The characters in my debut novel were, for the most part, based on real women who I toured with years ago. Each of the characters (other than Sadie, the pop star), in some respect, were modeled after some incredible techs and production women I worked with over the years. Alex, Lily, Brooke, and Kat in the book look an awful lot like me, Kim, Mia, and Kelly in real life. They even have the same jobs that the real women had when I met them. But, this book is fiction. So, even though there are elements of truth, the storylines in Where Are We Tomorrow are completely fictional.
Part of the joy of being a novelist is mining bits and pieces of what we see and learn in the world. When I was touring with these women, I wasn't consciously watching them to see what I could glean of their characters. At the time, I wasn't even thinking about writing their stories. I completely fabricated Sadie and her "Home Remedy" tour. But as I wrote, these backstage techs came to life in my story. There was so much I admired about the way Kim, Mia, and Kelly moved through this male world--in a manner completely different to how I managed my role as a woman amongst men.
In the coming weeks, I'm going to spotlight the real women who inspired the book. Stay tuned to learn more about these interesting and inspiring women.
And yes, a few of us did in fact take a vacation in Tuscany in the middle of a tour. There wasn't an accident, The Rizzieri family is fabricated and the Lily character wasn't there with us. But the town of Radicondoli is 100% represented as I remember it (oh, and you can see there were definitely dinners and wine poolside.)