Research is a huge part of writing any novel, but it plays an especially key role when it comes to historical fiction. Historical details are the building blocks that shape the story world for readers. They can help shape the plot and give extra dimension to the characters. They bring the setting to life and even offer wow moments when something particularly unique is revealed. My latest … [Read more...]
Anticipation
As a child, I used to wake my mom up about hourly as Christmas Eve turned to Christmas morning. “Is it time yet? Is it time yet?” Anticipation! I didn’t grow out of it. Unbelievably, I gave birth to two daughters who were quite content to sleep until a reasonable hour, even on Christmas Day. Do you know what I did as a young mom? Starting about 2:00 or 3:00 AM, I would be up, closing … [Read more...]
Grieving . . . with hope
This isn't the post I'd planned to share today. I consider it a blessing that I was able to write stories about Belle Meade Plantation here in Nashville, and today at Belle Meade we'll be celebrating the life of a man who was very instrumental in me writing those stories. Alton Kelley, the former President of the Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery, died December 2 after a brief illness at the … [Read more...]
The Berkshires
While I miss my daughter living near us, one of the advantages of her living in Boston is getting to explore different areas when we visit. This fall, we went to the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts, near the New York border. We hoped to see some fall color and get in a bit of walking and relaxing. We didn’t expect to love this area as much as we did! Although we were a bit late for … [Read more...]
Where do your ideas come from?
This is a common question for writers. I often have this question myself when reading a historical novel, especially ones by author Elizabeth Camden, who tends to find the most unique historical backdrops for her stories! But I’ve been thinking about it in terms of my own work again as I stand at the beginning of a new project. And so as I look back to see where my stories have come from, I … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 24
- Next Page »