Traveling to locations in my stories

I have learned that a ton of research goes into writing a story, especially one that is set 80 years in the past in a foreign country.

In 1998, I visited Portugal for the first time for three weeks. Visited Fernando, the inspiration for Francisco, a.k.a. Xisco. I wrote the earliest drafts of the schoolroom scene within the next two years. I think I have a version dated in the year 2000. Up to 2015, I accumulated only 15,000 words. The story crystalized, growing in various directions. For the last six months of 2015, I worked on it in the evenings and on weekends. By Christmas, I had about 34,000 words. In February 2016, I started on it full-time.

In spring 2017, I visited Lisbon for five weeks to check out the locations in my novel.

In 2019, I was in Brazil and Paraguay for two months to check out locations for other stories.

In April-May, 2023, I toured the UK and Ireland with my son and daughter. We posted our progress on social media, billing our trip, tongue in cheek, as a two-book launch tour.