Tracey Marley

Some of you have inquired about the note at the beginning of Promise for Tomorrow regarding some of the settings and locations in the book being real and some existing only in my imagination. For those of you familiar with the area of Greensboro, North Carolina, I hope you had fun trying to figure out what was what.

Here are the facts but if you haven’t read the book, beware! It contains some spoilers.

The Heritage House: This is the could-be bed and breakfast just outside of Asheville, NC. It is entirely fictional but modeled after several existing bed and breakfasts in western North Carolina.

The Pizza Palace: Scott’s favorite place to eat is entirely make believe.

Chris’s House: This is neat. I dreamed up Chris’ home knowing I wanted it to be an old Victorian in an upscale neighborhood. I did some light research and placed the home in Summerfield—a growing suburb on the north end of Greensboro. Just to get a better feel for the area I was writing, one afternoon my husband I drove there. I remember clearly when we turned down Joseph Hoskins—a road I picked out by looking at an online map—made another turn and came up on a house very similar to the one I had already written for this story. It wasn’t a Victorian but looked just like something from the pages of a Southern Living magazine as I imagined Chris’ house would. I think it’s neat how God worked that out.

The YMCA where Scott and Kyle play ball: This is an actual location, Alex W. Spears Family YMCA at 3216 Horse Pen Creek Rd., Greensboro. It was built in 2002 and would’ve been a little over one year old when this story was taking place.

The same thing that happened with Chris’ house happened with the YMCA. I knew there was a YMCA in the area but not that it was new and conveniently located just down the street from where Karen’s apartment is on North Battleground Avenue. It is also just a few miles from where Chris lives in Summerfield. Again, God was working out the details.

Greeson Developing: This is the company Chris and Bret work for. It’s entirely fictional.

Clifton Road Baptist Church: I choose to make the church Bret and Karen attend an actual location because I want my readers who live in the Greensboro area and might be looking for a home church to check out Clifton Road. The pastor, services and events mentioned in the book are all fictional. For more information on the real Clifton Road Baptist Church, you can check out their web-site at: http://www.cliftonroadchurch.org/.

Le Gout de Paris: The fancy French restaurant translated, A Taste of Paris, is where Bret originally plans to sweep Karen off her feet. It is entirely made up.

The old bistro and renovated theater on Elm St.: Site of Bret and Karen’s first date. This is not real, however, the recently renovated Sunset Theatre in my hometown of Asheboro, NC is my inspiration for the setting. The theater dates back to the 1930s and shows old movies on a weekly basis.

The Grandover Resort: This is the place where Greeson Developing hosts their annual New Year’s Eve party. It is indeed a real location and a local attraction.

The park where Bret proposed: This location could be any one of the parks found in Greensboro. I didn’t give it a name or an address because I think not knowing lends an air of romance and wonder. I want people to see any park bench, whether it’s in Greensboro or around the world, and remember that God truly can work the miracle of a hope restored!