About my writing
My books are set in small towns because that’s what I know best. Except for Sophie’s Lies, they are historical fiction in nature. Other than learning about the logging industry and the nineteenth century as a whole, the
Family Saga Series
required little research. Hersey’s history was passed down to me by parents, grandparents and people I knew and listened to as a child.
The
Idlewild Series
was different, and I needed to learn through research. I found few real historical documents about Idlewild but a great deal concerning events of the 1920’s in Michigan and in the nation. It was a time of tribulation for our country, and I used what I learned to describe what could – or likely did – occur in the nation’s largest African American resort prior to the civil rights acts.
Sophie's Lies
came about as a result of conversations with many women over a couple of decades. They wanted to hear their voices in my work. They wanted to see the complex arguments they had with themselves in print on the pages of a book. I complied.
Curse of the Damselfly
took a year to write following months of research for the perfect small town. I found Pere Cheney, just south of Grayling, Michigan. It was a railroad and logging town with a fascinating history, and it was waiting for me. I didn’t know we’d be living with Covid-19 when I began this book about a diphtheria epidemic. It hit the village in 1893, and some surprising events nourished the novel.
I am often asked how I create characters and events, and I don’t have a clear response. I make detailed lists describing new characters and refer to it frequently throughout the writing process, but the people in my books don’t always stay where or who I want them to be. They get pushy and go off on their own – do their own things. Many such people live in my books, but Harley in the Saga Series is the best example of a man who materialized and wouldn’t go away or die off. And I love him. He’s as real to me as someone with flesh and blood. So, I don’t know the answer to that question. Wish I did.
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Thank you for your support and have a wonderful day!
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