础听new series of books for young adults is set in a fictionalized version of Britannia Beach and Squamish.听
D.R. Graham鈥檚 Britannia Beach Series, released this summer, follows teenager Derian Lafleur as she navigates friendships, romance and family in the seaside town and attends high school in Squamish after a year of living with her mom in Vancouver.听
The stories form a contemporary, yet edgy, romance with a thread of paranormal, Graham said.听
鈥淚t is not a traditional romance. It doesn鈥檛 follow the structure of a romance. It is what we call 鈥榣ove stories,鈥欌�� she said.听
The settings in the three books in the series, Put It Out There, What are the Chances? and And Then What?, are loosely based on the landscapes of the corridor, Graham said.听
鈥淚 decided I wanted something quaint and historical and I knew it was going to be the whole Sea to Sky theme,鈥� Graham told The 小蓝视频 from her home in Tsawwassen.听
鈥淲e hike there a lot and I have spent a lot of time there since my late teens,鈥� she added of her relationship to the corridor.
Graham鈥檚 first date with her husband included a hike up the Stawamus Chief and on a later hike the couple got engaged on the Second Peak, she said.听
Elements of her Chief hikes are reflected in the books, especially in Derian鈥檚 relationship with her love interest, Trevor.
鈥淭here鈥檚 scenes where Trevor鈥� he鈥檒l turn around and he鈥檒l reach out to hold her hand while she is climbing across the logs or up the ladder on the rocks. I mention those pieces because that is part of why I knew my husband was kind of a keeper鈥� because he was really sweet and would hold my hands on the hard parts [of the Chief].鈥澨�
Graham pointed out with a laugh that neither she nor the character Derian needed the help, but the gesture was appreciated.
Other local elements in the series include that Trevor鈥檚 best friend Murphy is a member of the Squamish Nation. Search and rescue volunteers are also featured in the books.听
But Graham stressed her books are works of fiction. She made up landscape elements such as 鈥淏ritannia pools鈥� that resemble the pools in Lynn Canyon that are set between Britannia Beach and Squamish in the books.
听She was inspired to create the pools based loosely on historical fact, she added.
鈥淚 know there used to be a pool at Britannia Beach back... when there was mining there and I have seen pictures of the kids swimming. I think if you go hiking you can still see the old concrete foundation of the pool,鈥� she said.听
Graham said she hopes the books remind readers of the 鈥渟plendour鈥� of our environment. 听
The uniquely Canadian landscapes in her books make them popular in the U.K., Graham said. 鈥淭hey like the Canadian element because it is something that is so unique to them,鈥� she said.听
鈥淲e take it for granted almost, because it is literally right there.鈥�
Graham said the ultimate goal of the Britannia Beach books is to entertain teen readers with the trials and tribulations of the main character, Derian, who ages from 16 to 18 over the course of the three books.
鈥淵ou are spending time with some characters that you can relate to and you feel emotionally invested with and then it takes you on a journey you find entertaining,鈥� she said.听 鈥淚 write the books I like to read.鈥�
听For more on the series, published by HarperCollins Publishers, go to .
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