When I discovered that Marian Baay had a story about the Civil War published, I was curious. How did someone who lives in the Netherlands write about an American war that took place 150 years ago? -- Sandy
Marian: Early 2013, author Murray Pura asked me to join his new Civil War series. I seriously doubted his wisdom in asking me – a Dutchie who hardly knows anything about the American Civil War – to write a story about this very same war. So, I declined.
Marian: Early 2013, author Murray Pura asked me to join his new Civil War series. I seriously doubted his wisdom in asking me – a Dutchie who hardly knows anything about the American Civil War – to write a story about this very same war. So, I declined.
Until then, I simply thought it was impossible to write about a place I had
never visited.
However, the idea to write did not leave my mind. Several months later, I
finally decided to give it a try. And so it happened that my research began
about a place I had never visited and about a war I hardly knew anything about.
A story idea had begun to form in my mind, and now I only needed to find the
right city or town in the United States where the story was going to take
place. After googling on ‘Dutch in the Civil War’ I was led to Michigan and I
started reading everything I could find online about this state. So, for my
debut story, Heaven Is Not Far, the
internet was the main source of my research.
For my second story, The Officer’s
Daughter, I downloaded several free Kindle books. I found most info about
the war background that I needed in Union General Sherman’s memoir. Although
Sherman was not in Nashville during the battle of Nashville, he did write about
his correspondence with General Thomas who was in command of the Union army in
the city. An eyewitness account of someone who lived in the hills around
Nashville gave me the info I needed about the weather and how the area looked
back then.
U.S. Army veterans have helped me understand the military ranks and terms
and other info about the army I didn’t know.
During my research, I also use Google Earth and Street View Maps to visit
the places I am writing about. Of course, everything looks different 150 years
later, but it gives me a good idea of hills and woods and streams in the area.
It was—and still is—lots of fun to write about this period in the American
history. However, it can be hard to read about all the horrible things that
happened back then. Therefore, I try to add a touch of romance and hope to my
stories. Even during the time that the states were at war, people did fall in
love and hoped for a better future with their loved ones.
Have you ever tackled writing a story (historical or contemporary) set in a foreign country? What did you find most difficult?
~~~~
The
Captain’s Wife by Marian Baay
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After being rescued from Confederate captivity, Olivia
Burns has married her handsome rescuer—Union Captain Andrew Burns. A few days
after their marriage, Andrew takes off to fight in the battle of Nashville and Olivia
stays behind, waiting on word from her husband about where they will meet
again.
When Andrew sends word that he hopes to meet her in
Eastport, Mississippi, she travels down south. Their reunion is sweet and they
spend a wonderful night together in a barn, but in the early morning of New
Year’s Eve, they are abruptly disturbed by sounds of battle. Andrew must go
back to the men of his company and leaves an anxious Olivia alone. Terrified to
get captured again, she must learn to deal with her fear and emotions. When
someone enters the barn where she is hiding, will her greatest nightmare come
true?
You can find The Captain’s Wife and Marian’s previous
stories at her Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Marian-Baay/e/B00G51X9QA/
Marian Baay lives in the Netherlands, together with her husband and dog, near the North Sea. She enjoys reading a good book, hiking in the woods, dunes, or nature reserves. As a lover of animals, she has always had various pets to brighten her world. In the outdoors, her imagination runs wild and seeds for stories are planted there.
Marian likes to read and write in various genres, but romance is an important ingredient in her stories. The love between a man and woman is such a wonderful gift from God that she likes to add a touch of that heavenly delight into all her stories.
Marian likes to read and write in various genres, but romance is an important ingredient in her stories. The love between a man and woman is such a wonderful gift from God that she likes to add a touch of that heavenly delight into all her stories.
Visit Marian’s blog to learn more about her: http://marianbaay.blogspot.nl/
