Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’ve got an awesome guest for you today. Her name is Wendy May Andrews and she’s going to tell us about the recent trip she took to do research. Did you know that you can write a trip off on your taxes if you’re doing it for research? I just thought I’d pass that little nugget along to you.😉
Anyway. Take it away Wendy!
Research
I write historically accurate fiction so a great deal of research is required for my books. So far everything I have written has been set in Regency era England which I love, so the research is a pleasure. But in order to give the writing a sense of authenticity, accurate descriptions are required, as well as a proper understanding of how life was back in 1800. So in the name of research I recently traveled to England. It was AMAZING!! I loved every second of our trip! We had been to London before and I did a little bit of research while we were there, but it was several years ago, when I was still a newbie writer, and I wasn’t as aware of what I was looking for.
This time we went to Brighton, Marlborough, Bath, Chipping Campden, Oxford, and London. Wow! The gorgeous things we’ve seen! And England is really quite set up for research. We spent a lovely morning at a History Centre for two particular counties (I was specifically looking for information about Marlborough, but they had way more!). They had microfiche newspapers from the 1700’s, they even had receipts for rents paid to a Marquis who owned half the town of Marlborough! And maps! Such lovely, detailed maps from different years so you could compare how the town had developed. We could have spent days there but while my husband was very helpful and understanding, I think a few hours was all he could handle
Bath was the main destination for our trip because it was such a popular place in the Georgian period. I’m so glad I got to see it with my own eyes. You can find out so much on the internet, even look at pictures, but to see for yourself how big or small things were, distances, dimensions, etc, you really need to see it for yourself. I even drank the water at the Roman baths to get an idea how my characters would have felt about it. I believe it must have been good for you, because it certainly didn’t taste very good😀
Our trip has provided me with many new ideas for stories as well as details to flesh out some existing pre-published manuscripts. I will have plenty of work for the coming months ahead.
In the meantime, my latest book is “The Debutante Bride…”
First comes marriage, then comes love.
Blurb:
Miss Elizabeth Dunseith, Beth to her friends, grew up in genteel poverty, happy despite her abusive father and weak mother. When her father sells her to the highest bidder in order to pay off his gambling debts, she fears what her future will hold but is relieved to get away from home with her new, handsome husband.
Lord Justin Fulton, Earl of Westfield, is confused by the contradictory behavior of his purchased bride. One moment she is haughty and cool, the next she is warm and endearing. When his sister refuses to help establish his new bride in Society, Justin turns to a friend’s wife to show Beth the best way to navigate the politics of the ton.
Their growing attraction just seems to confuse matters even further. Will these two be able to see past their differences to make it to happily ever after?
Short Excerpt:
As she came to wakefulness, Beth held herself very still, momentarily surprised to find herself in a strange bed, but then it all rushed back into her consciousness. She was a married lady. A countess at that. And she had only met her husband thirty-six hours before.
The thrill of freedom flowed through her as she reminded herself once more that she would never again have to return to the house she grew up in unless she so chose. Of course, she would want to see her mother again, but she allowed herself to bask in the contentment she was experiencing. She wiggled her toes and stretched her arms, reveling in the new sensation.
The unknown factor of her new husband was obviously of concern, but so far he had been remarkably even tempered. She would even go so far as to describe him as kind, at least what she had seen of him in their short acquaintance. Beth could not decide how she felt about how handsome he was. He was deliciously attractive, but she was unsure if that could be trusted. No doubt other women would find it to be a point in his favor.
About Wendy May Andrews:
Wendy May Andrews has been in love with the written word since she learned to read at the age of five. She has been writing for almost as long but hasn’t been sharing those stories with anyone but her mother until recently. This is Wendy’s third book with Clean Reads.
Wendy can be found with her nose in a book in a cozy corner of downtown Toronto. She is happily married to her own real-life hero, who is also her best friend and favorite travel companion.
Being a firm believer that every life experience contributes to the writing process, Wendy is off planning her next trip.
She loves to hear from her readers and can be found at her website, on twitter or Facebook.
Wendy’s online locations:
Website: www.wendymayandrews.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WendyMayAndrews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/WendyMayAndrews
Instagram: @wendymayandrews
Buy links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NkyfOO
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1s6qHpu
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1s6qK4A
