Nearly three years after The Perfect Hope hit stores, a week still doesn’t go by in which a reader realizes that Inn BoonsBoro is a real place (Turn the Page and Vesta too). A good many readers followed Nora and BW’s rehab of love that restored a broken down, tree-growing, pigeon-hosting old building to its current glory. But there are plenty of others who read the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy and thought they were fabulous works of fiction, only to be stunned when they saw the Inn on CBS Sunday Morning or read about it in a newspaper.
One of the best emails that ever came to my inbox was from a reader congratulating Nora on the fabulous marketing campaign for the trilogy that went the extra mile by creating a realistic website for the fictional Inn BoonsBoro. I had a great laugh, then corrected the assumption.
Boonsboro is not the first place to feel what I call the NR Effect. The Born In and the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogies still draw readers to both County Clare and Ardmore. In fact, I just heard from my Ardmore contact John Supple who wrote “we still have a number of people calling on a regular basis to Ardmore all because of Nora and some often find they would like to stay over in this beautiful village but would move on due to lack of accommodation.
“We now have a number of people within Ardmore who have accommodation — from houses to lovely cottages to Bed and Breakfasts and Hotels — to rent for people who want to spend an extra few days.” He said if any readers are planning a trip to Ardmore, to contact John at cottageardmore@gmail.com to arrange quality accommodation to suit any budget.
Ashford Castle and the town of Cong still see many Cousins O’Dwyer readers and we hear often from people who have gone on the falcon walks there.
There is a very clever In Death reader who has created her own personal tours of NYC that visit landmarks still standing in 2058. And we get requests all the time for suggestions for places to travel.
A couple of weeks ago, Buddy MacLean, the owner of The Lodge at Buckberry Creek in Gaitlinburg TN called Inn BoonsBoro. A guest that week visited because she’d read about the resort in The Liar. Buddy was astonished when the guest showed him her copy of the book and went off to purchase one. That same week a bus tour group stayed on the property and when Buddy mentioned The Liar, the women on the tour said they’d all purchase a copy before they headed home.
After looking it up on the internet, I asked Nora about choosing The Lodge (POTENTIAL SPOILER AHEAD: this is the hotel where the woman who confronts Shelby about Richard stays when she comes to Rendezvous Ridge). Nora said she was looking for a pretty, sort of out-of-the-way place. She used The Google, looked at a few and liked the look of The Lodge, and the name. It just worked.
Well, the team at The Lodge at Buckberry Creek is so pleased by their ties to The Liar, they wrote back and said they created a discount code for Nora’s readers. Readers who wish to stay at The Lodge at Buckberry Creek can mention the promo code NORA2015 when booking and they will receive a 10% discount on their room rate and will receive a $50 voucher towards dinner. The promo applies to guests who book prior to 10/2/15 and only valid on stays prior to 7/2/16. Cannot be combined with other discounts.
If my husband and I weren’t building a home this summer I think we would be heading to the Smokies.
Laura
Nothing new to add, but thanks to NR books, we’ve made a point to drive through Boonsboro twice on the way to family weddings. My husband loves Vesta which is how I get him to be on board with the trip and I get to visit TTP. We’ve only been to NYC once but our next trip has some JD hits planned, hopefully without any interaction of NYPD…..
My friend Kim and I love NR. We came to Boonsboro for a book signing (Nora liked my friend’s mom’s name. It was Lila!) after reading the books, and we returned the next year and stayed at the inn. We met Dick (I got a great cut and enjoyed his stories), ate at Vesta, spent a lot of time at TTP, and I’m planning to bring my husband back with me soon.
Last year on a trip to Georgia, to buy my husband a truck, he surprised me with not one, but TWO nights at Inn Boonsboro; all because I’d mentioned it to him and how much I’d wanted to stay there. It was FANTASTIC! Our first night, July 21, 2014, we stayed in Jane and Rochester. It was beautiful!! Loved the copper tub. The second night, July 23, 2014, we stayed in Eve & Roarke! I LOVED IT and adored all the little ties to the books I found in the room.
This is so funny that you posted about this. As a matter of fact my dream vacation spot/ country is Ireland. Ever since I read Jewel of the Sun I have wanted to visit Ardmore and stay a while. As I read more of NR books set in Ireland I want to see every place she has taken me too. I’ve been saving for about 10 years now for my dream trip to Ireland and have told my husband that I want to go for a month or more. Hubby and son say a week or two. I think I might just go with out them 🙂 As for Gaitlinburg TN, I went on a writing retreat there awhile back and fell in love with the Smokys. Because I loved it so much I planed a trip with family there this summer way before Lier came out, but I’m so happy that I can re read the book and see the landmarks. I LOVE when NR takes us on trips through her books.
Heidi,
Go!! Do it!! Have hubby and son come for a week or two and then send them home and you stay on in Ireland for the rest!! This past fall I was blessed to spend 41 glorious days traveling all over Ireland. I spent ten on my own before my sisters and one daughter joined me.
We did the falconry at Ashford Castle… Ed was our guide… Truly brilliant experience!
