Most people love having a writer ask them to talk about their passion, and they will often give you insights not found in books or on websites. Bibliographies are your friend. If looking for very specific information on a topic, consult the bibliography of a more general book to find titles that look relevant. Borrow them through InterLibrary Loan, a truly marvelous way to locate obscure books. Reference librarians are wonderful people, and they want to help you.
History has a lot of gray areas and sometimes conflicting accounts of what actually happened.
If the history is disputed, or you come across some cool fact that is true but won t seem plausible to your readers, add a historical note at the end. This will show how smart you are, please readers who enjoy history, and undercut those who thought you were wrong. Sometimes it s easier to be vague about something trivial rather than waste time trying to find the answer. Most of the time, no. Mary Jo Putney is a NY Times Bestselling author of historical romance novels.