I’m thrilled to have my dear Galveston friend as my guest today on Writer Wednesday. Saralyn and I have known one another for more than ten years. We met on social media, and since then we’ve visited in Galveston and had a few book signings together. Saralyn is a remarkably talented and prolific writer. Her latest book, Port of Destiny, has just been released! Read more about the inspiration for writing this book.
Genre-blending
By Saralyn Richard
The first time I heard of genre-blending, it was with reference to the book ISAAC’S STORMan by Erik Larson. I was excited to read this book when it came out in 2000. Being from Galveston, Texas, where Isaac’s Storm created the deadliest natural disaster ever on U.S. soil, I grew up both knowing and wondering about what happened on that weekend in September of 1900.
I had a personal motivation to read it, also. When I was 15 years old, I learned a family secret about my grandfather. Already bitten by the writer bug, I decided to write the story, and I planned to set it at the time of the 1900 Storm. I’d been reading everything I could get my hands on about the hurricane, when my cousin handed me Larson’s book and said, “Here you go. Someone wrote your book.”
I gobbled up the book and loved it, but one thing puzzled me. Was it fiction or nonfiction? Critics thought the same thing. Larson had his facts straight, but the dialogue, suspense, foreshadowing, and irony he used were straight out of the fiction writer’s arsenal.
Since that time, Larson has written many “historical fiction” books about real people, places, and events, and his fans (me included) look forward to each new one, knowing that we will learn our history in the most entertaining way possible.
And I decided that the 1900 Storm had been well-covered by Larson and others, so I would set my grandfather’s secret book in its proper year, 1905. While 1905 might not have been as dramatic a time on Galveston Island, it certainly was exciting. Still wounded from the storm, Galveston exhibited her resilience and forward-thinking attitude by using state-of-the-art science and engineering to build a granite and concrete seawall to protect against future storms. Her grade-raising project included digging canals mid-island and pumping the slurry underneath homes and other buildings that had been raised as much as 17 feet. Immigrants were welcomed at the port to do the hard work required, and a sense of tolerance and a can-do attitude flourished.
My grandfather was one of those immigrants, and his was the story I was ready to tell. I started researching in earnest, though I had been researching all along. I was determined to uncover all the facts I could and to “get right” the characters who had actually lived. The further I got in my thinking about the story, the more I realized how it would challenge me as an author.
I had eight other published books—seven mysteries and a children’s book. I was familiar with the tools and tropes of mystery fiction, and though I was a big reader of historical fiction, I had never written any. Throwing in the fact that the story was part mystery, part romance, I realized this project would be a true example of genre-blending—not to mention all the true-to-life facts within its pages.
I channeled Erik Larson as I wrote, and I found the story unfolding exactly as its characters wanted it to. I discovered so much joy in the process. Part of the charm of PORT OF DESTINY is the symphony of notes from history, mystery, and romance. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
What’s your favorite genre-blended book?
Saralyn Richard was born and raised in Galveston, Texas, where hurricanes shaped her life in both good and bad ways. A former educator, she has taught creative writing to teenagers and senior citizens. Her Detective Parrott mystery series and Quinn McFarland mystery series have won multiple awards, including three Silver Falchions from Killer Nashville. A standalone mystery and a children’s book, as well as many published stories, essays, and poems round out her list of works. Her latest novel, Port of Destiny: A Victorian History, Mystery, & Romance, is based on a secret she learned about her grandfather when she was 15 years old. Saralyn’s favorite thing about writing is connecting with readers. Learn more at https://saralynrichard.com.
Blurb of your latest book, 150 words max – Three immigrants. Two disappearances. One murder. And a love story that defines them all.
When Rosa’s brother vanishes from hurricane-ravaged Galveston, she turns to his best friend, Nathan, to help her uncover the truth. Together they are swept into the mystery that swirls around her immigrant family in a city rebuilding after the devastating 1900 storm. Just as Nathan’s feelings for Rosa blossom, Chana enters the picture. Bold, resilient, and with a conflicting love interest of her own, she forces them to make the most important decisions of their lives.
Cover image
Author photo
Links – Buy links:
Bio:
Saralyn Richard was born and raised in Galveston, Texas, where hurricanes shaped her life in both good and bad ways. A former educator, she has taught creative writing to teenagers and senior citizens. Her Detective Parrott mystery series and Quinn McFarland mystery series have won multiple awards, including three Silver Falchions from Killer Nashville. A standalone mystery and a children’s book, as well as many published stories, essays, and poems round out her list of works. Her latest novel, Port of Destiny: A Victorian History, Mystery, & Romance, is based on a secret she learned about her grandfather when she was 15 years old. Saralyn’s favorite thing about writing is connecting with readers. Learn more at https://saralynrichard.com.
Three immigrants. Two disappearances. One murder. And a love story that defines them all.
When Rosa’s brother vanishes from hurricane-ravaged Galveston, she turns to his best friend, Nathan, to help her uncover the truth. Together they are swept into the mystery that swirls around her immigrant family in a city rebuilding after the devastating 1900 storm. Just as Nathan’s feelings for Rosa blossom, Chana enters the picture. Bold, resilient, and with a conflicting love interest of her own, she forces them to make the most important decisions of their lives.
Cover image
Author photo
Links – Buy links: