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The two major locations of DARE are FAUSTUS, Ohio and HARLEM, New York.  They are both in many ways fictional.  Actually, Faustus is completely fictional, and it was so much fun to create a town that does not really exist.  I had free reign to really create the world.

Although Harlem obviously exists, I wanted to use the existing Harlem, my hometown, and add to it a Harlem that I've read about in the past-- the Harlem of the Harlem Renaissance.  It was also wonderful to use existing locations from my life -- where I party, eat and hang out-- in the novel.  Looking at these places through the eyes of my heroines, Maya and her best friend Athena, gave me new love and respect for my neighborhood.

XO,

a.