Going Back in Time

Author

Saralyn Richard
October 01, 2025

The month of September has been full of an almost eerie synchronicity. First of all, September 8 was the 125th anniversary of the Great Storm of 1900 in my hometown of Galveston, Texas. The city commemorated the anniversary with lectures, films, book talks, and other events—many of which I participated in.

 The Great Storm still holds the record for the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States, with as many as 8000 deaths and destruction of more than one-third of the island’s property.

 A silver lining is that the storm was at least partially responsible for bringing my grandparents to Galveston, thereby inspiring me to write my current work-in-progress, a historical mystery set in 1903.

 When I was fifteen years old, I hung out at Rosenberg Library, researching the 1900 Storm. I compiled ten years’ worth of notes. My teaching career interfered with writing plans, but I started the book in 1984, when I brought home my first Mackintosh computer. (Remember the tiny screens?) I had about a hundred pages written when the computer crashed, taking the story with it to cyberspace or beyond.

 In the ensuing years, many works of fiction and nonfiction about the 1900 Storm have been published, and that story has been well-told. (Two of my favorites are Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson and The Promise by Ann Weisgarber.)

 What no one has (to my knowledge) written about is the period of rebuilding after the storm, when astounding resilience and brilliant engineering lifted the entire island eight feet into the air and constructed a concrete seawall to shelter the island from future storms. Since that was the time period when my grandparents arrived on the scene, it felt right to set the book then.

 Writing historical fiction is new for me (unless you count the aforementioned false start in the 1980’s), and I’m learning a lot:

*Research is more important than ever, and it’s very time-consuming. There’s an obligation as a writer to get the details right, so as not to mislead or misinform the reader. And there are so many details—dates, facts, incidents, people, clothing, housing, ways of doing things. I can go to look up a single bit of information, which might lead me down a rabbit hole for days.

* Even the language is different. Word choices and slang need to fit with the setting of the story, so, instead of saying, “Nathan glanced around the boutique, finding himself alone with Rosa. He wanted to take her in his arms and cover her with passionate kisses,” I might say, “Nathan looked around the deserted shop. This was the first time he had stood before Rosa without a chaperone. He wanted to grab her by the waist, lift her into the air, and whirl her about the room in a wild, passionate frenzy. He settled for taking her elbows and gazing into her eyes for a long moment, contemplating a kiss.”

* I can only speculate about how people thought and talked and behaved 122 years ago, and research only takes me so far. Two of the characters are based on my grandparents, so I have some clues about their lives, but I was very young when they died, and I didn’t know them that well. Fortunately, I have a good imagination. I’ve done a lot of channeling, too, and when I feel I have a good grasp on the character—what she needs, what’s standing in her way of getting it, and what she will do to overcome the obstacles—it feels great!

Most of all, I appreciate all the encouragement I’ve received from readers like you, who are looking forward to this book. I’m doing my best to ensure that you have an enjoyable and satisfying read.

 

I’m not much of a TV watcher, but this month I’ve been watching the five seasons of the TV series, Six Feet Under, on HBO. When BAD BLOOD SISTERS was about to be launched, my publisher suggested this series as a comparable to be mentioned in the book description. It took a few years for me to get around to watching, but I’ve really enjoyed the show. And, yes, it makes a good comparison for my book, since the show centers around a family who runs a mortuary. Their lives are marked by the deaths they are constantly dealing with, and the themes and dark humor abound, just as at McFarland’s. Have you seen it?

 

Now that October is upon us, it’s not too early to start thinking about holiday gifts. Autographed books make wonderful, personalized, memorable, and lasting presents for the people on your lists, so let me remind you that you can purchase all eight of my books, autographed and personally inscribed and shipped within the continental U.S., on the bookstore page at https://saralynrichard.com.

· Naughty Nana, a children’s book for ages 0 – 9. Told from the point of view of a mischievous sheepdog puppy, the story carries an important lesson about being nice. Sensitively written and vibrantly illustrated, the book comes with an inscription, an autograph, a pawtograph, and literacy activities upon request. Note: if you purchase this book on Amazon, you will receive a used book, inscribed to someone else.

· Murder in the One Percent, the first in the Detective Parrott Mystery Series, set in Brandywine Valley among some of America’s richest and most powerful, someone comes to the party with murder in his heart and poison in his pocket.

· A Palette for Love and Murder, second in the Detective Parrott Mystery Series, an accomplished artist has paintings stolen from his studio before being murdered. The case becomes personal for Parrott.

· Crystal Blue Murder, third in the Detective Parrott Mystery Series, a meth explosion in a Brandywine barn brings Parrott to the world of famous party hostess, Claire Whitman.

· Murder Outside the Box, fourth in the Detective Parrott Mystery Series, winner of the prestigious 2025 Silver Falchion for Best Investigator, an abandoned baby on the doorstep of a caretaker’s cottage leads to a mysterious murder.

· Bad Blood Sisters, first in the Quinn McFarland Mystery Series, set in Galveston, Quinn’s former BFF’s murder and the blood oath she’s sworn put Quinn in the crosshairs of dangerous criminals.

· Mrs. Oliver’s Twist, sequel to Bad Blood Sisters, Quinn’s loyalty to her favorite teacher leads her into a perilous adventure.

· A Murder of Principal, standalone mystery set in a Midwest urban high school, where the new principal meets with resistance to his student-centered agenda.

All of the books can be purchased separately and read as standalones. If you are interested in purchasing sets and want bulk pricing, offered just to subscribers, send me an email.

And if you know of anyone who might be interested in subscribing to this monthly newsletter, please forward. They can sign up at https://saralynrichard.com.

 

Back to the synchronicity of September, the month also marks the anniversary of Hurricane Ike, September 13, 2008, the worst of the storms I lived through. I’ve written an essay, In the Wake of Storms, which I’ll be glad to share with you. Send me an email if you’re interested.

Here’s wishing everyone a storm-free, healthy, happy, and peaceful October. Many thanks for sharing the writing journey with me. I couldn’t imagine it without you!

Much love,

Saralyn