Writing Historical Romance and Who to Invite for Dinner

I found this interview I did a few years ago, and thought it had some good information on writing historical romance, as well as one of my favorite questions about who to invite to dinner. Hope you find it interesting.

1. Colorado Silver, Colorado Gold is your second historical romance. Would you tell us a little about the book?

The book is set in Durango, Colorado. I created this story around the setting. When I was a child we lived in California, but every summer drove back to Illinois to visit the grandparents. I remember how beautiful Durango was, so I wanted to set a historical here. I got a book of Durango history, and used what I found for the background for the story, the mining, the smelters, etc. 2. Both the hero and heroine are hiding secrets .What problems did you run into maintaining this tension and how did you deal with them?

The fact that they are hiding secrets is what keeps them from going right into a relationship. The reader is privy to Wes’ work for Wells Fargo and why he’s in Durango right up front, so there was no real problem in writing Wes. I had to be a little more circumspect with Julie, as the reader knows she concealing something, but not exactly what she’s concealing. The hard part for writing Julie is not to reveal too much when in her point of view or internal thoughts. Just enough to keep the reader wondering, but not enough to give the secret away until the proper time. This creates a push-pull in their feelings, as they are attracted to each other, but don’t feel they can do anything about the attraction.

3. Both your first book, Kentucky Green, and Colorado Silver, Colorado Gold are set on the American frontier. What in your opinion is the hardest part of writing stories in this setting? What is the easiest?

Well, since I a BA and MA in History and taught I was familiar with the history so once I decided where and what type of story I wanted to write, I had a general idea to start. Doing the detailed research is easy and fun for me. For Kentucky Green I did research on Kentucky long rifles, Conestoga wagons, their average speed, how far it was from one little town in Pennsylvania to another. You can find really great thing, such as a WPA travel guide to Pennsylvania that listed all the little towns, when they were founded, if they’ve changed names, what they might be famous for, etc. And I used this as a guide for the wagon train trip.

For Colorado Silver, Colorado Gold, I learned about mining and smelting in Colorado, the history of Wells Fargo, etc. The hard part of this is to stop doing the research and start writing. And while I like research, my formal training didn’t cover what clothing people wore, so I had to do a lot of research on who would be wearing what, when.

One problem I have is conveying the social conventions of the time I’m writing in without over explaining (author reader-feeder). For instance in Kentucky Green, it takes a while for the hero and heroine to even think of each other by their first name before actually addressing each other that way. That was the convention of the time, where even married people addressed each other as Mr. and Mrs. in public. Another problem is writing in a time period where S*E*X* (as Erma Bombeck used to write) wasn’t quite so prevalent. Today there is S*E*X everywhere you look. So it had to balance the actual conduct of the time with today market that wants things hot, hot, hot.

4. You're ready to begin a new project. What's the first thing you do? Research? Character bios? Plot and plan? Or just jump in and let the muse take you?

The staring place can be the setting, or just the idea of a hero or a heroine, or a plot line such as a marriage of convenience. Then you noodle around with the characters (how are they wrong for each other, how will they be right for each other) and the plot, until I have a vague outline. Then I’m fortunate enough to belong to a critique group, that over the fifteen plus years we’ve been together we’ve become a plotting group. We have an annual retreat where we each bring an idea and do the brainstorming to flesh out the characters and the plot line.

Then I write a narrative outline of the story with all the important points before I actually start writing. I sometimes do a first person bio, but not always. I know some writers feel that plotting takes away the mystery of the story, but I like to have a road map, but with my general outline, all the details somehow revel themselves as I write the story.

For example, in one of my ms. I wrote in the outline ‘Johnny finds out where the fence cutter will strike’ but had no idea how he would find out, but as I wrote the story, it figured itself out. Too weird, huh? 5. What advice can you offer to writers who are working toward publication?

Have friends who are also writers – no one else understand except other writers what we worry about, or understand and support us. My husband loves me, but he just doesn’t get ‘writing’.

And you have to keep thinking of the line from Galaxy Quest – “Never give up, never surrender!”

6. And lastly, if you could invite three people to dinner (real, fictional, living or dead), who would they be? What would you serve and why and what would you want to discuss over coffee?

Wow! What a choice. Did you ever watch the old PBS series Meeting of the Minds where Steve Allen had historical figures to dinner and a discussion?

After a lot of thought (too many possibilities!) I think I’ll have dinner with George Washington, Elizabeth I and Alexander the Great. These are personalities who fascinated me while studying/teaching history. I think it would be interesting to find the real person behind the historical persona they’ve become. All of them seem to be bigger than life characters but from my studies I think they all were in essence really very private people who only allowed a few real friends to really know the people they were.

