Authors' Insights: Amelia Gray's 'Threats' - Why Ohio?

 Books tell more than the story of their characters; they tell the stories of the place in which they're set.

We asked Amelia Gray about Ohio as the setting for Threats and she offered the following insights about her choice of setting.  Many thanks to Amelia for sharing her thoughts with us.

- Why Ohio?

I needed a place that was small and snowy, with a rough winter, not much by way of local trade, no college beyond a beauty school, a low enough property tax that a man could skate by in an old home without a steady job. Ohio was perfect.

- Did you have a connection to Ohio before you wrote Threats?

Dawn Powell says, "All Americans come from Ohio originally, if only briefly."

- What is the importance of Ohio to this story?

It's only mentioned once or twice. I did want the story to be able to take place anywhere, but as the outside became more important (outside the home), I needed to give it a realistic outside.

- What's a book you love for its ability to tell a story of a place?

Vanessa Place's "La Medusa" is a beautiful long letter to Los Angeles. 

If you would like to browse other books set in or about Ohio our recommendations are here.