RESEARCH

FROM CARRIE:

If you’ve hung out with me for any length of time or followed my literary journey via social media, my blog, or newsletter, you probably know I do a lot of research. From riding with the police to digging into archives to wandering the halls of historic buildings, I enjoy discovering all the details. Having a concise time period for my fiction (the 1890s-1920s, so far) helps me focus on the often overlooked items when researching and allows me to reuse knowledge and build on it from story to story.

I read a lot of novels, nonfiction books, magazines, and newspapers written/published during my timeline. Collectively, that gives a good picture of daily life, conversations, and social norms—along with the art, music, decor, etc. created during the era. The pace of life was increasing, and conversations and literature reflected that.

Not only do I collect books, I collect art/photography/postcards/maps/etc.
that feature setting locations for my stories. A few are new–even some photos I’ve taken–but many are vintage or antique.

Living in Mobile, I’m blessed to have amazing historic buildings and public spaces to set stories in, as well as resources like the Local History and Genealogy Library run by Mobile Public Library. There are also a lot of museums I frequent, like the History Museum of Mobile, and other archives to explore. (My favorite is Historic Mobile Preservation Society’s archive.) I have often found my best tidbits when scrolling through the daily newspapers on microfilm at the Local History library branch. Where people shopped and dined, how much things cost, fashions, what shows were in town, and the gossip of the day are important to my stories.

Attending lectures, presentations, and tours is another way I gather information. That, and speaking directly with professionals, whether historians or experts in their field about my topic of inquiry.

The bottom is a print of a watercolor of Bienville Square, middle–Battle House Hotel. Both are by artist b. Sumrall. I also have a large print of the Kate Shepard House (my setting for the Easton family’s home) by her on another wall. Sumrall’s watercolors are one of the reasons I chose to commission watercolors for the covers of The Malevolent Trilogy and Washington Square Secrets.

In addition to the public collections to explore, there is a large crop of local interest nonfiction books from a variety of publishers and special groups over the course of the area’s history. More books are being published each year because Mobilians tend to love their history. I go to estate sales, thrift stores, antique shops, and bookstores regularly to feed my collection of new and used books that you’ll see below. I’ll add to the photos as I find more, so check back often and scroll through over a hundred and fifty books….