I encourage you to make this happen for yourself… you’ll love every minute of it! The people are some of the best I’ve ever known… Still keep in touch with many. And the scenery is beyond gorgeous. Put on google maps and let it take you the most obscure little roads… You’ll think you’re lost, but it’s really part of finding yourself!!
And just know… You’ll find yourself thinking about going back all the time!!
You should definitely come to Ireland! It’s such an amazing place and if you come for a month, there are some amazing cities to see like Dublin and Cork and Galway and even the North. Well worth a long visit. 🙂
My hubby brought me to Boonsboro a few months back. We stayed in Westley and Buttercup. It was amazing! I visited the bookstore and came home with my suitcase filled with soap. (Books to of course, but they kindly shipped those home for me) All my friends were thrilled when I gave them bars of honeysuckle and the Montgomery Brothers soap as gifts. Some of the best things in the vacation were food. We dined in Vesta, Kristi’s, and Dan’s Tap House. All were fantastic with really kind staff members . I’m sure I gained five pounds over those two days. The best food item of all was the scones served in the inn. They even gave me a recipe card so I could make them at home and remember the trip whenever I wanted. Can’t wait to go back. Perhaps next time we’ll stay in Eve and Roarke….
We did some shopping at Gifts In Boonsboro and Turn The Page, but did not have time to do much wandering around, unfortunately. I would LOVE to go back and spend some more time there.
Once I realized that Inn Boonsboro was real, I began Googling other cities and features mentioned in Nora’s books! I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. Staying at the Inn, eating at Vesta and shopping at TTP is on my bucket list and since I ‘ll be halfway to Ireland from AZ I want to keep going! Thank you Nora for introducing me to so much of the world through your books!
Did a mother-daughter 10 day trip to Ireland just because of all of Nora’ books centered in Ireland or including Ireland. It was Nora who also gave us the idea of getting a tattoo over there to commemorate our trip. Best vacation ever!
I’m bookmarking this blog entry, so don’t EVER take it down. I loved the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy, and was THRILLED when I found out Nora and BW own it, rehabbed, and own TTP as well. The Lodge connection is definitely cool, although I couldn’t find Rendezvous Ridge, so I suppose it was one of the towns Nora’s made up? . I want to go to the Antietam area (Boonsboro isn’t the only series set near Antietam – I want to go to Hawkins Hollow, too ), but my ultimate DREAM vacation would be Ireland. Ardmore, County Clare, and now Cong/Ashland Castle after reading the Dark Witch Trilogy. It just calls to my Irish heritage.
Oh, and I still cannot make up my mind which rooms I want to stay in if and when I get to come to Boonsboro with my husband. Have to wonder if there were small town inspirations for the Montgomery Brothers?
I have a Nora effect story to add.
Years ago when the Ardmore trilogy was just out, my DDDebby and I went to Ireland. The trip was for 6 days. We landed on the west coast, got a rental car and proceeded toward the east coast where we left to go back home from Dublin. It was a wonderful trip. I brought book three of the Ardmore trilogy to read and I started Debby on book one. We read about Ardmore and Ireland through Nora’s eyes from the west to the east coast. My daughter is a graphic designer and has taken photography coarse’s, does some photography, so I left the picture taking to her. At that time we (JDRobb, Adwoff, individuals as well as the queen herself) were doing Nora Roberts raffle baskets. Deb had taken a picture of the round tower. I had Nora sign it and it was included in the raffle basket won by Jill P. Cool giftie huh? We took our Ireland trip album to TTP and while standing in line, the days before tickets I think, and BW who is quite tall and can see over everyone’s head was stretching to see what Debby and I were showing the fans while in line. He is a photographer and I noted quite a few shots that he had taken of the same things hanging around the store at the time for sale. Guess photographers have a eye for some of the same things.
I have promised myself a trip to Boonsboro to see Nora and get an autographed book in person. Am finally making the trip this September after 14 years of going thru the website. I am very excited to tour all the sites and hopefully get a picture with Nora!
I grew up around Boonsboro, I appreciate NR renovating properties and investing in our town. I was so concerned when the fire occured downtown especially for my friends who live downtown. I can’t wait for her next book signing!
Coming to Maryland and seeing the Inn and TTP and hopefully meeting you is on my bucket list. Hopefully I will get there before you retire lol! in the meantime I willlive vicarously(?) through your books and imagination!
I visited Inn Boonsboro last week went I went to Northern Virginia for a family occasion. It was a dream come true.
My mother-in-law, aunt and I all toured the public areas of the inn and as we moved from room to room we planned future visits to the town, especially to stay at the inn.
I plan to go back to Inn Boonsboro and stay for my wedding anniversary.
Thank you Nora for wonderful and life changing novels.
I am a writer myself, working on my first trilogy and reading your books bring me joy and give me hope for my own novels.
I stand in awe of the wonderful reviews for Boonsboro and the lodge. I am dreaming of a trip there and I can’t wait to read Nora Robert’s “Boonsboro Trilogies.” Tell me more! Thank you!