Summer Creek Inspiration Part 2

There are so many little details that go into a book to making it enjoyable for readers (and the author, too!).

One of the things I have a lot of fun with, is imagining the clothes the characters are wearing, particularly if they are doing something that is out of their normal routine.

For Distracting the Deputy, I had way more fun than I should have with a few specific scenes.

In one scene, it’s October and the historical society is hosting a new event (hoping to draw tourists and stir up some excitement among the residents) that includes a costume parade.

Plenty of excitement was stirred when Knox (the hero) comes dressed as Captain America.

This is Captain America, played by Chris Evans (so you can get an idea of the costume).

In the story, Knox wears a pair of navy blue cargo pants, boots, and this T-shirt (purchased a size smaller than he is comfortable wearing thanks to the help of his best friend’s wife).

The end result is a bunch of the women at the parade drooling over the cutie dressed as Captain America.

Here’s a little snippet from that scene:

~*~

The hunky guy in the hero costume wasn’t a stranger, after all.

“Knox? He’s Captain America?” Zadie whispered, feeling things she’d rather not acknowledge or explain, even to herself. Her cheeks warmed as she tried not to stare at the muscles of his chest, perfectly outlined by the tight T-shirt. “You look…”

“Ridiculous,” Knox grumbled. “My friend Wes’ wife suggested this would be a good costume. I already had the pants. The shirt and other stuff were easy to find when I was in Portland. She told me to get the shirt on the snug side.” He sighed and swept a hand in front of his chest. “I look like an idiot.”

Idiot was not the first, or even fortieth word Zadie would have chosen to describe Knox’s appearance. Hunk. Hottie. Captain Cutie all came to mind.

~*~

Zadie invites her friend Poppy over to get ready for the parade. Poppy (who loves flowers) is going as a flower child.

She wears a big flower in her hair, like this one.

And she paints her face with flowers. I just thought this was such a clever and artistic way to do a “flower ” costume and had to work it into the story.

As for Zadie, she dresses up as an autumn fairy.

This dress inspired the dress Zadie wears in the story.

Along with these sandals.

And flowers trailing up her arms on delicate vines.

And this image inspired how I envisioned her hair and makeup.

The other scene that I had a blast writing was when Knox goes under cover. Keep in mind Knox is a big, burly guy.

So it’s quite a shock to Zadie when she seems him dressed in …

A wig very similar to this.

Round sunglasses that would make either Harry Potter or John Lennon very proud.

Then there’s his suit.

Christian McCaffrey is the inspiration behind Knox’s character.

So when I saw a photo of him wearing this suit and these shoes, no socks, I knew I had to write in a similar outfit for Knox. And it made me giggle when I did. The reason? Knox is a cowboy. A deputy. And a pretty good football player. But he is not one who would ever, ever dress like this.

Or this.

To see more of the images that inspired scenes and tidbits in Distracting the Deputy check out my board on Pinterest.