I acquired a Chinook Dictionary to make my dialogue between these Indians and the Kennan twins more authentic. Slowly I learned what it was actually like to have arrived in the Oregon Country in 1846. I began to feel as if I were one of the new immigrants myself. I hope Phoebe's adventures and her state of mind reflect all these elements. More to the point, I hope that she comes alive for readers in her own right and that the research I did is conveyed with enough subtlety to make Phoebe and her world real.
Historical fiction is meant to bring the past believably alive.
It shouldn't use a sledgehammer to give the reader facts. I was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and grew up on a chicken farm in Dorothy, New Jersey. After escaping to college, I worked in the film industry, and also taught in high school and college. I seriously began writing fiction on a dare from my husband. I find it a pleasure to be able to invent my own worlds.