The Research is Over - Back to Writing

The hardest thing about writing historical fiction is a strong desire to be faithful to one's readers.

The fictional characters are there. I hope I've brought them alive for my readers.

But, so are the real people who lived and breathed in those times so many years ago. They and their descendants deserve to be treated honestly and factually. That means lots and lots of research.

The problem is that different reference materials have different approaches. I spent endless hours going through a reference work, The Genealogy of California. I then had to reconcile that to other materials I've amassed in the effort to get the story right. Not everything agrees!!!

So, what does one do?

As for me, it's trying to make the best of things and put the factual information in approximation with the fictional to make the story informative as well as entertaining.

Who knew that an early California governor got into real trouble when he brought his wife and child to Monte Rey - only to have her discover he had an Indian mistress? And, how she ran to the friars for their help - only to have them tell her it was something she had to work out with her husband.

(Some of this stuff is more fun than anything I could possibly dream up.)

Anyhow, The Sailor and The Carpenter, Book One of Father Serra's Legacy is about to go to the editor. The King's Highway, Book Two of Father Serra's Legacy, has a tentative cover and sits somewhere in the publisher's pending pile. Now, it's back to working on The Missions Bloom, Book Three of Father Serra's Legacy. Some interesting stuff came out of researching all three that I hope to include in III.

The friar who entertained visitors with a parade of chickens, ducks and geese.

A French Count's visits to California and his response to what he saw.

And George Vancouver [we've all heard of him - right?] and Nootka, a fortress against the Russians looming to the north.

Writing the story is great fun!!! I hope you will find reading it half as fun.

[But, the time for editing/revising/re-editing will come sooner or later.]

Keep you all posted.