Back to the books
So, It's back to school time (YAY!) and the first thing that the kids are complaining about is the books! "They're heavy, they're a pain and they're expensive – if you've got a college kid!"
In the age of internet access to everything from dating to how to diagnose whatever is ailing you while you're sipping your morning coffee – is it any wonder the kids don't get the value of a textbook or a research book?
I recently decided to indulge my love of historical romance and pen one myself – my first stop? Okay, I won't lie and say I didn't sit down at the computer to start my research into my chosen time period, but it wasn't long before I yearned for the feel of a research book to thumb through.
Yes, a book may be bulky – but there is something about flipping the pages of a history book that lures me in.
My internet search landed me at Amazon for research books and it's there I spent the next hour or more going from page to page to pick the books best suited to my needs (and there were plenty!)
My next stop will be the library to fill in the gaps the books I ordered won't cover – and there will always be the internet.
How about interaction with others who love your time period too? Well, my library participates in the "ask a librarian" and I can text or call my local librarian with any questions that arise! (Another plus for technology with that human touch, can't beat that..) For my last book (A FISTFUL OF FATE, a november 2010 release from Lyrical Press) my hero is an 1806 blacksmith. I happen to live close to an historic village with volunteer docents – and I spent a lot of time the summer I wrote that book with the local blacksmith to get my terms right, to get a feel for what smithing is like.
And last, but not least, I'm a firm believer in diving in with both feet – so I rejoined the RWA Hearts through History romance writers – so I always have fellow writers online who can help with those little details writers love 
.
When it comes to research what are your favorites?
What?! You're writing historical?
Okay. Well, I am excited about that.
I'm an online research gal. I love a good book, but I often find I don't exactly what I want when I go to the library. I was researching birds last fall for a ms and I wanted birds native to Louisiana… but I got books on birds native to teh South East, wetlands. Nothing exactly right. But getting on line, with all the tags and search engines made finding things through key words much easier.
Penny Dune(Quote) (Reply)
Um, yeah. Most of my research is online because our library is tiny and we have a VERY hard time getting reserved books in from larger libraries. Even with my historical manuscript, I can access so much more archived documents than if I drove to OKC because I can save or print out copies of what I need easier. If I need clothing, housing, or any culture type of info, all I need to do is to search a date and item and *poof*…there it is.
Chelle Sandell(Quote) (Reply)
I love Asian history, but could never work up the courage to write one. Love the culture and the history, but i'm also not one for heavy researching. ;0)
This is so exciting, Deb! Good luck with the research!
Clarissa Yip(Quote) (Reply)