The Journey, Part II

Continuing on with some of my reflections of the research and writing of The Calling to Lead, I’m going to talk a little about why I chose the setting I did.

Many people say they write about what they know (example: Clancy is from Maryland, Jack Ryan is from Maryland; Joel Rosenberg spent a lot of time in Israel, many of his novels are partially set in Israel), so I figured I would do the same. Having traveled all over this great country and the world (20 states, 13 countries) has allowed me to see many places, learn about various cultures and locales, as well as have experiences that I would not have had if I stayed home. Additionally, the traveling I have done gives me even more appreciation for my home, New Jersey. Those who do not live here know our state from what they see on such shows as The Sopranos, Jersey Shore, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Jerseylicious, as well as the many late night talk show host jokes and believe that all of New Jersey and all New Jerseyans are like what they see and hear. I'll spare you from my opinion of most of those shows. (if you know me and how I think, then you already know my opinion) If they believe that, they are sorely mistaken and are missing out from a great experience.

Something that I have found unique about New Jersey is its size. Being the 46th largest state, traveling around is fairly easy and for someone like me whose family and friends are in different parts of the state from where I grew up, I get know the regions of New Jersey very well.
I grew up near the Jersey Shore, most of my family is in North Jersey, and I went to college at Drew University, which is in Morris County. I stayed near the Jersey Shore after college, did my first Masters near the Two Rivers are of the Jersey Shore, have worked in the Two Rivers area the Jersey Shore, as well as in North and Central Jersey, and have friends all over the state from Mahwah to Cherry Hill.

In paying homage to my home state, I made New Jersey, specifically the Jersey Shore, the primary setting in The Calling to Lead. Michael Buonocore is raised and eventually settles in the Two Rivers area of the Jersey Shore. For those not familiar with this location, it is the Eastern and Central portion of Monmouth County where the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers converge before emptying into Sandy Hook Bay. The municipalities in this area consist of the following: Middletown, Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach, Long Branch, Oceanport, West Long Branch, Little Silver, Shrewsbury, Rumson, Fair Haven and Red Bank. Not only is this a beautiful area in which to live because of friendly, safe neighborhoods, excellent schools and good access to transportation, there is much to do, and it isn’t even limited to the summer beach months! Between beautiful nature trails and parks, cultural activities, historical sites, good shopping, excellent restaurants (especially in Red Bank and Long Branch), and friendly bars, one can stay very active and an activity is never too hard to find. I’ll likely blog about some of these places in the future so you, the reader, can learn more about them and my connections to them. The picture below is a view of the Navesink River along an opened Oceanic Bridge between Middletown and Rumson.



Secondary settings in New Jersey consist of Drew University, from where Michael graduated after four years of college. In The Calling to Lead, Michael stays in close contact with Drew University through their alumni network. He believes, as I do, that it is necessary to give back to those who have given to you. Also, part of The Calling to Lead is set in Hoboken (pictured below), where many Drew graduates and young professional move to when starting their careers. Hoboken benefits from its location just across the Hudson River from New York City and has an amazing story of rebirth stretching back to the late 1980s. Today in Hoboken, one can find many excellent restaurants, bars, cultural activities and beautiful public spaces. Michael eventually decides that the lure of the Jersey Shore is too great for him to resist.



I will try to do an entry on “The Journey” every seven blog entries as there is much to reflect on, speaking about this wonderful experience of writing a novel.