Dangerous Times in 1918

When I started writing Love On the Range, I didn't know much about the time period. I only knew that the influenza pandemic had started and my heroine needed a safe place to go.

Enter Oregon.

As you can see by the map, the Spanish Flu struck there at a later date. My heroine's parents think if they can get her out of Boston, maybe she won't contract the virus, so they send her to an uncle's house.

As I researched 1918 though, I realized a ton more was happening than just the pandemic. WWI was ending, the Bureau of Investigation was growing more organized and stronger (which prompted a secret agent hero) and the traditional role of women in American culture was rapidly changing.

Recently Romantic Times Reviewer Susan Mobley said about my story, "Nelson takes an exciting look at a time of sorrow, but also hope, in America, with a heroine struggling to respect her upbringing while embracing her independence."

I didn't realize it fully until I read this review, but the early twentieth century really does excite me!

Which era do you find yourself intrigued by? If you could choose a time period to visit, which one would it be?