Lexington, a new book

Sometime in the 70s, I first saw the grave of British soldiers at the

North Bridge at the Minute Man National Park in Lexington, the site of the first battle of the Revolution War. It was a battle before there was a Revolution but made Revolution inevitable.

I've made many visits to the Park over the years since then and I always stopped at the grave and thought about the two men buried there. 

• Who were they?
• Why did they join the British Army?
• Did they have wives?
• Children?
• How were their families notified of their deaths?

I always thought their stories would make a great novel, but over the years I've written other books www.donnalanenelson.com
Periodically, I've dipped my baby toe into research about the men.

I've just sent my new novel Day Care Moms off to my publisher and was casting around for a new subject. 

Playing with the internet I found this blog https://boston1775.blogspot.com/2020/

Then I found a Facebook page for the Park's Ask a Ranger https://www.facebook.com/events/620217615243130/ 

Click, click, click... now is the time. The two sources would be the start of my research which I suspect will take several months.

Like any novel I start, I have a rough idea of characters and plot often added to when I can't sleep in the middle of the night. Three nights ago I wondered what if I added a current character, a woman ranger.

I found someone within the Park system who will answer email questions. Half of me wonders on Rick's next trip to the US, should I go and go back to Lexington and the many museums there. I can spend some quality time with my Kid at the same time--and hopefully use her car to go to Lexington and Concord.

Once I lock down the British side, should I go to the UK? Naturally the travel will come after there is some semblance of normal travel arrangements. Maybe it will be a chance to use the Chunnel.

Meanwhile in my head, various personalities are saying, "Use me,"
"Use me," "No, use me."  This often happens in my writing. In
Murder in Caleb's Landing, a woman who was supposedly in a scene for a cup of coffee, became a major character, a subplot and created a theme for the book, but that's part of the creative process, isn't it?

I never feel quite so alive when I am in this stage of a project. Having just finished the tedious chore of trying to eradicate every typo in Day Care Moms, I need the excitement of a new project.