Travel & Historical Research - A Fun Combination

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I'm planning a trip to Karlovy Vary, Czechia (aka Karlsbad, Czech Republic) to do research for my historical novel-in-progress. My initial idea was to visit the locations in the story. take numerous photographs and notes, and soak in the atmosphere to make my novel more vivid and authentic. 

Many of these locations are tourist sites, such as the Elisabeth Spa, where my novel's protagonist works. Austrian Emperor Franz-Josef built the opulent baths to honour his late wife Elisabeth (Sisi). The spa opened in 1906. My novel takes place in 1914 during the months leading up to World War One. On my short visit to Karlovy Vary thirteen years ago, I saw the Elisabeth Spa building and its gardens and park setting. On this refresher trip, I'll get a peek inside by enjoying swimming and relaxation pools. Research is tough work.

 

During my trip planning, I discovered that Karlovy Vary has an excellent museum with exhibits on the history and development of the town since the 15th century, famous Karlovy Vary doctors and visitors, and local crafts, art and historical collections. Might the museum have archives that I could view with advance notice? It also occurred to me that the municipal library must have books of local interest not available elsewhere. I emailed both institutions about my research trip and explained that my novel was inspired by my 2013 visit to Karlovy Vary and my maternal grandparents who immigrated to Canada from Czechia shortly after WWI. I received helpful and enthusiastic replies.

Librarian Kateřina Krieglsteinová advised me to check the Karlovy Vary Library’s online catalogue and send her a list of books that interest me. She will have them available when I arrive and supplement them with other relevant books. In addition, she offered to arrange a walking tour of the city with an English-speaking guide knowledgeable about local history, a visit to the Karlovy Vary Museum exhibits, and, as a benefit to the library, an informal, evening talk about my writing and ancestors in Czechia for their readers. Since I don't speak Czech, she'll try to find a translator.     

David Čech from the Karlovy Vary Museum replied that he and two historians will be available to show me their museum archives that include old maps, photographs, postcards, and official documents. He supplied the historians' email addresses so I could contact them directly and about a dozen links to websites with historical information. One of these was the “Kurlisten,” which lists every spa guest in Karlovy Vary from 1795 to 1949. I had recalled reading that Sigmund Freud was in Karlovy Vary at the outbreak of WWI and made him a character in my novel even though I couldn't find confirmation of his visit anywhere on the internet. I asked David about this. He sent me an article stating that Freud "took the cure" in Karlovy Vary from July 13 to early August, 1914, as well as the "Kurlisten" page that records his arrival on July 13, 1914. My novel had Freud arriving a month earlier, but now I've altered the timeline to make his story appearance historically accurate. This will involve a number of changes, but at this first draft stage of writing, the revision isn't drastic.  

I also asked one of the historians about current spa culture in Karlovy Vary. It's still a thriving industry, but the pictures I've seen show treatments done in modern facilities. I like to experience one in a historical atmosphere. The historian said I'd be disappointed; the old ways are all gone. He suggested I visit the building of the former imperial spa, which has been renovated into a cultural centre and museum. I hadn't known this building existed. I emailed it and learned the facility offers guided and audio guide tours of its displays of the golden era of the spa industry in the early 20th century. I'll definitely add this to my itinerary.

My research trip idea began as a relaxing jaunt through the footsteps travelled by the characters in my historical novel. I'd stroll down the river promenade, enjoy leisurely lunches at cafes to gather details for my story's fictional cafe, and hike to historic viewpoints. I'll still do all these things and more -- library and museum visits, guided tours, evening talk with readers who don't speak my language. It feels overwhelming but exciting.        

Imagine Karlovy Vary in 1914

   

A New Year and the Swear Jar – by Barbara Baker

 

My New Year’s Resolution was to stop using my favourite word - the f-bomb. Just so you know, the resolution was a suggestion from a loved one.

At first, I balked at the idea because, darn it, it’s my favourite word. But then, I do like a challenge. And really, how hard could it be? It’s not like I’m a potty mouth and drop the bomb into sentences inappropriately. I only use it when the situation warrants special effects or to get my point across. Although … there have been occasions when I’ve been told in private (by loved ones) to read the room before dropping said word into a conversation.

