It’s my first time guest bloging on Petit Fours and Hot Tamales. They have a great site for both writers and readers. Click the banner image and come on over: 
I’m blogging about the joyful adventure that is historical research. No, really, it’s fun. And it helps with adding twists and turns to a story. If you don’t know that everyone in the 1880s is using Florida Water as their deodorant and perfume, then you can’t splash it all over the sub-character’s body.
Wait, that doesn’t help with plot, . . . unless the heroine seriously dislikes the orange aroma of Florida Water and much prefers another man’s fresh vanilla scent, which is what happens in An Irresistible Temptation.
That’s just a tiny “for instance.” But if the heroine is in danger and I, the writer, happen to know that telephones existed in Boston in 1880, then I can’t possibly have her running around like a headless chicken. In An Improper Situation, Charlotte keeps her head on straight and goes to the nearest establishment that would have a telephone, a bank, and calls the hero. Unfortunately, he’s not in. Sorry, no call waiting, no answering machine, no call forwarding. Too bad!