Working on the history part

[Raissa]

I've written historical fiction myself (an ebook on Amazon) so I'm curious about how you write yours. I did look to your books for some help in writing mine! I notice each book is usually contained within a single setting. Do you work out what setting to use first, do your research then figure out the story from there, or do you have the basic plot in mind before you decide on the setting? I also notice you throw in some real-life figures, but many are obscure. What do you hope to accomplish by doing this?

[Laurie]

The time is pretty much set for me, in the Russells anyway, and I choose a place depending on what I think would be interesting. When I research, I again look for something out of the ordinary that's going on, and some person who isn't what you would immediately think of. It makes for more flexibility, and for greater surprise on the part of the reader.