~ Seeped in History ~

The Medieval World of Barbara Bettis 

If you love historical romance with heroic knights and clever women, you will love Wild Rose Barbara Bettis’s romance. Today Barbara shares why she writes about those olden times.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I’d have to say the genre(s) chose me. The way people of earlier times lived and the challenges they faced have always fascinated me. Admittedly, my earliest recollections of reading were of myths and legends, fairy tales, Knights of the Round Table, all of which captured my imagination. And in school, history and English were my favorite subjects. I loved reading about the different periods of the past. Even then, I’d concoct stories about people living in those times.

Although I loved all study of history, the medieval era and the Napoleonic / Regency periods continued to capture my fancy. When I decided to actually write fiction, the first story that came out of my pen (well, actually, my computer) was that of a knight. I always kind of favored the underdog, so my hero was naturally a mercenary. Mercenaries weren’t usually looked on in a favorable light.

How much research do you do for each book you write?

I research a great deal. My first books, and the one I’m editing now, are medievals, all set in the latter days of the 12^th  and early 13^th centuries–the years of King Richard I (The Lionheart) and his brother, King John.

While online sources are valuable, I still like to consult hard-copy books. So not only do I have several books of my own, I make a lot of trips to libraries. What’s both fascinating and frustrating about finding information from and about that era is the contradiction of sources. In one reliable source, one might find an event listed for different dates. Or one will find differing accounts of the same event, each one from a source that supposedly witnessed the event.

Deciding which date or account of events to use can be challenging. I usually consult numerous sources to determine which version seems most likely. When I first started researching that era, I found a discrepancy in the spelling of the name of one primary source (it was spelled two different ways) so locating a translation of his writings was my first challenge.

I like to be as accurate as possible, so sometimes I spend extra time finding more than one source for a specific fact. Research is fascinating in itself. I can get lost in research and have to just make myself stop and start writing.

What other genres of novel would you love to write?

I’ve run across some fascinating bits of fact that I’d love to pursue as straight historical novels, but I have so many historical romance plots running around in my mind yelling, “I’m next, I’m next” that I’m not sure when I’ll get to serious topics. They will require a good deal of digging—lots of research!

What project are you working on now or what book will be next?

After I finish this medieval, I have a Regency that I’m working on and another Regency that nosing its way into my thoughts. Pesky characters. I work on that plot as I drive.

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The Lady of the Forest 

by Barbara Bettis

He must pursue his enemy; she must protect her people. Can their love survive the duties that drive them apart?

When her elderly husband dies, Lady Katherine fakes her own death and disappears into the forest with others escaping the brutish new lord. Determined to protect her people, she knocks the wrong man senseless. But Lord Henry isn’t an enemy, he’s the brother of her childhood friend. Although his tender confidence tempts her, she’s bound by duty.

Henry of Chauvere has found the one lady he wants for his own, never mind she’s tied him hand and foot. When he learns the king has ordered her to wed Stonehill’s ruthless new master, he insists Kate seek haven with his sister. But she won’t desert her friends. Henry vows to solve her problem, provided he catches a traitor before the threat from Kate’s past catches her.

When a daring rescue compels Henry and Kate to join forces, their attraction grows into love. If only duty didn’t drive them apart.

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Buy Links

AMAZON   |   TWRP

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Meet Barbara Bettis

Award winning author Barbara Bettis has always loved history and English. As a college freshman, she briefly considered becoming an archaeologist until she realized there would be bugs and snakes involved. And math. She now lives in Missouri, where she recently retired as an English and journalism professor and plans to spend more time creating heroes to live for.

www.barbarabettis.blogspot.com

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