Curiosity doesn't always kill the cat

I’m a curious person. OK, that can be taken in two ways, and quite often has. But, what I really mean is that I’m curious about a lot of things – pretty much everything. Like, what is fire? Of course I know it’s hot, it burns, and it’s great with hot dogs, but I don’t know why it works. Same thing with radio and TV. But I digress.

What I’m really curious about is history. I love history. And speaking of love, I love romance, too. So guess what? I’m an historical romance writer. Can it get any better than that? Yes, it can, with chocolate. But that’s the only way to improve it.

I love research. Finding out what happened in the same time and place that my story is set. Take my novel, An Unsinkable Love. It’s set on the Titanic. Yes, I know, others have been there, done that. But I don’t care—I had a blast doing the research, and my story is different from theirs. I couldn’t believe all the information available on Titanic. Like the floor made of this new material more expensive than marble—it was called Linoleum. That it was the first ship with a heated swimming pool and it had mechanical camels in the gym (no, I did not make that up).

I also researched what was happening in the world at the same time. Turned out it was the second year there were fashion shows in Paris, and there was a major garment worker’s strike in New England – and I was able to incorporate those events in my novel. It’s that kind of thing that I love about history.

And romance? Well, what woman (and yes, men - but most won't admit it) doesn’t love romance? That slow brush of a hand up an arm? The cupping of a face, gently turning it for a soft kiss? A heated look that says “I can’t wait another moment.” Just because I’m an overweight fifty-something grandmother doesn’t mean I don’t want that. Of course, it also means I rarely get what I want. But that’s the deal, I can write what I want! I also like mystery, intrigue, and humor so those generally end up in my stories somewhere.

If you like history, romance, a little intrigue, a laugh or two, and a great read, buy An Unsinkable Love, have a glass of wine with some chocolate on the side, and get away from real life for a while. I think you’ll enjoy it.