do you enjoy stories set in small towns?
If you could open a business in Normal, what would it be?