ATLANTA

Passport to Plotlines:

Why Atlanta Became Home to the Rider Team
Atlanta has been a recurring stop in my life—an energetic, sprawling Southern city I’ve visited more times than I can count. It’s a place steeped in culture, charm, grit, and international reach, blending modern skyscrapers with tree-lined neighborhoods, luxury dining with hole-in-the-wall gems, and small-town warmth with global influence.
So when I began crafting my romantic suspense series, The Rider Files, it wasn’t long before Atlanta became the perfect home base for Rider Security and Investigation. And the story behind choosing Atlanta is almost as fun as the series itself.

🍷 A Glass of Wine, a Conversation, and the Birth of the Rider Team
Years ago, over a quiet evening and a glass of wine, I told my husband I wanted to write a romantic suspense series centered on strong female characters—women who take charge, solve crimes, fall in love, and save lives.

He listened, smiled, and said, “Let’s build you a team.” That night, Rider Security and Investigation was born—named after Maxine Rider, retired Marine who built her company around diverse specialists and rooted it in a city big enough to house all their high-stakes missions.

My husband is from Atlanta, so as we talked, he sprinkled in stories, favorite spots, traffic disasters, hidden gems, and local color that helped shape the fictional landscape. It became a beautiful melding of memory, imagination, and partnership.

🌐 Why Atlanta Was the Perfect Setting for Rider Security
1. An International Hub
With Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport—one of the busiest airports in the world—the city provides seamless access for Rider’s operatives to jet off to trouble spots in:

• Europe
• Africa
• South America
• The West Coast
• The Caribbean
  
  

It made perfect sense for a private security firm with global clients and international missions.

2. A Blend of Grit and Glamour
Atlanta offers the right mix for suspense:

• sleek high-rises
• winding neighborhoods
• forested outskirts
• historic pockets
• gritty back alleys
• polished corporate districts
  
  

It’s a city of layers—ideal for chases, stakeouts, romantic interludes, and clandestine meetings.

3. Personal Connection
Being married to an Atlantan means Atlanta never feels generic to me. It feels lived-in. Loved. Familiar. And that authenticity trickles into the pages—locations feel real because they are real.

🍔 Favorite Atlanta Landmarks I’ve Featured (or Should!)
One of the best perks of setting a series in a city I know is weaving in the iconic spots I’ve visited, revisited, and fallen in love with.
✨ The Varsity
“What’ll ya have?”
A classic Atlanta staple—perfect for quick bites, undercover meets, or lighthearted moments between tense scenes.
✨ Bones Restaurant
Elegant, old-school, and the perfect place for Rider operatives to celebrate victories or conduct discreet negotiations over a world-class steak.
✨ Georgia Aquarium
With its breathtaking whale sharks and ethereal underwater tunnels, it provides the perfect backdrop for introspective scenes… or meet-cutes.
✨ World of Coca-Cola
A fun, colorful stop that blends nostalgia with whimsy—ideal for lighter moments in a high-stakes series.
✨ Piedmont Park
Scenic, sprawling, and a perfect place for outdoor scenes, quiet conversations, or unexpected plot twists.
✨ Centennial Olympic Park
Vibrant and full of history—its fountains and walkways bring energy and motion to any scene.
✨ Midtown & Buckhead
Trendy, modern, fast-paced areas filled with restaurants, offices, and upscale hotels—great for corporate intrigue or luxury-level suspense.
Atlanta lets me play with all these textures. And the Rider team thrives in that variety.

🔥 Atlanta in the Rider Files: More Than a Setting
In The Rider Files, Atlanta becomes:

• a strategic base
• a character in its own right
• a node connecting international missions
• the heart from which the Rider team operates
• a place where danger finds the team—and where love does too
  
  

It’s chaotic, charming, complex, and perfect for a suspense series built on action, emotion, and resilience.

And every time I write a new Rider story, I feel that same creative joy I felt years ago, sitting with my husband, dreaming up a team of powerful, brilliant women and the men who help—or try to keep up with—them.

Atlanta gave the Rider Files a home. And in return, I get to revisit the city again and again—on the page and in my memories.
​
Check out the Rider Series!
ROMANTIC THRILLERS
​