San Antonio joins cast of characters in Her Every Move

Guest Post by author Kelly Irvin

 

Beautiful, historic San Antonio is more than the setting of my latest romantic suspense novel, HER EVERY MOVE. It’s so integral to the story, the city becomes a character. Librarian Jackie Santoro is an adult collections coordinator (librarian) at San Antonio’s Central Library in downtown San Antonio. San Antonio is my adopted home. My husband and I moved here in 1989. A Kansas native, I’ve always been drawn to the city’s rich history and cultural diversity. Founded by Spanish missionaries in 1718, it is filled with iconic landmarks recognized by residents and visitors alike.

I worked downtown for more than twenty years before retiring to write full-time. I used to explore those landmarks on my lunch hour—the River Walk, the Alamo, Market Square, La Villita, Hemisfair Park. Toward the end of my career, the Central Library designed by Mexican Architect Ricardo Legorreta opened. In HER EVERY MOVE, I introduce readers to this iconic edifice that visitors may not recognize, but San Antonio residents will. The Central Library is a beautiful “enchilada red” building. It showcases fabulous artwork such as Fiesta Tower, a glass sculpture by famed sculptor Dale Chihuly. It’s filled with 80,257 volumes, including nonfiction, fiction, media, the Latino Collection, and Texana/Genealogy collection.

For the purposes of HER EVERY MOVE, another important aspect of Jackie’s job is event coordination. She assists with coordinating the Catrina Ball, a fund-raiser built around the Día de los Muertos celebration. This is a joyful day when families gather to honor and remember deceased loved ones. They build altars with mementos, favorite foods, photos, and other cherished items that represent their dead loved one.

At the Central Library each year they hold the Catrina Ball with food, music, dancing, and many altars honoring San Antonio historical figures. While the events that transpire during the Catrina Ball in HER EVERY MOVE are fictitious, the event is very real and is an important community fund-raiser. Having such a nuanced setting for a novel certainly helps enhance the suspenseful atmosphere in HER EVERY MOVE.

I love being able to incorporate the sights and sounds of this important day into the story, as well as aspects of the many culture that can be seen everywhere in the city. Fifty-six percent of San Antonio’s residents are of Mexican-American descent, 24 percent are White/Non-Hispanic, 6 percent are Black, and 3 percent are Asian. Thirty-four percent of San Antonians speak Spanish at home. It’s a beautifully woven tapestry that makes for a wonderful background for novels.

Rich settings add so much to a story. It becomes impossible to separate the story from the setting. I hope my readers enjoy this fast-paced race through San Antonio with Jackie and Avery. It might even make them want to visit—once the bomber is no longer a threat!