This year I wrote a book about Coronado and his expedition to America after much research. Authenticity matters, every scene needs to carry on true to the time period, the styles, the weather, even the little details types of rocks plants animals even natives and their history.

Writers always say write that which you know about, having spent the last 15 years living and exploring the American Southwest I decided to first travel Coronado’s route, explore items in museums and speak with locals as well as archeologist.  Writing is hard, and in this story made more challenging when the story is told 40 years after the expedition by an Apache shaman.

A side note, while researching the great comet that crashed onto the North American glacial ice sheet I learned it’s not been agreed as fact by all science disciplines and then I learned since publication of new science papers that agree with the comet causing much extinction to the megafauna and eliminating the Clovis culture. When Authenticity matters a writer needs to dig deep. How would the reader feel reading j7st to learn it’s inaccurate.

When I decided to bring some of the Pliestosene into the story I froze at the keyboard, yep, I totally flinched, but then I got on with the scene.it was when the army tried to cross Whitesands New Mexico after several warnings and a prophecy. That’s when they are decimated by a herd of rampaging wolly mamonths and Diego is rescued by Apache warriors. To make my fingers work I said over and over I can always rewrite. The next day came the next scene. Writing became fun mixing ice age with the old Southwest.

Stay true to your story ignore calls to write popular topics and write your vision with all the accuracy possible.