Why Write Historical Romance? by Victoria Chatham

 

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Authors are often asked questions by their readers or followers. I find the usual one asked of me is: why do you write historical fiction and romance? Let’s face it – with all of the details that need to be exact, writing historical fiction can be challenging. So why do it?

I freely admit to not having started off as a history buff, having found it to be the most boring subject when I was at school. Dates wars or invasions and the succession of kings didn’t matter to me at all as the subject had no relevance to my life at the time.

Jane Austen was a must-read at school and, at that age – ho hum. Sorry, Austen fans, but that is the truth. I have since returned many times to Austen, reading her books from a totally different aspect and discovering the treasure trove of minutiae they contain. The same applies to Georgette Heyer. The first of her books I ever read was Frederica (which I consider her best) but then I collected and read all her Regency romances without ever considering that they were, in fact, history books. A stylized history, maybe, but history nonetheless. Second readings of many of her titles gave me a whole new appreciation of the Regency era (1811 – 1820) beyond ladies’ dresses and gentlemen’s sporting preferences.

I started digging around in non-fiction history books, checking for myself anything I queried whether it was a style of dress or manner of speech and found I loved the research. At that time in my life I had no more thought of writing a book, historical or otherwise. But, in those odd and forgotten facts I came across snippets of past lives that really fascinated me. How other people lived, loved, how a table was laid and what cutlery they used and all the events that surrounded them came to life in an amazing way. More latterly YouTube has provided a visual and sometimes harsh view of life as it was lived in several eras.

Books We Love is fortunate to have a wealth of historical authors. Do you want to know more about Mozart? Check out Juliet Waldron’s book Mozart’s Wife. How about a taste of ancient Sumer? You couldn’t ask for more in Katherine Pym’s Begotten. A.M. Westerling’s Bakerville Beginnings takes us back to the gold rush days in British Columbia, and Diane Scott Lewis offers a background of the French Revolution in Escape the Revolution. There are many more historical titles, all offering  fascinating glimpses of past lives.

There is no doubt that history offers a rich and varied tapestry from which to draw inspiration for plots, characters and yes – happy-ever-afters.

Victoria Chatham

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Writing in the time of Covid

 Having spent a number of days dipping a canoe paddle into the water, setting a book on the St. Croix National Scenic Waterway was logical. My protagonist, Doug Fletcher, is a former scout who grew up in Minnesota, so putting him in a canoe on the river was a no-brainer. Heck, there are even two scout camps along the river within a few miles of Stillwater, Minnesota. As a former resident of the Twin Cites (St. Paul and Minneapolis) he'd obviously know Stillwater, the camps, the river, and the risks of canoeing. Then came the hard part - what's the mystery?

The book opens with a honeymoon couple paddling down the St. Croix. A silly mishap causes their canoe to tip. Doug and Jill Fletcher, US National Park Service investigators, get a call at their home location, Padre Island National Seashore. The superintendent of the St. Croix park makes a frantic request for their assistance. VIPs are expected and she needs to know the fate of the missing couple before the VIPS arrive.

I had fun writing this book. Jill Fletcher whispered to me, offering hints about the plot, the scenery, her evolving relationship with Doug, and her anxiety about her new investigator role. In many respects, the characters told their stories and I was the scribe who recorded the events. 

I'd awake and rush to the computer (I may have started the coffee pot along the way) and spend an hour or two (or four) recording the thoughts as they came to me. The evolving dialogue steered the story, flowing into my rough outline. 

And Covid helped. Like the rest of you, I was mildly paranoid. With the encouragement of the Minnesota Governor, I sat at home, isolated from the outside world. Without the distractions of library and bookstore speaking commitments, I focused on writing. Jill and Doug Fletcher have been my friends for over a year, and they've shared their joys, their fears, and their deepest emotions as I recorded them. Thanks to Covid, they became my point of outside contact. I put myself in a canoe alongside them as we paddled, pushed along by the gentle St. Croix current. I felt the burn in unused muscles, saw the natural beauty of the river, and felt the sun on my back. I also endured the swarms of mosquitoes in the backwaters, the anxiety of the search for the missing couple, the terror of being on the water miles from the nearest landing as thunder rumbled in the distance. 

There's more to a book than the writing. I spend hours doing research into which diseases ticks and mosquitoes carry and the history behind the Park Service's acquisition of the property along the St. Croix waterfront. Which areas of the river are restricted to canoes and which allow motorboats? How fast does an empty canoe or lifejacket drift down river? Where would a pair of rangers meet a local cop for lunch? Which motel would they stay in? How far is their motel from the park headquarters and is it faster to drive to the park headquarters on the Minnesota or Wisconsin roads?

I contacted Chris, the ranger at the Andersen Boy Scout Camp, Mike, an fellow Eagle scout, Deanna, my consultant on all things cop and horse related, and others. Natalie and Anne proofread.

Finally, the manuscript went to Jude Pittman, at BWL Publishing. Michelle Lee designed the cover. Susan Davis edited and made the book even better. 

Greg Peterson, a reader, texted me to tell me how much he loved Jill and Doug Fletcher. He said they'd become old friends he'd like to have over for a beer and conversation. Another reader told me she wished Fletchers were her relatives. They're so nice, loving, and comfortable. My heart swells when I hear feedback like that. I'm pleased to be able to share the Fletcher's stories with you, the reader. Jill whispers to me. Right now she's telling me to end this before I give away the Down River ending. 

I hope you read and enjoy Down River and the other Fletcher mysteries. Doug and Jill will be back later this year.

A War and Murder over Oysters? by Diane Scott Lewis

When I lived and worked in Virginia I had a friend who went over my first novel with me. A story which became Escape the Revolution. She lived in the small town of Colonial Beach and told me of its history. She urged me to write a book on the Potomac Oyster Wars that took place in the 1950s. Then she brought up another historical fact, the Paying off at the Boom. This event took place in the late 1800s when new crew were hired to work on fishing boats. Instead of paying them, at the end of the season, they'd kill them and throw them into the Potomac. Their bodies would wash up at The Point, which became known as Ghost Point.

Potomac River off Colonial Beach
Photo by Alleyne Dickens

I began my research into the Oyster Wars. In 1785, the Potomac River, which spills into the huge Chesapeake Bay, and that into the Atlantic, was given to Maryland to police. Oysters were a popular meal, and both Maryland and Virginia fished the river to bring up bushels of oysters to sell.

Tonging oysters was the kindest method, plucking them up, and not damaging the beds. Dredging scooped up the bi-valves and ruined the beds, giving the oysters no place to repopulate. Unfortunately, dredging brought in much more oysters, thus more money.

By the 1950s, Maryland had imposed so many restrictions on the Virginians, the Virginia watermen grew furious. Out of defiance they snuck out on the river at night and illegally dredged. The Maryland Oyster Police mounted guns on their boats and shot at the Virginians. Seaplanes swept over the river, searching for dredgers. People were chased down and killed.

Maryland and Virginia fought in the courts as well as the river for their rights.

I had a critique partner once tell me, 'no one would act like this'...when I was writing exactly what did happen.

In my novel Ghost Point, due out in September, I explore this volatile time in Virginia's history with fictional characters mixed in with the actual people who were there.

The Paying off at the Boom will be addressed in a future blog.

Ice on the beach, Colonial Beach
Photo by Alleyne Dickens

To purchase my novels and other BWL books: BWL

Find out more about me and my writing on my website: Dianescottlewis

Diane Scott Lewis lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty puppy.