On Thursday 22 May, I was the guest presenter at the monthly
meeting of the Upstate chapter of Sisters in Crime in Greenville, SC. I talked
about the lengths that mystery and suspense writers go through to ensure
accuracy in their books, recounted some of my experiences in living history and
reenacting, and discussed the vital impact of living history on my writing.

Because we're so firmly anchored in the (first-world)
twenty-first century, it's difficult for writers of historical fiction to get
inside the heads of characters who lived in the past. Even reading about it in
journals and letters may not cut it, especially with elements such as sensory
input. Somewhere along the research path, I believe writers must familiarize
themselves with what people living in the past might have experienced to
understand their clothing, politics, history, technology, mind set, and social
conventions. Reenacting has helped me tremendously with that. My essay on this
topic, "Living the History," was published recently in Mystery Readers International, Volume 23, No. 4, Winter 2007-08.

Left to right: Polly Iyer, Ellis Vidler, Suzanne Adair,
Linda Lovely. Upstate chapter's members are inquisitive and lively and have a
great sense of humor, evident in the fun banter that cropped up during my
presentation. Grasshopper appreciates the opportunity to speak before a SinC
chapter whose members are busy writing so well. Several in the chapter have
finaled in major contests. Many thanks to Upstate for inviting me.

Next up: a reception for book clubs and authors on 12 June.