If you think history is boring, you’re reading the wrong books. - Heather M Elliott

Understanding where we’ve come from is just as important as knowing where we’re headed, and those two are more deeply connected than most people want to admit. First, let’s establish some rules.

• The past cannot be changed.

• The past should never be rewritten.

• The past should never be erased, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient.

• The past needs careful interpretation with checks and balances for accuracy.

• The past has voices that can teach us what their worldview and values were.

• The past should be explored with curiosity, humility, and a desire for understanding.

• The past always informs the future but, paired with wisdom and discretion, can lay down better paths forward.

The study of past generations, cultures, civilizations, and their view of the world has fascinated me since I was a child. After attending a Civil War Living History event in elementary school, I fell madly in love with bygone days. That love has only matured with age. I am fascinated by many, many things and read whatever I can get my hands on regarding topics of interest. When I have a deep question, I seek the answer in books that can explain in great depth and in various ways.

I was born after the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980 but some of my earliest memories involve TV specials about that day. What always stuck out to me was the staggering quantity of ash shot into the atmosphere and how it drifted across the United States. In 2015, as I wrestled with building a world for a passion project (which eventually became the Fourth Prince series), I asked myself one question - what were the long term effects of that much ash on the environment and the daily life of people impacted? I remembered the phrase “volcanic winter” from some long-forgotten science book or documentary and started my research there. The more I read and understood the life cycle of volcanoes, my fear of sudden annihilation (on the East Coast of the US? Irrational, I know) was converted to utter fascination. I decided to write a volcanic winter into Fourth Prince as the backdrop, an unknown and terrifying force of nature my characters have to grapple with while dealing with the plot I’ve given them. When the wisest men have no answers, how does a civilization explain the unexplainable? This has become a core pillar of my story, and it shapes the thoughts, beliefs, and actions of my protagonists.

What you will find in the research section

I have a great number of interests and an every-growing list of things I want to research. As I read, study, and learn, I will share my thoughts on my website. Each research page will cover the basics of a particular topic and include relevant thoughts, images, links to my blog posts with further musings, links to other websites and resources, and a list of recommended reading should anyone care to follow in my wake.