Lori Ann Bailey | Bringing the Past into the Present

Research has a way of pulling us historical authors down into
a never-ending spiral of, oooh, I must know more. For some of us, it’s the most fascinating
part of our job and for even more of us history geeks, it’s like catnip. We’ve always been
infatuated with those who came before us. But that must be the reason we love the genre to
begin with.

Recently, I was listening to a YouTube video of the song, The Massacre at Glencoe, sung by John McDermott. I found this ballad on a previous trip down the research rabbit hole and I’m still occasionally haunted by it, so when the mood strikes, I pull it up and listen again. The song is about the true story that inspired the “Red Wedding” in Game of Thrones. It’s the tale of the slaughter of innocent members of clan MacDonald by Campbells, who were under the MacDonald roof as guests and it has always touched me emotionally. This particular day, I started bawling. That’s when I decided to go on a quest. There must be something about me that makes this reach into my soul the way it does.

I suddenly remembered the magazine I’d picked up and the
page I’d marked about a free family tree website. I typed in familysearch.org and started
adding names, along with birth and death dates from the family history lists my mother had
given me. Suddenly, the day was over without me realizing it, but during those lost hours, I
discovered that I’m a descendant of Sir John Wallace, brother to William Wallace, aka
Braveheart. I felt vindicated that I had this connection to Scotland which I hadn’t known I
owned earlier in the day.

Since then, I’ve continued to research and have found more
connections to other historical figures in Scotland, England, France, and the United States. All
this has just ignited a firestorm to know more about the people who came before and what life
was like for my ancestors.

It has spurred in me a deeper need to share the stories I
uncover. So here it is, research begets more research. And I hope my knowledge will make me
a better writer and kindle in someone else the desire to know more about the past.

As with my search into my own past, researching the Covenanters and Royalists for my Highland Pride series led me into England and on the path toward discovering more about King Charles I. In my new release, Highland Salvation, we visit the king and where he took refuge during his conflict with the English Parliament and Puritans. I enjoy sharing these tidbits of true historical facts and mingling them with my hero’s and heroine’s adventures. Of course, my characters' journey is the focus of what I write, but I’m happy that in a way, I also get to share my love of the past while giving my couple their Happily Ever After.