Beverly’s Comments (group member since Mar 10, 2012)

Beverly’s comments from the Q&A with Beverly C. Gray group.

This discussion is for any questions you might have with regard to a single book in the series, the entire series, my writing and/or research experiences, my eBook publishing experiences, or whatever pops into your head.

Thanks very much for taking the time to visit here.

Several readers have asked why I chose to write Historical Fiction instead of Historical Non-Fiction, Historical Romance, Fantasy, Mysteries, etc. I enjoy reading in many genres. Somehow, when it comes to writing, I sail close to the wind in Historical Fiction.

From an early age, I was interested in history. My favorite books growing up tended to be Historical Fiction. I loved reading about characters in the past coping with the challenges of their own eras. My favorite books also had those characters meeting real men and women of the era. I earned both my B.A. and M.A. in history. However, several of my professors labeled me a “scrap book” historian since I couldn’t settle down to one era or even one type of history. Military history and the history of technology fascinated me. I loved studying the garments people wore, the sort of houses in which they lived, the books they read, the kind of transportation they used, and so forth. Consequently, I couldn’t settle down to any kind of specialization; which is not a good idea if you plan to pursue an academic career. In short, I was a bit of dilettante.

Fortunately, I stumbled into technical writing as a profession and have succeeded at that for over thirty years. This enabled me to turn my love of history to the research and writing of historical fiction. It also enabled me to drift happily through eras without fretting about staying put in just one. I still love reading Historical Fiction and I hope that those who find their way to my books will get the same enjoyment from my writing that I have received from my own favorite authors.

“Black Knights” was conceived as a single volume in which the fictional MacKendrick West Point family and the U.S. Army would be the focus; in the style of James Michener’s books where the protagonists are geographical locations rather than a single character (e.g., HAWAII, CENTENNIAL, THE SOURCE, etc.). With that in mind, each chapter or set of chapters was intended to reflect an historical era; in a vignette style showcasing a specific character or event. However, the next vignette would emphasize a son or a daughter or even a grandson and might be twenty or more years later.

After many years in the process, it became apparent that some of the characters were not willing to slide gracefully into the background. Consequently, the single book evolved into a series. I will be delighted to discuss how this came about for those who may be interested in the evolution of a writer’s ideas.

Please ask any general questions about the writing process and I'll do my best to answer.

Welcome to the discussion regarding my series, BLACK KNIGHTS OF THE HUDSON. This saga takes generations of a U.S. Army family from the 1860s through WWII. The first five books (1860 to 1917) are now available through most eBook retail outlets. BOOK I: SHADOW OF THE FLAGS (1860 – 1868) is free at all sites (Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple IBook, Smashwords, etc.). It is also free for download her on Goodreads.

I look forward to talking with you'all so please take a moment to introduce yourself.