I’m back with E.C. Ambrose, talking about her new book, Elisha Magus and the research that not only informs the series, but got it started in the first place. Also…
The whole thing began with research.
For me a book usually begins with a person in a place with a problem.
What kind of problems would this kind of person face?
The Society for Creative Anachronism
My own historical fantasy book.
I am a huge fan of the Mongols
Jack Rutherford’s Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
The Secret History of the Mongols (pdf)
The Sons and the Spears trope from the lives of Genghis Khan and Khan Kubrat (not Khan Asparukh, who was Kubrat’s son)
The sausage is actually delicious
Barbarian Empires of the Steppes
Also, because I cannot get enough of Mongols…
A fantastic excuse for travelling to England
Old Hall, a good place to think medieval thoughts
The International Congress of Medieval Studies
Bulgarian kneading tubs (called noshtvi, by the way)
Bilbo Baggins’ Bathrobe episode 1 and 2
If you can get an object that is specific enough to the time and place, you can open up the entire world.