Judith Ashley is the author of The Sacred Women's Circle
series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual traditions that nurture the
soul.
Research has shown that we learn best when we are
entertained. And the best romance authors do their research so you learn
something as you go on a journey with their characters. And the best romances,
IMHO, are those that play over and over in our minds long after we’ve closed
the book which means those well researched details become a part of our general
knowledge.
I love to read historical romance and have learned
much more about living in those faraway times. Most recently I read all of
Jo Beverley’s Malloren World books set in the 1760’s. She showed the glamour and glitz of the aristocracy but she also showed the depths of despair, the plight of women and children, the filth and disease of the greatest city of its time. In the last book I read, she included information about the water system in London at the time of A Scandalous Countess.
Jo Beverley’s Malloren World books set in the 1760’s. She showed the glamour and glitz of the aristocracy but she also showed the depths of despair, the plight of women and children, the filth and disease of the greatest city of its time. In the last book I read, she included information about the water system in London at the time of A Scandalous Countess.
Several of the Genre-istas write in another time
period. Paty Jager, Kristin Holt, Lynn Lovegreen, Maeve Greyson all work to
make sure their readers understand the time period and thus the life style of
their characters. Genre-istas who write in various genres also pay attention to the research needed to bring their stories to life.
But what about Contemporary Romance Writers? Do they
have to do research? Do they build worlds? Do they have well-honed imaginations?
Since I am a Contemporary Romance Write, I’ll answer
that with “yes”!
Research? For Lily,
I spent time talking with my physical therapist to make sure I had the right
timing for Lily Hughes recovery from a devastating accident. And, I set up the
fictional Fremont, Oregon (based in part on my home town of Portland). Why didn’t
I use Portland? Because I wanted the freedom to have a doctor’s office, a
restaurant, etc. where it worked best for the story and not where one actually
was.
For Elizabeth,
I not only refreshed my memories of my trip to Ireland by reading my
journal and looking through albums of pictures, but I also talked to my friend
with whom I journeyed. And I used Google Earth to check out New Grange as we
hadn’t gone there. I looked at the countryside to determine where to site
Michael Murphy’s fictional home and The Sacred Grove.
Most recently, for Gabriella, I spent more time on Google Earth figuring out where
Giovanni Migliori’s villa might be on the West Coast of Italy overlooking the
Mediterranean Sea. I also researched Sacred Geometry before deciding to show Sacred
Geometry in nature with references to it also being man-made. I wanted to give
my readers a sense of the power of Sacred Geometry without overwhelming them.
Sophia,
Book Seven, involves a police officer and a teacher. I both worked for a
sheriff’s department and taught high school English. And since Sophia has been
a main character throughout the series, her dedication to her students, her
garden and the other women was already well known. I’ve even been concussed!
But, I’ve never been shot!!! So that required some investigating in order to
make my hero, Cam Mitchell’s, predicament real.
But here’s where the research butts up against our
characters. Not everyone in contemporary times is glued to a cell phone or
spends hours on the internet, etc. So when my editor commented on Diana “That’s not real, she should just
dial 911 on her cell phone.” I took a look at how I use technology in my
stories.
It’s there.
Not as much in the first books set in 2001 – 2002
but by Sophia set in 2005 - 2006 it is
more evident.
Believe it or not, to this day I have friends and
family who do not have cell phones or do not keep them on. And, I have friends
and family who are well-connected. I, for one, have not been to a movie theater
for decades and I seldom watch movies on television and although I’ve heard of
streaming, I’ve no idea how to do it.
What does this have to do with anything?
A well-written romance (or any story) will draw you
in. The characters will make sense to you as will their decisions. After that
comment from my editor, I went back and inserted a few sentences here and there
to show the reader that while my character knew about and had a cell phone, she
(in this case) was not wired 24/7.
What’s important is that the technology is congruent with who the
character is as a person and within the context of the story.
What are your thoughts on author’s research? Have
you ever read a book and known some fact was inaccurate at best and Wrong at
worst? What did you do?
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Learn more about The
Sacred Women’s Circle series on her website.
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©
2017 Judith Ashley