When I told people what my resolution was, the first response I got was ‘you’ll never do it Gramma.’ What kind of support is that? That night I fell asleep with visions of soap bars hovering over me.

Ground rules were established. I could not say the word, but it was agreed I could use versions of it in writing and texting. Hello texting – my new best friend.

January 1^st did not go well and I must admit, I was embarrassed how easily the word slipped out of my mouth. Maybe I am a potty mouth.

January 3^rd found me texting more than talking. I know, it’s hard to believe.

January 5^th a swear jar appeared on the kitchen table. What? No way. I don’t need that.

My husband said, “$20.00 for each f-bomb.”

“What? That’s outrageous.”

“It is what it is.” He grinned, winked and pointed at the jar.

I can stop. Just watch me.

That night there was $60 in the jar. A family member mentioned we’ll be able to go on a holiday in a couple weeks. Oh, ye of little faith!

January 9^th no more funds added to the jar. Look at me, I’m rocking it! I will mention that I stopped using any version of my favourite word in texts. It was just too tempting.

I rode the wave until January 14^th when I slammed my funny bone on a sharp corner. The word flew out of my mouth before I could stop it. Honest. I didn’t stand a chance. Even though its use was totally warranted and I apologized profusely, waving my injured elbow in the air, a finger pointed at the swear jar. Who the heck named it a funny bone? And why? It’s a nerve, not a bone. I didn’t have any cash, and the jar didn’t accept debit or credit, so I slipped in an IOU and made a mental note to go to the bank tomorrow.

In order to recover my dignity, I coerced my teeth into supporting me. Game changer. Nothing like a good chomp on the tongue to make me rethink word choices. Teamwork. I’ve got this!

January 19^th I lost our evening scrabble game (which isn’t uncommon) but for some reason it ticked me off and the word blurted out before my teeth could engage. My husband eyed the swear jar. After I added my donation, I told him, “It costs way more than what’s in that jar to go on holidays." He just smiled.

New data states it takes from 66 to 254 days to break a habit. What kind of margin is that? It used to only be 21 days to break a habit. What happened to that data? Quite possibly I’m doomed.

January 24th I was in a rush and got angry at the dishwasher because it wouldn’t do the right cycle. I pushed enough buttons to get an error message. I never knew it gave error messages. I f-bombed an electronic message on an appliance. I’m hopeless.

January 31^st - $180 in the swear jar and one IOU. I guess I had a few more slip-ups than I remembered. FYI - no big holiday plans yet but the year is young. 

Fear not. I’m determined to ride this out until I break the habit. The next time we meet, I hope the soap ring around my lips has disappeared.

What resolution did you make? How’s it going? Current research states only 9% of people succeed in keeping their resolution. That's a daunting margin. 

Baker, Barbara - BWL Publishing Inc. (bookswelove.net)

Barbara Baker Author Page Facebook

 

 

Summer of Lies by Barbara Baker — BWL Publishing

What About Me? by Barbara Baker — BWL Publishing

Jillian of Banff XO — BWL Publishing

 

 

Customs, Cameras, and Comic Relief by Naguib Kerba

https://www.nkerba.com/ordinary-people-extraordinary-lives

 https://www.nkerba.com/blog/customs-cameras-and-comic-relief-part-one

The story behind my latest series by J. S. Marlo

 

Wide of the Mark

(Coming in March 2026)

   

 

  

To buy any of my books, visit

J. S. Marlo's Books

I'm presenting you my latest series: Indomitable Spirit

    They possess the mental strength and the discipline to get up when it’s hard, when it hurts, and when they can’t, but in the face of insurmountable odds, they will need an indomitable spirit to survive, to prevail, and to give love a fighting chance.

The first instalment of the series, Wide of the Mark, is coming next month (March 2026).

    Assisting with the capture of a military doctor who kept a dead woman in his house is a thorn in Colonel Amelia Matheson’s side compared to the devastating news of her daughter Hope’s disappearance.

