Shannon here: Linda Hoover shares insight into her love for research, plus a chance to win a digital copy of her latest Historical Romance, Heart’s Promise, U.S. only. Deadline: June 7th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Linda:
Romancing the Research
I love to read romance, especially historical, so it’s no surprise it’s the genre I prefer to write. I’ve been interested in history all my life, reading about it, visiting historic places, and now writing it in fiction stories. Researching to make the stories accurate is a pleasure. I have a book coming out on June 23rd called Heart’s Promise.
It’s the third book in a family series. As often happens, the children of the original characters take over the spotlight. Annaliese is the daughter of Jacob and Julia who featured in the first two books. Robbie is the son of a good friend of Julia’s, Edward, from the first book. Heart’s Desire and Heart’s Journey were set in the early 1880s. It’s 1893 when this book begins and quickly goes to 1900 when the children graduate high school.
The time jump meant researching the new century. Fashions were a little different and technology had improved. If you lived close enough for telephone and electric wires to reach you, you might have one or both of those conveniences. The intercontinental railroad was up and running, and George Pullman got to work designing and building luxury train cars.
In the summer of 1900, Edward, his wife, two daughters, and son, Robbie, met Jacob, Julia, Annaliese, and her brother to ride the rails in a private Pullman car for a five-day trip to San Francisco. Articles and pictures showed a parlor at one end of the car with furnishing upholstered in fine fabric and a plush wool rug on the floor. A cluster of staterooms followed, each having a bathroom with a marble-walled shower. Beyond that was a dining table, pantry, and galley. The family played games and read as they traveled. It was a good way to get to know each other better and Robbie used it to his advantage. I also looked at what states, mountain ranges and deserts they would pass through. It sounds like a beautiful trip.
What would they do when they arrived in San Francisco? I found there were many tourist opportunities in 1900. On a cliff by Ocean Beach sat a huge castle-like building called Cliff House that looked out over the ocean and beach. It had restaurants, galleries and rooms for concerts and balls. After lunch the fog that San Francisco Bay is famous for, lifted and they went to the beach. It was a big deal to stand at the western edge of the United States.
Sutro Heights was a large estate with a conservatory, walking paths and a maze. Annaliese and Robbie spent their time walking arm in arm, sitting together at concerts and dancing when the family attended an event at Ocean Beach. The Golden Gate Park had many more chances for the two to be a couple even though surrounded by people. One of the most romantic things they did was rowing on one of the lakes in the park.
Toward the end of the week, Robbie’s mother shocked Annaliese with information that changed everything she knew about who she was. Robbie’s family lived in Nottinghamshire, England, and his mother wanted to take Annaliese back with them when they went home. More research. The city of Nottingham and Sherwood Forest are there, just like it says in the book Howard Pyle wrote, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. I checked out the topography of the county and very old, very large manor houses.
Going to England required taking an ocean liner from Boston to London. What were staterooms like? What kind of food was served in the dining room? What activities were there for the passengers? Robbie and Annaliese continued to grow closer and found that a moonlight walk on the deck was a perfect place for a first kiss.
I get as much information as I can before I start, but inevitably questions come up and I have to search for the answer. It’s not unusual to have five or six tabs open across the top of my screen. Even more research was required before I put “The End” in the book. By the time I was done, I had more information than I used. Everything went into a file for possible future use.
Question for Readers: Have you been to San Francisco? If so, what did you enjoy most? If not, would you like to go? Why or why not?
About Linda: Linda, a retired librarian, lives in west central Ohio with her husband and grandson. An avid reader and writer since childhood, she began her publishing career writing columns and a middle-grade serial for the South Charleston Spectator. Her desire is to entertain, but more importantly, to encourage readers with God’s faithfulness.
You’re invited to visit her website. Browse the pages to learn more about her and her books. Stay in touch when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll receive a free novella as a thank you.
About the book – Heart’s Promise:
Welcome back to Jacob and Julia’s Iowa farm.
In 1893, their son Justin is eleven. and daughter Annaliese is ten. When Jacob and Julia adopted Annaliese as an infant, they were told God had a special plan for her. As Annaliese grows up, she wonders if her purpose will be world-changing.
Julia’s old friend, Edward Harrington, comes to visit from England, along with his wife and son, Robbie. Their time at the farm is the beginning of a like/hate relationship and later something more between Robbie and Annaliese. When the families travel to San Francisco in 1900, a shocking revelation from Edward’s wife could change everything, beginning with taking Annaliese back to England with them.
If this is God’s plan, Annaliese is disappointed. It’s nothing like she imagined, and her heart’s desire is to go to veterinary college. This could mean a very different future for her.
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Linda’s other titles?
Get your copy/copies now!
Come back May 30th for Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup!
I Would Love To Visit San Francisco…. I Also Love Linda Hoover This Author Is My Mother. I Am so Proud Of Her being able to write all these Stories. She Works So hard. She also gave me her writing ability and my deep spark for imagination.
My mom grew up in Berkley, so she was happy to take us to San Francisco when I was 13. My favorite memory of the city is going to Fisherman’s Wharf. We bought fresh bread and freshly cooked seafood and ate right on the docks.
I have a winner! Cindy Pye won the drawing. I appreciate Linda for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.