Writers' Research - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

I was privileged to visit the Vimy Ridge Memorial in France in 2017 (the 100th Anniversary of this battle). A different war than that fought by Leslie Neufeld of Saskatchewan, but a powerful experience nonetheless.

​This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, A.S. Fenichel says:

I do a lot of research or my books. Tell us one or more fun/interesting thing you recently learned in your research.

If you looked at my browser history today, you could be excused for thinking I am a student of World War Two. I am a huge fan of Susanna Kearsley, who writes wonderful romantic fiction that often has a dual timeline – one contemporary, and one historical that ties in with contemporary. When I finished CROSSROADS CORNER, the last in my Bendixon Sisters Series, and was searching for an idea for my next book, I began to wonder if I might try my hand at a similar dual timeline structure. My mother was born in Belgium during World War Two, and Canada has a strong connection with the European front during that conflict. So I started researching that era to see if something might tweak my imagination.

I came across The Canadian Letters website, which is a repository for letters and images of Canadian soldiers and their families. In that collection, I discovered so 

many personal stories that touched my heart and sparked my subconscious. One of the letters was written by Leslie Nuefeld, a soldier from the town of Nipawin, Saskatchewan. My father grew up in that area, and reading the words of this young man was both humbling and thought-provoking. He writes: "If anything should happen to me, do not feel sad or burdened by it, but take the attitude of "He served his country to his utmost." With that spirit I am going into battle…I have full expectations of returning and with God's strength and guidance I'm sure He will see me thro' all peril. My trust is in God." He died two days after writing this letter in the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944, You can read the full letter here. It is both tragic and uplifting.

​Now, be sure to hop over to A.S. Fenichel to see what interesting fact she dug up during her researches recently. 

​Andrea's next book in the Everton Domestic Society, "A Lady's Past" is available for Preorder and on NetGalley.

NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/172977

Amazon PreOrder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R4K3Y1J
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Why not check it out?

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