With my background in history and education, making sure my story is historically accurate is very important to me. Thankfully, I love doing research. I guess that’s part of what makes me a history nerd. While I’m certainly no perfectionist, I have done my fair share of double and triple checking facts.
Having the opportunity to observe places in real life makes it that much easier as a writer to describe the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of a setting.
Wright Square in Savannah, Georgia serves as the setting for several scenes in my novel as well as the inspiration for its title.
I’m always inspired by nature, taking in the flora and fauna of my surroundings. I love to incorporate them into my story telling.
“Splashes of pink and white displayed across the backyard, shaded from tall pines, oaks, elms, and sweet gums. It was officially springtime in the South and the azaleas looked glorious in full bloom.” – In the Square of Crimson Camellias
Azaleas blooming in my backyard
I had the privilege to see the B-17 Texas Raider, a fully restored, actively flying B-17 (one of only five) back in April 2018. Being able to witness the four Wright “Cyclone” engines spin with intensity, taxi down the runway, and take off into the clear blue sky was a unique and special moment as I was writing my novel. Touring the inside of the olive-drab painted bomber, I climbed up into the fuselage, surveyed the cockpit, carefully crossed over the narrow catwalk, and watched a demonstration on how an airman would crawl to reach the tail. All the while, I snapped photos and took videos to document the details and layout of the aircraft in order to accurately describe them in my novel.
While researching about the Eighth Air Force, I discovered Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were in the works to create their third WWII TV mini-series focusing on the “Bomber Boys” who flew missions over Occupied Europe during WWII. I squealed with delight and was overcome with excitement, being a huge fan of Band of Brothers and having wrote about a fictional bomber pilot and crew in my novel. As of Spring of 2021, it is said they have begun filming and the highly anticipated series should be released sometime in 2022. Hanks and Spielberg’s series is based on Donald L. Miller’s book Masters of the Air, which I utilized in my research. I can’t wait to see it with my own eyes!
I’m currently in the beginning stages of my next book, Fireworks in the Midnight Sky which will be a companion novel for In the Square of Crimson Camellias. I have an outline/plotline complete and have started my research phase. This story will take place in Charleston, South Carolina in 1941-1942 as well as in Italy during World War II and forty years later.
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