If you’ve read Strawberry Kisses or followed along with my upcoming Juniper Valley stories, you might be wondering where the town came from.
Being totally transparent: Juniper Valley isn’t a real place, but pieces of it, and memories, absolutely are.
It’s loosely inspired by growing up in Wellsville, a small town tucked beneath the towering Wellsville Mountains (fun fact: they’re the steepest mountain ranges in the world!). The kind of place where the mountains don’t just sit quietly in the background, they’re main character vibe
When I think about small-town romance, I don’t think about grand gestures or dramatic declarations.
I think about summer. I LOVED summer in Cache Valley.
*I think about those long June evenings when the sun seemed determined to stay awake forever.
*Kids riding bikes until the streetlights flickered on.
*Baseball tournaments that took over entire weekends (and I was often the announcer!).
*The smell of fresh-cut grass and alfalfa filled the air. Alfalfa will always be the signal that summer is in full bloom.
*Local festivals where everyone showed up, even if they complained about it first.
*I think about parades where you knew every face waving from the floats.
And I definitely think about crushes.
Because in a small town, having a crush wasn’t exactly a secret.
Your best friend knew.
Your cousin knew.
Your neighbor knew.
And somehow, the person you liked usually knew too.
I had a huge crush on the cutest junior boy( he should feel so honored since I was a senior.) Somehow, he found out and asked me on a date. I was elated. There were 2 strikes to our date: we went by ourselves (it’s so much easier to get to know others when you’re in a group) and we went to a movie (so no interaction). We went to Arby’s for dinner and didn't talk much. Needless to say, we didn't go out again.
Did you ever have a crush where they knew before you knew they knew?
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