Research Travels and the Writing of Roma Amor

Research isn't just a way to keep a historical novel accurate; it can also be a magic hat. While researching ROMA AMOR, I found ideas for plot twists, scene color, and personality quirks jumping out of books on everything from medicine, slavery, sex, and spying to gardens and gastronomy. But a book can't tell you how you'll feel after walking from the Forum to the Praetorian Camp (winded; it's all uphill) or what you can see from the Danube bank where the fortress of Carnuntum stood. You have to go there.

Photo gallery of my travels

The handsome fellow on the right in this photo (as opposed to the handsome fellow on the left, who is my husband) is your typical Roman rent-a-tribune — just one of the colorful sights on my trip to Rome and the Bay of Naples. To see more photos from this trip, click the "View Slideshow" button.

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