SCHENECTADY — Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon have a lot in common. Both worked in marketing at New York’s big publishing houses. Both are writers and bibliophiles. And both describe themselves as “voracious readers who share an equally passionate appetite for exploration.”

During a conversation, the former neighbors in Hoboken, N.J., exchanged their excitement about recent travels. Schmidt just returned from Concord, Mass., where she visited Louisa May Alcott’s home, which deepened her appreciation for Alcott’s “Little Women.” Simultaneously, Rendon was preparing to travel to Dublin to visit the haunts of Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett.

Then it dawned on Schmidt that the two should turn their passion for literature and travel into a book. The idea grew into “Novel Destination: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West,” a publication of National Geographic.

Schmidt and Rendon surveyed literary hot spots in the U.S. and Europe. They hit the notable homes, pubs, theaters and landscapes that inspired or offered respite to poets, novelists and playwrights.

“It pretty much happened over the phone,” said Schmidt. “It took shape from there.”

Schmidt will share highlights of her travels as well as give area residents ideas on literary destinations in this region at a free talk on Monday at the Schenectady County Library.

Q: How did you divide up your book?

A: Joni lives in London — so she did a lot of Europe and I did the U.S. But we traveled to some places together. We met in Paris for a history weekend. We were in Charles Dickens’ London together, too. I was not familiar with any of his books. After I got home, I read “Great Expectations.”

We did visit the ones that really interested us, too. I wanted to go to the Yorkshire Moors for the Bronte sisters and “Wuthering Heights.” This was our first literary trip together.

And last summer we went together to Washington Irving’s estate in Tarrytown, while Joni was stateside for a visit.

Q: How did you decide on what to cover?

A: I insisted we have 10 in-depth narrative chapters, like on Victor Hugo in Paris and Louisa May Alcott in Concord, Mass.

Early on, we decided to only do classic authors. There were so many sites, so much material, so much great stuff that the publisher added 48 pages of content. But we did not visit every place in the book.

Q: How were you able to collaborate so seamlessly?

A: Joni and I have the same work styles. We don’t like to procrastinate. And we worked hard to write in the same style and tone so that it naturally meshed. Even the editor couldn’t tell who wrote what section.

Q: What do you plan on talking about at the library?

A: I want to talk about the places in the region that are a day’s drive, like the Edith Wharton home, The Mount, in Lenox, and the Herman Melville house, Arrowhead, in Pittsfield.

Then I’ll talk about my favorite places. I have slides and that makes a big difference.

Q: What are your favorite places?

A: Orchard House (home of Louisa May Alcott), which helped to inspire the book. I went there with my mother, sister and niece and we all took something away. But if I had one place that I think everyone should visit, it’s the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

I read her diary three times before going over there. But seeing that room where her family lived, cloistered for two years, and that little window that Anne looked out on, it added a completely new dimension to the book. It’s also a pivotal part of 20th-century history.

Q: Who is the book intended for?

A: It’s very much for the armchair traveler. It can make a difference if you already had read the book because it can deepen the scene, anecdotes of the writers or the places.

But then there are places like Dumas’ Chateau de Monte-Cristo. It was so interesting and imaginative, with wooded paths, grottos and a waterfall. And I might not have visited there.

These are places you are not going to find in Fodor’s.

Q: What’s next for you? Another book project?

A: Joni and I are talking about a book called “Artful Destinations,” where we would write about places that inspired artists.

I really enjoyed writing the book with Joni. One of the best aspects was traveling with different people — Joni, my mother, my husband, good friends.

Everyone draws something different from the places we visited.