It’s a very busy time here at arcofawriter.com. Last week was Thrillerfest – a weekend so chock full of literary excellence I’m not yet finished with my coverage. This weekend I’m in Las Vegas for the Public Safety Writers Association Conference. Updates about that experience to come as well. But first, I want to turn the blog over to my regularly scheduled guest, author Nancy Herriman.
Nancy Herriman abandoned a career in Engineering to chase around two small children and take up the pen. She hasn’t looked back. A multi-published author, she is also a former winner of the Romance Writers of America’s Daphne du Maurier award for Best Unpublished Mystery/ Romantic Suspense.
When not writing, she enjoys singing with various choral groups, gabbing about writing with friends, and eating dark chocolate. After two decades in Arizona, she now lives in her home state of Ohio with her family.
You write historical fiction, what draws you to that genre?
I’ve always been fascinated by history. Most specifically, social history, which studies the experiences of everyday folks in the past. Since I was young I’ve tried to imagine what it was like to live in a small village in medieval England or to walk the streets of ancient Rome or a nineteenth-century American city. I also truly believe that studying the past can teach you a great deal about life today. So, when I began to write, it only seemed natural to set my books in the places and times that have intrigued me for so long.
What made you decide to set your series in San Francisco?
I love the city, and I wanted to take advantage of its rich lore. What an interesting town full of even more interesting and colorful characters! It’s no surprise, I think, that Mark Twain made his mark there. Plus, the mixture of people who’ve called the city home from its founding—Italians, Irish, Mexican, English, Chinese, Germans, etc, etc—makes for a fabulous blend as well as provides opportunities for strife, which is useful when you’re writing a mystery series. Furthermore, it doesn’t hurt that San Franciscans are passionate about their city’s history, and there are many, many resources available on the web, things like maps and newspapers and photos. Makes doing research so much simpler.
Check back for the rest of the interview.
I love stories set in San Francisco, and No Comfort for the Lost was a great mystery. Nancy's love for the city is obvious, along with the amount of research she must have done before the story was written. Looking forward to the rest of the interview!
Thank you, Amy!!