Connecting dots!

My favorite part of writing historical fiction is finding the connections and weaving them together. It is also the part that takes the most time. Once the links are found, building characters, writing dialogue, and adding details is a breeze (well, maybe more like a sturdy wind). I tend to choose pretty obscure moments in human history, which means I need to dig deep to find my treasure. When I began to write The Slaying of the Bull (Book 1 of the Tocharian Gospels Series), I could only find a handful of books on the historical moments I was interested in, and the internet was not quite what it is today (this was about ten years ago now). I had to do a lot of footwork to gather my material. I reached out to places and organizations throughout Europe asking for help, and I traveled to many of the book’s locations to get a feel of the scene and capture those little details that bring a world to life (our vacation destinations during this time were a bit strange). Of course, the world I was trying to bring to life hadn’t existed for 700+years, so you can imagine there’s quite a bit of imagination thrown in there as well.

I’m running into a similar situation with the Power of the Heliodromus (Book 2 of the Tocharian Gospels Series). Although there is much the internet can offer now, and I have access to some fantastic libraries through MIT (my employer), I’ve still spent a large part of my free time this week digging in order to create just my first few chapters. This book begins in 1258 in Baghdad’s round city during the final days of the Abbasid Caliphate. I won’t go into too much detail as this could lead to spoilers, but this time in history is also a challenge. When people hear the word Baghdad, a host of things comes to mind, but none of them are likely good. It has been the center of American political and military interests for most of my life. I was only ten during the first gulf war and was in China when the second gulf war started on a study tour during my undergrad time (a trip that would lead me to live in China for two years). The wars in Iraq frame 3/4 of my life. But there is more to Baghdad than these wars, and the rubble left on the service hides great things indeed. In the 13th century, Baghdad was the largest city in the world, and although the Islamic Golden Age was coming to an end in 1258, it was a place of great learning and intercultural interaction. Most importantly for my book, it also housed an immense library called Bayt al-Hikmah or the House of Wisdom. It is here that we find Isa (the main character of the Tocharian Gospels Series) as he continues his quest.

Since 1258, much has happened in that part of the world, and large chunks of the history are unfortunately lost. The Bayt al-Hikmah likely contained these missing pieces, but as the first chapter of the Heliodromus will show, the Radix Obscurum (my antagonist) has set its sight on Baghdad. In any event, writing about a Islamic empire that was wiped from the Earth 762 years ago and was centered in a land that has seen constant conflict since, will be a challenge to say the least, but I think it is very important to share a bit of this history with the world.

Now, you may think that Islamic history and European history are completely separate topics and that these ancient histories have no impact on you, but you would be greatly mistaken. History is a web and that’s what makes it so important and fascinating. The connections are there if you look for them and they are rich indeed. They travel through time and impact even you this very day. How? Well, that’s a long story, but luckily for you, I’m writing some easily accessible great yarns that will give you some of the details.

Be sure to check out The Slaying of the Bull (Book 1 of the Tocharian Gospels Series) to see how Isa’s journey starts! After a week of solid research, I’ve found some juicy dots to connect for the Power of the Heliodromus (book 2) and have begun to delve in full steam ahead. Isa’s now in Baghdad and the tension builds. Check back for periodic updates, and feel free to comment below.

Cheers!