Has Your Hobby or Passion Led to Literary Discoveries?

As many of you know, I have made my lifelong passion for golf an important component of my novels. All three of my published books--Lifetime Loser, Finish Line, and Tuey's Course--take place on Prairie Winds Golf Course and many of the pivotal conversations between my characters occur while they are playing an early morning round or relaxing in the clubhouse.

Because of this emphasis on golf, I think that many readers discover my books based on their mutual love of the sport. However, people quickly realize that you do not need to be familiar with the terms "par" and "double eagle" in order to get caught up in the controversial issues that I address through my writing.

I am certain that there are plenty of other novels out there on bookstore and library shelves that use a particular niche area as a launching point for a broader discussion. For example, do you have a favorite book that uses a love of cooking as the foundation on which it builds its plot and character development? Perhaps there is a group of people who take part in historical reenactments and within that setting a love story develops.

We often pick up a book because we are drawn to a specific aspect that appeals to our personal interests, and then realize a great new author or writing style. Do you have any examples of books you discovered in such a way? Has one of your hobbies ever brought you to a book, even when your specific topic of interest was only marginally related to the heart of the plot? Let us know if this has happened to you!