If you’ve followed Loganalogy for a while, you know how much I love a good family mystery. Give me an old letter, an unfamiliar name, or a record that doesn’t quite make sense, and I’m off down another rabbit hole.
I’ve spent years researching family histories, following clues, and trying to piece together the lives of people who came before us. Sometimes the answers are right there in the records. Other times, well, you know how genealogy goes!
One of my earlier books, Hidden in a Letter, was based on an actual letter from my own family. It was a reminder of how much history can be tucked away in something as simple as a piece of correspondence.
And somewhere along the way, I started thinking about writing a fictional family mystery.
I’ve always loved reading and have wanted to write fiction for as long as I can remember. But wanting to do something and actually doing it are two different things.
So, I finally decided to give it a try.
And that’s how Nell Weatherly came into my life.
Meet Nell Weatherly
Nell is a professional genealogist living in the fictional Florida town of Bencross. Before opening her genealogy business, she worked as an insurance investigator, so following clues and asking questions come naturally to her.
She has a daughter, Clara, and a few good friends who are part of her life outside the research.
In A Past Unclaimed, Nell agrees to help Jane Rasby investigate an old family letter. What begins as a seemingly straightforward research project soon raises questions about people and relationships Jane never knew existed.
And just like real genealogy, one discovery leads to another.
I wanted Nell’s research to feel authentic. The records, methods, and occasional frustrations are familiar to anyone who has spent time tracing a family tree. Although the family and its mystery are fictional, the research process is grounded in the kind of work genealogists do every day.
Of course, writing fiction has one rather wonderful advantage. When I can’t find a record, I can sometimes invent one!
Try doing that in a real genealogical report.
A New Adventure
A Past Unclaimed is a novella introducing Nell Weatherly and the first book in The Weatherly Series, a new series of genealogical mysteries.
And apparently, one book wasn’t enough. I’ve already started working on Nell’s second mystery!
Writing fiction has been a different experience from documenting real family histories, but I’ve discovered that the two have quite a bit in common.
Both begin with questions. Both involve people whose lives are shaped by the past. And both remind me that there’s usually more to a family story than names and dates.
The difference is that this time, I get to decide what happens next.
And I have to admit, I’m having a wonderful time doing it.
M. Lenore Logan (Pen Name)
Loganalogy | Author of The Weatherly Series
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