Nora C. Ryell

Writing historical fiction can be challenging but for me fun!  I mentioned in my last blog that I enjoy immersing myself in a particular time period so I love describing a particular place and time but accuracy is key.  Luckily for me, my background has always been in research.  I worked in several different special libraries and finished my career as a legal research clerk.  So I check and double-check that the facts are right (but if a reader spots something – let me know!).

Part of Distant Hills takes place in a particular time in Jamaica.  Plantation owners had been waging war with a band of runaway slaves for a decade or more.  The turning point for the conflict came in 1738 which is when Kate Hardy comes to Jamaica.  She meets several people in the book who were actual living persons.  Governor Edward Trelawny is a recent appointee to the position of governor for Jamaica and as his Majesty’s representative, he agrees to a peace treaty with the Maroons (Jamaica’s runaway slaves).  Three other characters who are mentioned were also real people, Colonel Guthrie and Captain Sadler.  They actually met with the leader of the Maroons whose name was Cudjoe.

The signing of the treaty was momentous.  The Maroons were given their freedom and land although this did not put an end to intermittent fighting which flared up once again during Trelawny’s governorship.

My hero Marcus is involved in the negotiations between Cudjoe and Colonel Guthrie but of course, he is a figure of my imagination.  Still, his involvement in the negotiations is significant.  How, significant?  You’ll have to read the book to find out!

So my first book is out!  After much inner debate, I ultimately decided to self-publish.  Mostly because I wanted to go through the entire process of publishing and marketing for future books that I write!

Distant Hills has had many reincarnations and permutations.  Yes, it is a love story but I’m also immensely interested in history and I love research.  I love losing myself in another time period.  A few years ago, my husband and I toured Southern England.  One of our stops was the city of Bath – Jane Austen country. (I’m a great fan of Persuasion).  There is a reconstructed Georgian townhouse open to the public and walking through those rooms gave me a real sense of being in that time period.  I could literally touch objects from those faraway days.  Many places in England are like that.

A lot of friends and family ask me who is the inspiration for my heroine, Kate Hardy.  After giving it a lot of thought, I realized that the inspiration was my Mom.  She was intelligent, determined, feisty and at times very, very stubborn!  But she also had a wonderful sense of humour and fun.

So even though Distant Hills has a serious plot, if not sinister, there are also scenes of humour.  I hope Readers will enjoy the book!

It’s finally happened! Distant Hills is available on Amazon.