Today, author and editor Denise Weimer shares the secrets behind her creative process for writing her novels, especially her upcoming release, A Counterfeit Betrothal Book One of the Scouts of the Georgia Frontier.
1813
At the farthest Georgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory, Jared Lockridge serves his country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can help secure the peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring his betrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comes across a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot.
Freed from a cruel marriage, Esther Andrews agrees to winter at the Lockridge homestead to help Jared’s pregnant sister-in-law. Lame in one foot, Esther has always known she is secondhand goods, but the gentle carpenter-turned-scout draws her heart with as much skill as he creates furniture from wood. His family’s love offers hope even as violence erupts along the frontier—and Jared’s investigation into local incidents brings danger to their doorstep. Yet how could Esther ever hope a loyal man like Jared would choose her over a fine lady?
I’m often asked where I get my story ideas and how I turn them into a novel. For my contemporary novels, I enjoy seasonal stories, and they often have a touch of history in them, such as an heirloom being found or modern-day characters solving a mystery and learning lessons from what happened in the past. For my historical novels, I’ve noticed that I usually draw inspiration from one of three things, or a combination of them.
- A little-known event in history. The Creek War that was a part of the War of 1812, the backdrop for A Counterfeit Betrothal and also Bent Tree Bride is a great example.
- A little-known setting or one that has disappeared entirely. When I was writing magazine articles for the chamber of commerce in the county where I used to live, Georgia Backroads magazine had a column entitled “Vanishing Georgia.” This concept grabs me, and as a person who also loves to do living history events, it’s no surprise. I get excited about bringing the past to the life either in costume or on the page. This was the case from my very first novella, Redeeming Grace, which highlighted the resort hotels that once hugged the cliffs of Tallulah Gorge at “The Niagara of the South” to this current novel set at Fort Daniel. The remains of the fort were discovered by a family planting a garden in North Metro Atlanta. A War of 1812 anything is super unique in Georgia.
- A journey and/or frontier setting. By frontier, I mean Eastern Colonial or Federal-era frontier. The early settlers faced so many challenges as they established a new life in the wilderness, it makes plotting a book full of romance and adventure second nature.
As you can see, A Counterfeit Betrothal has all three of these!
What do I do once I pick a setting and time period? Research the actual history…a lot. In multiple ways. I start with online searches, order books, and watch videos, from which I compile a timeline of actual events. I include images and especially maps. Lots of maps. If I haven’t been to the site, I take a research trip if at all possible. Even better if I can combine that with a living history event where I can capture images and interview the historians, employees, and experts on hand. I always find obscure extra resources on these trips to enhance the basic research I’ve already done.
Then I begin to weave my fictional story among the historical one. What type of characters would have lived in this setting at this time? And had goals and motivations most challenged by the events? The main historical events serve as major plot shapers, but then I add personal wins and losses for the character’s journey and developmental arc. I tend to add in those minor plot points to my timeline, then start writing, leaving wiggle room for changes as I go. Hopefully, what emerges is a compelling historical romance. Not only do I aim for the reader to learn some fascinating history but to be unable to stop thinking about the characters and their romance when they finish the book.
I hope you’ll journey with me from the War of 1812 back in time to pre-Revolutionary War days with the Scouts of the Georgia Frontier! Coming next:
- A Courageous Betrothal NOVELLA – November 2023
- A Cherished Betrothal – January 2024
- A Conflicted Betrothal – June 2024
Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance from her home in North Georgia and also serves as a freelance editor and the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A wife and mother of two daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.
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