Have you ever wondered where writers find their ideas?

They come from a multitude of sources, from friends and family, scandals and events. Even dreams. Those sources shape a book’s characters and plot. But what about the setting, which often becomes a secondary character? Where do those ideas originate?

For me, they spring from the places I’ve lived, from the wooded hills of eastern Pennsylvania to the beaches of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Time spent there has yielded not only a treasure of sights but insight into the culture that produced them.

All of that is on display in Permanent Vacation, the fourth in the CW McCoy series of crime novels. For the next 32 days, I’ll share on social media the places that inspired the novel, each image accompanied by a quote from one of the 32 chapters in the book. The photos illustrate some of the major themes of the novel—over-development, coastal flooding, financial fraud—all challenges faced by business and residents, real and fictional.

It’s a visual journey I hope you won’t miss. You’ll find the photos on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Here’s a preview.

For a closer look at the world of CW McCoy, you can order the novel from Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords, as well as bookstores everywhere.

An aerial view of the marina in Sarasota, Florida

A circus-themed bar like the one Rae Donovan runs

Supermoon coastal flooding in Florida stalls a motorcycle built for speed

Glass condominium in Sarasota, Florida suggested the twin towers of InSpire

Will Walter sail into the harbor of Spanish Point ever again?

An artists’ rendering of The Bay in Sarasota becomes the inspiration for the rejuvenation project in Permanent Vacation