Occasionally it’s necessary to shift true events around to fit the timeline of the narrative in order to better serve the story. In the case of The Missing Sister one example occurs where I moved the massacre from 1930 to 1936.
The most crucial research took place while visiting Myanmar (Burma as it once was known) where I stayed in all the locations used in the book. In Yangon (Rangoon) the Strand Hotel was as luxurious as it is in my story, and it was easy to picture my characters there back in the 1930s. I also enjoyed a marvellous river trip travelling up the Irrawaddy from Bagan to Mandalay, just as Belle does. Time fell away as I watched the world go by and I could tell that it would have been virtually unchanged since her day. But the highlight came one morning just before dawn when we went up in a hot air balloon and drifted high above the ancient city of Bagan in central Myanmar, one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites. When the rising sun painted the hundreds of pagodas pink and gold it took my breath away: a truly unforgettable experience. As a writer I found the entire tour inspiring and, hand on heart, one of the most exceptional trips I’ve ever been on while researching a novel. Other than my visit to Myanmar, the internet once again provided a wealth of detail, as did the many history books and memoirs which are far too numerous to mention here. I’m now looking forward to my research trip for book seven which will take place a little closer to home … Keep an eye on my Facebook page or website for news and, if you haven’t yet done so, why not join my Readers’ Club to be the first to hear about new publications and to enter competitions. (You can talk to me on Twitter too.)
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