What if it Never Happens? Jeannette de Beauvoir
That’s a question I’ve been asking myself lately. My current mystery series is set in a real place—Provincetown, Massachusetts—and features real events, the myriad festivals and “theme weeks” offered by this tourist destination. But like so much else in our world, that got upended when the coronavirus pandemic came to town. With the horrifying thought of thousands of people crowded into Commercial Street (our Main Street equivalent) for events such as the Carnival or Portuguese Festival parades, or into theaters for events like the Tennessee Williams Festival or the International Film Festival, one by one event organizers have wisely cancelled plans. Which leaves my protagonist in a bit of a pickle. The series is scheduled around these events, so that launch parties for each title take place at the same time as the event in town. Last week I changed the wording of an advertisement I’d planned for a local publication: “Explore Provincetown’s theme weeks!” it had exclaimed...