I hope you’re enjoying the series on historical research.
Remember, if you have questions for the authors, add them in the comments or
contact them directly. Contact information is included at the end of each post.
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| Mary Jean Adams |
Cover art for my upcoming novel, Caution to the Wind, is in so I decided it was a good time to add my two cents on conducting historical research.
What is the time
period/setting for your novels?
So far, my novels are all set in Revolutionary America and
the years leading up to the Revolution. I say “so far” because I’m most interested
in the period from the French and Indian War up to and including the War of
1812. The history of these events is intertwined, and it’s hard to study one
without developing an interest in surrounding events.
Do you have any
special connection to the period? e.g. a degree in American History, well-known
family history, etc.
Only heresay. Supposedly my first ancestors came to America
in 1535, and I had ancestors who fought in the Revolution. I’ve always intended
to do a little research to see if I can verify any of this, but I’m almost
afraid to. What if I find out they were Tories!
What appeals to you
about this period?
First of all, tumultuous time periods make for natural
conflict. They also tend to bring out the true nature in people, the bad and
the good. For me, it seems a natural backdrop to romance. Although, I do try
hard to make sure the events of the time don’t overwhelm the romance.
I’m also fiercely independent and proud of this country.
While I love reading Regencies, I can’t imagine living in a period where you
were born into a “class” and expected to stay there unless some Duke took a
liking to you. (Which probably rarely happens outside of romance novels.) In
Revolutionary America, you see a society struggling to free itself from that
system. My heroes and my heroines are often people working for a living,
struggling to make ends meet while playing their role in the making of America.
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| Le Chevalier |
How much time do you
spend researching each book?
Quite a bit. While I’ve never measured it precisely, I spend
almost as much time researching as I do writing. When I read, my ratio of
non-fiction to fiction is about 2:1.
Do you tend to
research before you write, or more as you write?
I get many of my plot ideas as I’m reading non-fiction
history books. For example, my plot for Le
Chevalier really starting taking form as I read Lafayette
: Hero of the American Revolution by Gonzague Saint Bris. It’s not that
my plot followed anything in Lafayette,
but reading books like that inspires my imagination. Plus, it gave me several
pieces of historical trivia to weave in and a better understanding of one of my
side characters, the Marquis
de Lafayette.
Do you tend to use
secondary or primary research sources?
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| Caution to the Wind |
I tend to use secondary sources. I live in North Dakota, which
makes it kind of hard to visit Revolutionary battle sites or pour through
historical documents. I’m pretty much limited to what I can access on the web.
However, in the very early days of writing Caution
to the Wind, I did go to the Tall
Ships Festival in Duluth, MN and tour the Pride of Baltimore II. I wanted to see, first hand, what it looked
like inside a schooner and what it felt like to be on deck. (Next time, I am
definitely taking the sailing tour!)
Any favorite sources?
My favorite source is LinkedIn. I belong to several history
groups: American
History, Historical
Fiction, History
Enthusiasts Group.
While they aren’t a primary source, I use these groups to
get opinions and gather details on things that I just can’t seem to pull out of
the history books. Questions like - What would a man’s slippers be made out of
in the 18th century? When did men start wearing underwear?
Have you ever found
out after a book was published that you made an error with a historical fact?
No, however up until the last version of Le Chevalier, I had described Alexander
Hamilton as being tall. He always looked tall in his portraits, I guess because
he was so thin. Thankfully, as I checked and double-checked facts throughout
the editing process, I learned that he was rather petite: around 5’ 7”
Which authors in this
time period do you enjoy? Or, who inspires you?
Unfortunately, I don’t read a lot of authors who write in my
time period. It’s a habit I mean to break, but I’m slightly wary of having an
author who writes too much like me influence my work. Other authors I enjoy
include: Mary Balogh, Sabrina Jefferies, Jane Feather – just to name a few. If
you’re familiar with these writers you can see that, although I don’t write
about an aristocratic society, I definitely read about it.
I also read fiction outside the romance genre: C.S. Forester
(Hornblower), Patrick
O’Brian (Aubrey/Maturin series a.k.a. Master and Commander) and Michael Crichton.
Since all my favorite authors in that category are deceased,
may they rest in peace, I decided I needed to branch out a bit. I’ve started reading
James L. Nelson and really enjoyed By Force
of Arms, the first book in his Revolution at Sea
series. I have the second book on order.
It’s my hope that I might get him to take time for an interview, as I would
love to learn more about his research methods!
If you have questions or want to learn more, you can reach
out to me directly at mj@maryjeanadams or on any one of my social sites:
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