Good morning everyone! Today, we are welcoming back author Linda Shenton Matchett, with her latest release, Love’s Rescue.
Welcome back, Linda!
Name: Linda Shenton Matchett
Genre: Christian Historic Fiction
Latest Release: Love’s Rescue
Writing Tip:
Research is a must for any book.
I primarily write historic fiction, so it goes without saying that I need to conduct copious amounts of research to ensure accuracy in my stories. Dates, places, and events must be correct. Trust me, readers will find the errors.
As an Anglophile, I love all things British, and several of my stories have taken place in England or include British characters. When I came up with the idea to set Love’s Rescue in Paris, France during the last weeks of German occupation, I decided my male protagonist would be a Brit. I outlined the entire story, then went to the internet and began to search for which British units were part of the liberation. It turns out none of them participated.
Oops.
Back to the drawing board, I revised the outline, and Simon became an American.
Accuracy is required in every genre, not just historical. Is your book set in a real location? Avail yourself of maps and travel guides so your characters don’t drive the wrong direction on a one way street or enter buildings in the wrong section of town. Are you writing science fiction? Better ensure the basis of your fiction is based on real science. Scribbling a cozy mystery? Get the aspect of police involvement correct, and for goodness sake, make sure your sleuth at least wears gloves when she infiltrates the crime scene to check for clues.
A few months ago, I read a contemporary romance book about a woman who was renovating a run-down house. Having done that myself, I am well-aware of what is involved in the process. The author obviously hadn’t done her homework, or perhaps she felt some of the day-to-day details would get in the way of her story. Whatever the reason, the book didn’t ring true. Major projects took days rather than weeks, and the main character never bothered to obtain the necessary permits or inspections for her work. Nit-picky, but those things bugged me and put me off the story.
For many authors, research is a tedious part of the process. Writing is where the fun resides, right? That may be true, but take the necessary time to fact check, and your story will be stronger because of it.
Great advice, Linda! We all want our stories to be believable, even if we don’t write historical.
A prostitute, a spy, and the liberation of Paris.
Sold by her parents to settle a debt, Rolande Bisset is forced into prostitution. Years later, shunned by her family and most of society, it’s the only way she knows how to subsist. When the Germans overrun Paris, she decides she’s had enough of evil men controlling her life and uses her wiles to obtain information for the Allied forces. Branded a collaborator, her life hangs in the balance. Then an American spy stumbles onto her doorstep. Is redemption within her grasp?
Simon Harlow is one of an elite corps of American soldiers. Regularly chosen for dangerous covert missions, he is tasked with infiltrating Paris to ascertain the Axis’s defenses. Nearly caught by German forces moments after arriving, he owes his life to the beautiful prostitute who claims she’s been waiting for the Allies to arrive. Her lifestyle goes against everything he believes in, but will she steal his heart during his quest to liberate her city?
Inspired by the biblical story of Rahab, Love’s Rescue is a tale of faith and hope during one of history’s darkest periods.
Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. She and her husband live in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.
What about you? Do you enjoy researching? Do you have any tips you would like to share? Leave us a comment in the comment section and before you go, take a moment and check out Linda’s book, Love’s Rescue and connect with her on social media.
Contact Info/Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLindaMatchett
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchett
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lindasmatchett
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Shenton-Matchett/e/B01DNB54S0
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author_linda_matchett
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett
Leave a Reply