1 Month to YLHBD Release: Places in the Book

Happy August! In particular, Aug. 7, which is now officially one month until the release of YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED!

I hope you’re as excited to read the book as I am to share it with you. Today’s countdown feature is an inside look at some of the places inside the book.

YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED is set in my hometown of St. Louis. I love this city, and while all my stories aren’t set here, it has inspired more than one! Here are a few locations you’ll find in the book. Not all of them are real…

Lambert St. Louis International Airport

Jenny takes off from LaGuardia in New York and lands at the main airport in St. Louis–except it’s different. As they’re getting off the plane, she overhears the pilot say there’s a whole new terminal! Jenny had left St. Louis in 1995, and the East Terminal mentioned by the pilot opened in 1998 (although it is the main terminal pictured here). For the plane groupies like Jenny’s seatmate Art, you can read all about the airport’s history here: https://www.flystl.com/about-us/history

Parkwood High School

Jenny’s high school is fictional, but St. Louisans may still think it sounds familiar. I meshed together the names of two large school districts–Parkway and Rockwood–to create a high school for Jenny. And the description of Jenny’s high school may also bear a strong resemblance to my own…

Art Hill

One of the greatest attractions in St. Louis is Forest Park, home to our museums, zoo, sports fields, the huge outdoor Muny Theater, and countless other destinations. A key scene in the book takes place at Art Hill, located in front of the St. Louis Art Museum. During non-COVID times, they host movies and other events on the hill. Isn’t it beautiful?

Fun fact: I had my husband take this photo of me two years ago while I was working on revisions, specifically thinking I might need it for a post like this in the future!

Steak ‘n Shake

If you’ve visited the Midwest, you may have tried Steak ‘n Shake–known for steakburgers and shakes–but Jenny just cares about the shakes and cheese fries. It was her go-to place in 1995, and thankfully it’s still here in the 21st century (although sadly there aren’t as many).

Not-so-fun-fact: During revisions, they tore down the Steak ‘n Shake I used to hang out at with my friends as a teen 😭.

Chesterfield Mall

While Jenny can eat at a Steak ‘n Shake, she discovers she can’t shop at her favorite mall. Angie tells her it’s been dead for years, thanks to two outlet malls opening nearby. This is based on one of my favorite malls as a teen (another one has been completely torn down). A few months ago they set up a vaccine clinic there, so my husband and I got our shots at my old favorite mall, and I took some videos to show how Jenny’s (and my) favorite mall looks now. But on the plus side, you can play pickle ball if that’s your thing!

Are there places you really love that you can’t imagine being gone if you jumped forward in time? A certain place you like to eat? Or hang out with your friends? Or your favorite store?

In case you missed any of the previous release countdown features, they included:

9 Months to Release: Playlist
8 Months to Release: The Title Story (plus tips on titling your manuscript!)
7 Months to Release: Watch List
6 Months to Release: Research
5 Months to Release: Why 1995?
4 Months to Release: Book Inspiration
3 Months to Release: Character Names
2 Months to Release: Deleted Chapter Titles

If you’re planning to buy YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED, I would appreciate your support through a pre-order! And if you pre-order through my local independent bookstore, The Novel Neighbor, your book will be signed and personalized (mention who you’d like it personalized to in the comments!). You’ll also receive a bookmark and two stickers. But if you have another favorite retailer, I appreciate your support there too!

Whether you are buying or not, I would also love for you to request the book at your local library! If they don’t already have it on order, they are likely to have a place you can suggest a purchase. If so, all the information you would need to do so (my publisher, ISBN, etc.) is on my book page. It should only take a minute of your time. Thank you again for following and supporting my journey to publication!