https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/romancing-the-klondike
https://books2read.com/Romancing-the-Klondike
https://www.amazon.ca/Romancing-Klondike-Yukon-Joan-Donaldson-Yarmey/dp/1772992682
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https://www.amazon.ca/Rushing-Klondike-Joan-Donaldson-Yarmey/dp/0228622328
https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/sleuthing-the-klondike
https://books2read.com/Sleuthing-the-Klondike
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0228624762?tag=books2read02-20
I have written in many different genres, non-fiction, mystery, romance,
and historical. According to the professionals, I have to make sure my
characters are multi-dimensional, my story plot is fast paced, and my setting
is exciting. Readers want to identify with the main characters so they have to
be believable and likeable. Readers want action in the story so the plot has to
move along at a good clip. And readers want to learn about the place where the
story is set, so it is important that I know the setting itself.
For my Travelling Detective Series, I had been to each of the places in
the story and knew my setting. My descriptions of a town or a building or a street
were true because I had seen them. I’ve heard of some authors who write about
a place they’ve never been to by using Google Maps to check out the buildings
or streets.
However, this is much harder in historical novels because that setting
is no longer readily available in the way it was in the time period. Research
is important and this is where non-fiction books, museums, archives, and
paintings or photos of that time come in handy. And, of course, the Internet.
It is the easiest and quickest way to learn about a historical event or a place
or what clothing was worn, and even people’s names at the time.
I have written seven Canadian historical novels in two different sets.
My Young Adult Canadian Historical books are: West to the Bay, West to Grande
Portage, and West to Fort Edmonton. For each one I spent as much time
researching the areas, the history, and the people at the time as I did
writing the story since I hadn’t been to the Hudson’s Bay or Montreal or
Edmonton in the mid-1700s to early 1800s, I hadn't paddled a canoe or York boat, nor had I taken part in trading furs.
Luckily, for my Yukon books set during the Klondike Gold Rush, I’ve been
to Dawson City three times and even hiked the Chilkoot trail on the hundredth
anniversary of the gold rush. Many of the buildings in Dawson today are still from
that era. However, I still had to research the clothing, the founding of Dawson
City, the people who headed north, and what life was like for the newcomers
from 1896 to 1898.
I enjoy research so much, that sometimes I go down the rabbit hole and my actual writing suffers.
Romancing the Klondike is one of the twelve books of BWL Publishing, Inc. Canadian Historical Brides Collection.
Rushing the Klondike is my sequel to that book.
Sleuthing the Klondike is one of the twelve books of BWL Publishing Inc,
Canadian Historical Mystery Collection.
Haunting the Klondike is one of BWL Publishing Inc. Paranormal Canadiana Paranormal Collection and will be out in June, 2026
