They are already in the midst of the story, wandering around, asking me to check out the tiniest details, like what would they have eaten on the ship heading to Dyea? What was the cost of a good sled dog in the Yukon, and how much was a horse? What kind of training did the Mounties do back then, and where? By the time all the above research is done, my characters are real to me. The third step is less about research and more about immersing myself in the story as if I were one of the characters. Telling the truth in my books is the most important rule I follow, because I’m teaching as well as entertaining. Fact-checking takes a lot of time, but I have to make sure I have the right information. When I go online, I quite literally dig through dozens of websites for information, whether it’s a massive point or a tiny detail, and everything is cross-checked for accuracy. That’s the kind of history book I relish, whereas I’m simply not good at paying attention to dry history books unless they include a specific topic I need to understand. His books are non-fiction, but they read deliciously like fiction. Those things I mostly learn online, though some books are wonderful for those details-anything by Pierre Berton is incredible. I need to know all about the little things that would affect my characters, like politics, fashion, food, religion, language, anything that might show up along the way. The second step is for me to learn about the people and culture of the time period I’m studying. So, to learn the basics, I always start at the library-they know what I’m working on before anyone else ever does-and I start to browse online. The truth is, I have never been a historian, so when I write I am teaching myself at the same time as I’m creating the story. When I started, I didn’t even know that monumental event had happened in Canada. For example, I needed to know what the Klondike Gold Rush was and where it had taken place. The first thing I do is teach myself the basics of the time period and the event on which I’m focusing. In order for me to write real, compelling historical fiction, I research and write in three steps. I need to see the story through my eyes and not be influenced by anyone else’s perspective.

The only thing I don’t do is read other people’s historical fiction novels set in that time period. My research is always done using all different input, from books to websites to videos and movies, and though it sometimes seems pretty scattered, it makes sense to me. What period is your new book At the Mountain’s Edge set in?Īt the Mountain’s Edge stretches between 18, not including back stories! The book is about the Klondike Gold Rush, correct? How did you do the majority of your research? Have you visited Dawson City?

Genevieve graham come from away