Dread Spring is set in a future version of my hometown, and I had several real-world locations in mind while I was writing it. I’ve put together this little tour so that you can see what I was envisioning when I wrote some of the scenes in the book.
Spoiler alert! I’ve tried to be vague when I give story context for each location, but (depending on your spoiler tolerance) you may want to wait until after you’ve read the book to peek below!! (Check out the book page to find out how to get it!)
This first location on our tour is mentioned in passing, obviously having fallen into disrepair in the intervening years. An empty motel with a pool out front.
Anyone who’s done the tourist thing in downtown Ottawa will recognize this view from Major’s Hill Park that Chloe admires during a tense dinner conversation, though her vantage point is a little higher up.
Vishesh realizes where he’s headed when he passes this local landmark sign. (Don’t tell me it’s already been gone for…eight years!? I’m in denial. Maybe Dread Spring is actually alternate history where the only change is that this sign never got taken down. lol)
Though the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica only appears in the background along with the National Gallery of Canada, they are just too iconic to skip over.
And, last but not least, we have the infamous Alonzo-Wright Bridge, our heroes’ last hope to cross the Gatineau River so they can [redacted — no one is that spoiler-tolerant].
There you have it! A little Dread-Spring-inspired tour of my stomping grounds. I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to follow along while you read the book, and maybe try to ferret out the location of Aaron’s secret base before Chloe can!
Dread Spring is available now! Check out the book page for details while you wait.