I’m excited. Three days until the release of
The
Ugly Truth, my latest novel. Set in a small town called Ugly Creek, the
story centers around a woman who visits a small Tennessee town. Where, you might
ask, did I come up with the name Ugly Creek?
The answer is I’m not sure. I know, not what you wanted to hear. But, it’s
the truth. The only thing I can figure is that I tried and tried for a long time
to come up with a name for my fictional town, but couldn’t seem to find anything
that felt right but wasn’t already taken by a real town. Finally the Ugly Creek
name came into my head and I decided I had my name. Maybe because it was the
best name. Maybe it was because it was the easiest. I don’t know.
The actual town from which the fictional Ugly Creek was drawn is easier to
track down. I grew up a few miles south of Dayton, Tennessee. I drew on the
entire area, plus other small southern US towns. I live in a larger area now,
but it was a lot of fun using my childhood home as a template.
Would your hometown be a good basis for a book? Do you like reading about
small towns? Do you like stories that take you to places you’ve never been, or
would you rather read stories set where you live?
Have a great week!
Cheryel
www.cheryelhutton.com
