Researching the Book

I have a BA in history, and a Master’s Degree in archives, museums, and editing history. I love the past so much I devoted my entire college career to studying things that happened waa-a-aay before I was born. I spent the 1990s learning about everything from Ancient Egypt to the early twentieth century. While other people look at places, names, and dates as is, I take the facts and build stories around them by asking questions. My why, what, and how fill in the gaps the who, where, and when leave behind.

 

Why did noblemen train themselves to fight? What did people eat in fifteenth century England? How were women treated? Finding answers to these questions requires research if I want my fictional world to be plausible. While Wikipedia may seem like the logical place to start, it’s not. Some of their ‘facts’ are as fictional as the conversations I want to write between my protagonist and their love interest. Instead, I use primary sources to create a credible world for my characters. I’m not an expert on the middle ages, but those that are who read my book might ridicule me if I miss a detail or misrepresent the timeline.

How do I do my research?

 

I start with books or articles written from primary resources and published within the past three years that can connect me to the time period I’m basing my story in. Then I double check to make sure no one has made an important discovery in the last few months that discounts what’s already written. Next, I look for pictures, letters, wills, deeds to homes, marriage certificates, and other resources that are relevant and will give me a greater understanding of the people and their daily lives.

 

For The Promise, I researched castle life, clothing, food, pastimes, attitudes, and so much more. I wanted to know anything that was relevant to early fifteenth century England. For Time School, I toured Gettysburg and asked a million questions of my guide. She even helped me after the tour was over by gathering more information from the local historical society, and sending it to me via email. I also read books and accounts by people who lived in the town during the Civil War battle, and actual newspapers from 1863. I studied maps and pictures of the town, too.

 

My history degrees were born from an intense desire to step behind a museum's red velvet rope and touch the past. The books I write are what would happen if I could touch those artifacts in their original surroundings.