Yes, one could certainly get immersed in searches!
In writing Corrigans’ Pool, I did not delve into individual battles of the war but used other methods to work the tragedy of war into the lives of my Savannah, Ga. characters. My research consisted mostly of confirming dates, and checking my facts about Savannah and it’s citizens during the war.
If I could put an estimated time-line on my research for Corrigans’ Pool, all the hours I spent in various libraries and history books would probably amount up to a solid year. But, of course, spread out, as was done, took a lot longer.

Thank you so much for the question, Jessica. I hope you read Corrigans’ Pool and will go to my website and let me know what you think.

Earlier, you asked about what the sequel is about. First, let me say that I have tentatively titled it “Leaving Corrigans’ Pool” but that may change. It take place in the wilds of Texas during that state’s dangerous Reconstruction era after the Civil War. Ella Corrigan never wanted to leave her family’s ancestral plantation in Georgia, but is forced to obey her husbands wishes and go to his Texas ranch to live. Naturally,there will be Reconstruction Era history in the book, but the central theme will involve Ella and Gentry, as they face trials that threaten more than their marriage. Many of Corrigan’ Pool’s characters (that readers wanted to see in the sequel) are there, plus others that I hope readers will love and hate with the same approval they have given Corrigans’ Pool’s players.
To get a very good idea of what the sequel is about, visit my website and read Part One. It is unedited, but will go through multiple edits before the book comes out, so please overlook the errors. I will likely add to the chapters in Part One, and will certainly change up the wording in many places!

Thanks for asking!

Dot

My day at the computer was also interrupted for a few hours, but the emergency turned out to be a minor one, thankfully.

Those internet goofs happen at the darnedest times, don’t they? I’ve been there.

Dot

I certainly do want you to review the sequel to Corrigan’ Pool. I hope to finish it by the end of this year, hopefully sooner if I possibly can.

Thanks,

Dot

Thank you for your comments. I hope you read Corrigans’ Pool and let me know what you think. Readers’ opinions are a great learning experience for a writer, and I am always learning!

Yes, Faulkner had quite a sense of humor when it came to families like those in “As I Lay Dying.” In many of his books, I have to read a paragraph twice to get what he meant, but it is always worth it.

Thanks for the good wishes, and I wish you the same,

Dot

It is hard to say exactly what inspired Corrigans’ Pool. I love history. But all through my schooling, every time I studied a history book, I kept imaging a set of characters and slipped them in among the often dull pages. You may have guessed that I was often gazing out the window rather than listening to the teacher!

The first of Corrigans’ Pool’s characters to pop into my head was the grandmother, Beatrice Corrigans … a secondary character who could have been my real life paternal Irish grandmother and maternal German grandmother! I like to create my characters first,know everything about them, and then give them a place to live.

Try creating a few character first, and see if they inspire a story. It works for me. Good luck, and Thanks!

Dot

I hope if you read Corrigans’ Pool, you will let me know what you think of it. Thank you for your comment!

Dot