It was a very rural area but located at an interesting crossroads of the National Road that led west from Baltimore and the Washington Road that led north from the capital. There was a lot of action in the area during the Civil War, with Union troops passing through all the time. In fact, a neighbor used to tell me stories about how his grandfather would hide his horses on the woods on our farm, out of sight of passing Yankee troops. There was actually a skirmish nearby when J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry rode through on the way to Gettysburg. Growing up, I always liked to imagine what it would be like to have Rebel cavalry suddenly ride up the old roadbed that cut through our farm.
Some people think of history as being dry and dull, but they're mistaken.
The ghosts of history are all around us, and it only takes a little imagination to make them come alive. With all the research and then the actual writing, it took about two years. I used to work an evening shift, so I would write all morning and then go to my newspaper job. It takes an unbelievable amount of effort to write a novel. You've got to stick to it.