And it, it just occurred to me, none of them left a direct descendent. What to serve would be a real problem since George, Elizabeth and Alexander come from such different times. So I think I’d go with a simple menu, roast turkey and new world vegetables such as corn and tomatoes, some bread, then round it out with fruit (apples, pears, grapes) and nuts along with a couple of types of cheese, one or two types of wine, and of course coffee and tea.

Discussion is easy as we would discuss leadership and the responsibility there of. George was a natural leader, who was willing to step up and take on the role and responsibility.

Elizabeth had to keep her head (literally) on her way to becoming queen. And then as a woman in a man’s job, learn to lead men without making them resent it.

Alexander must have been some sort of super charismatic man to get his troops to follow him to the ends of the earth.

These three were also in a sense the first/originator of their role – President, a reigning Queen, a conqueror.

If you got to invite three people from history for dinner - who would it be?

Getting to know me

Several months ago author Ingela Hyatt had ten authors answer a set of questions. So I thought I'd go ahead and share my anwers here.

Questions:Q:If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have three books with which to read for five years, which three books would you take and why?

A:The Bible (for the stories and the spiritual inspiration), SAS Survival Handbook (to help me remember all I learned when my sons were in Boy Scouts) and something long and that I’ve never read. Can I have a pencil and paper? Then I could also write.

Q:If you could travel back in time for a month long vacation, which Era would you visit and why?
A: Oh, for only a month? My first thought on reading this question was the old Chinese proverb/curse ‘may you live in interesting times’. But if it’s only for a month, then I’d chose the American Revolutionary period. This is the beginning of the United State and the first definition of ‘American’. Perhaps the siege of Boston early in the conflict, or maybe be in Virginia at the time of Yorktown. I might get to meet/see one of the founding fathers.

Or perhaps the court of Queen Elizabeth I, but then I’d probably be in the kitchen scrubbing the pots and pans, so think I’ll go with the American Revolution

Q; If you could meet anyone of your characters in person, who would it be and why?

A: The heroine of my WIP, to find out why she’d turn down/resist the wonderful hero I’ve made for her. I need some reason to keep them apart so that I actually have a story. I really have to work to have conflict in my stories. Like I say, I met this guy, we went out a few times, he said ‘let’s get married’ and I said ‘OK’ , which is nice, but an awful short story.

Q; If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

A: I’ve been fortunate enough to travel extensively though out the US, so I’d love to go back to the UK – to re-visit all the places we went the first time and to see all the places we didn’t see the first time. To see more of Scotland, and to visit Wales.

Q: What is your favorite Season to write in and why?

A: Well, I’ve written stories in summer, spring and fall. Because there is an actual historical event in my stories, that sorta dictates which season it will be. Since a lot of the action in my stories occurs outside (cowboys, you know), guess why I’ve avoided winter time. Maybe I can come up with a Christmas story some time.

Q; What genre (if any) have you always dreamed of writing but haven't found the time and/or desire to write?

A: Want to write a Scottish historical, and if there was a market, one set in Ancient Greece. And the American Revolution.

Q: If you could meet any author in the world (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

A:Janice Holt Giles or Ellsworth Thane. Both wrote wonderful historical series that entranced me as a young reader. And yes, they are historical novels, but each had strong romantic thread.

Q: If you could meet any mythological or legendary creature/person, who would they be and why?

A: Legendary person – I’d go for George Washington. A really fascinating character who’s become more a caricature in modern times. But if you read any biographies, he was a very complex and fascinating man. And after visiting Mt. Vernon, and sitting on the back porch looking down over the lawn that falls away to the Potomac river, I know why he always spoke about wanting to go home.

Q: What is your favorite "guilty" pleasure and why?

A: US Soccer – I love international soccer, follow the World Cup qualifications and the cup itself. Why else would I be willing to get up in the middle of the night to watch the games that were played at 2am my time (2004 Cup)? Luckily this year the difference in time is better. US v. England on June 12 – check your local listing.

Q: What is the "coolest" or most interesting thing that has happened to you since becoming a published author?

A: I get to teach workshops and on-line classes. I’ve taught History, and now I’m teaching writing. And you get to meet so many other authors. My next on-line class is through the Orange County Chapter of RWA http://occrwa.org/ Another Time, Another Place - Tools to Transport the Reader starting May 10th.

Where would you go if you could travel back in time for a month?

Kentucky Green. Journeying to her childhood home of Kentucky, April Williamson allows nothing to deter her. Certainly not Dan McKenzie who’s duty bound to escort her. Dan believes the frontier of 1794 is no place for women. But in spite of their mutual attractions, a dark secret in his past means April cannot be his.