Story locations are characters, too.

Some who have read Raymond's story have asked about the locations in the story.

Have I been to all of them? How did I pick them? Why so many places?

The setting where a story takes place is as interesting as the characters in the story. Sometimes more so.

​If you deconstruct Raymond's story, you'll find that much of what happened to him could have taken place in Seattle, where the story begins. Shelly didn't have to be from Zimbabwe.

How boring would that be?

Different locations force characters to act differently, which makes writing about them easier and more enjoyable for me.

You're not the same person at home as you are on vacation. At home, you are (usually) comfortable, predictable, but on a train passing through East Germany from West Berlin...

Have I visited all the locations in Raymond's story, and the soon-to-be-released sequel, Shelly's story? No, many but not all of them. 

How did I pick them? Much research about those I haven't visited, and personal experience from those I have.

Why so many? To give everyone reading the story a shot at 'visiting' a place and time they've never been to. 

"Familiarity breeds contempt" may be a little harsh, but not when it comes to books you pay good money to read.