That’s a good question! The truth is I’ve always loved history. Since the minute I first started reading, you could usually find me in the history department of the school library. I think my love of history first started when I came across these little navy blue books about different women throughout history. Women like Jesse Fremont, Dolly Madison, and Jane Addams. It was the first time I’d ever thought about women playing a role in history, and it made me want to learn more.
But there were very few books about women throughout history. The Woman’s Movement had barely started then so most books written revolved around men. I read a great deal then put it aside, focusing on fiction throughout my high school years.
It was only when my oldest daughter, Jennifer saw the movie, Pearl Harbor and wanted to know more about World War II that I began searching for books on women during the war. Mainly, I came up with books about nurses or secretaries, or the Rosie Riveters working in the factories.
But there was one paragraph in the back of one book that fascinated me. It was about a small group of female pilots who ferried planes, taught pilots how to fly in combat, and served as targets for ground-to-air missile training. I wanted to know more! Thank heavens for the internet! There, I found websites and information on these trail-blazing women who served as the basis of my first novel, Hearts in Flight.
Since then, I’ve used websites, online groups, and newspapers to find interesting tidbits to serve as the history and characters in my stories.