     On the hunt for the perpetrators who kidnapped her deaf daughter from the groomed trails during a solo biathlon training session, Amelia enlists the help of Morgan Anchor, a local sheriff who once sold her out. To find Hope, Amelia and Morgan must untangle a web of secrets, including their own, and trust each other again. 

     Held captive in a remote cabin in the mountains, Hope fights the storm of her life using her wits and her skills. Scared but unafraid, she sets out to escape and save the man that her mother sent to rescue her – a man who is not who he appears to be.

The second instalment, Blown Away, will be released in the Fall of 2026, and the third, which is currently untitled, in 2027.

So, what possessed me to write that series?

My children were athletes. For nearly two decades, I drove them to the pool and the hockey rink almost every morning, every evening, every day, and every month of the year. They learned to do their homework on buses or planes, and have breakfast or supper in the car. Camping trips and vacations were scheduled around their training camps, competitions, and tournaments. I sweated on hot and humid pool decks and froze in unheated hockey rinks. I watched them push their endurance to the limit, achieve thrilling victories, and suffer heartbreaking losses.

They eventually stopped playing competitive sports to build careers and families. I thought my “driving/watching years” at the pool and at the rink were over, but was I ever wrong! My oldest granddaughter, who lives five minutes away (eight minutes if I hit all the red lights),  followed both in her mother’s and her uncle’s footsteps. Driving her to the pool and the hockey rink, and watching her win a breaststroke race and score a goal brings back lots of wonderful memories.

One day, a good friend of mine asked why none of my fictional characters were athletes. I'll admit that it was a fair question, which got me thinking...

And this is how the Indomitable Spirit Series was born.

Stay Warm & Happy Reading! 

Hugs!

JS

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

To Thesaurus or Not to Thesaurus by Deb Loughead

https://www.facebook.com/people/Debra-Loughead-Author/61577095528637/

How much do I love the online thesaurus? I remember a fellow participant in a writing class once upon a time back in the mid 90s, telling me that a good writer would never need to use a thesaurus. Because using one for some reason makes you less authentic. Or something absurd like that. I begged to differ then and I still do now, scoffing at her claim as my well-thumbed and dog-eared Roget’s awaited my next writing session on my desk at home. 

Roget’s Thesaurus has been around forever, created way back in 1805 by Peter Mark Roget, who was a lexicographer and physician, among other things. It has been the go-to for synonyms for actual centuries! It became a bit of a debate at the time, but most classmates agreed that having a thesaurus on your desk could be extremely helpful, if you didn’t let it bog down your writing with uncommon, pompous or pretentious words a là Conrad Black. 

I’m not sure about you, but whenever I’m deep in writing mode, I don’t have time to stop and think, which sounds bizarre, but it’s true. When my busy brain is leaking words and I’m forced to start wracking said brain for a synonym, well that’s just counter-productive to the task at hand. When brilliant words and sentences are flashing out of my fingertips like Captain Marvel’s cosmic energy blasts, I don’t have a lot of time to pause and figure out a substitute for a word I might have already used too often. Especially since there are so  many possibilities floating around out there. So I turn to my smart phone, tap in the word that requires a synonym, and presto, dozens of words fill the screen instantly, saving me so much precious time. 

Back in the day, of course, you actually had to open a book and turn the pages to locate the word that needed an upgrade. Hence my poor, tattered, and now apparently entirely vanquished Rogets Thesaurus, probably discarded during one of my mad book purges, some of which I still regret. I actually just looked up synonyms for the word ‘vanquished’ to see if I could use it appropriately in that previous sentence, and yes, it really kind of works in a variety of different ways. I might have also chosen to use ‘demolished’ or ‘pulverized’ or ‘destroyed’ or ‘annihilated’. Then again, I might have used jettisoned. I’d better look up synonyms for that one. 

Hmmm. There’s ‘relinquished’ or ‘abandoned’ or ‘forsaken’ or ‘ditched’.

And wow, here I am, lost yet again in the black hole of the internet, overthinking, wasting time doing deep searches that aren’t even necessary. Might be time to head out and buy myself an actual brand new softcover edition of the good old Roget’s Thesaurus. 

Might just turn out to be a time saver in the long run!

https://www.facebook.com/people/Debra-Loughead-Author/61577095528637/