Lisa Rayne: On Avoiding Research Rabbit Holes With Historical Romance
Award-winning author Lisa Rayne discusses the process of writing her new historical romance novel, Never Cross a Highlander.
An award-winning author, Lisa Rayne graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature and went on to obtain a law degree before becoming a romance writer. Always looking to try something new, Lisa’s excited to put her sexy, banter-laden spin on historical romance. Lisa lives in the Midwest, where she serves as track mom to two collegiate daughters. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
In this post, Lisa discusses discusses the process of writing her new historical romance novel, Never Cross a Highlander, the role readers play in the fate of a book, and more!
Name: Lisa Rayne
Book title: Never Cross a Highlander
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release date: December 27, 2022
Genre/category: Historical Romance
Previous titles: Counselor Undone, Quarterback Casanova, Runaway Heart
Elevator pitch for the book: An action-packed, historical romance that pits a fierce, Black Highland warrior against a feisty, Scottish lass he inadvertently kidnaps then must help return to her clan in an enemies-to-lovers tale with vibes of Dirty Harry in a kilt meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
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What prompted you to write this book?
As a long-time fan of historical romance, one of my favorite subgenres to read is Highlanders. I’ve read and reread my favorite stories, especially those by authors like Julie Garwood and Maya Banks, but I’ve never come across one featuring a Black hero. The moment I was approached to develop a storyline for a mass-market paperback series, I knew immediately I wanted to create such a hero.
Honestly, I didn’t even have a plot idea at the time–other than he’d be a fierce warrior who led his clan’s army. Luckily, my editor loved the basic concept and gave me the opportunity to work up what I believe turned out to be a great tale.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I first toyed with the idea of creating a Black Highlander during the summer of 2020. It took a little over a full year to get the story idea from concept to finished first draft, then another couple of months of editing and copyediting, and finally almost another year to reach actual publication.
The storyline itself did not change once I completed my initial research. I spent several months on and off doing the basic research (e.g., Highland clans, cultural politics, common weapons, trade and commerce). Once I delved into the history of Blacks and Africans in Scotland and Scottish territories and the role of enslavement in the Scottish economy through the early modern era, I knew where I wanted the story to go.
The writing itself occurred during the height of the pandemic, however, which I believe made getting to the final draft more challenging from a creative standpoint than it normally would have been. In addition, getting the story released after completion took an additional year because supply chain issues forced release date changes multiple times. So, in all, this book took about two and a half years to get from concept to publication.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Yes, absolutely! One thing I mentioned in my author’s note for the book is my surprise at uncovering the role pirates played in the movement of enslaved people during the historical period in which the book is set. I have an undergraduate certificate in and lecture on African American Studies, but finding pirate activity within the history of the Scottish offshoot of the African diaspora was unexpected. In hindsight, it probably should not have been given the huge number of island plantations that were manned exclusively or almost exclusively by enslaved labor. I found this particular unexpected path of research fascinating, and readers can expect that pirates will make a significant appearance later in the series.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
This was my first historical romance novel. For me, the temptation to do even more research as I wrote was sometimes almost unvanquishable. That lure, that beckoning, that says “you can’t write this line, paragraph, or scene until…” is one a writer of historical fiction must conquer to prevent spiraling into long bouts of no words on the page. I struggled with this a bit.
Fortunately, I developed a connection with several experienced historical romance writers, and those authors gave me guidance and tips on avoiding trips down a research rabbit hole or two. I might still be writing the first draft of this book without that guidance.
I learned that sometimes what you think you “need” to know more about are simply details that have no true significance to the story itself. It’s important not to get sidetracked into the weeds of minutiae. For example, details like what types of fasteners were used during a particular period aren’t always necessary.
One of the best pieces of advice I received from one of the historical romance writers mentioned above was that sometimes it's okay to simply say, “He removed his pants.” Ha!
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope this book helps expand readers’ horizons as to who they can meet in historical romance. People of color are everywhere in history. We need not limit historical romance featuring two main characters of color to early historical periods in the U.S.
While Regency romance with main characters of various races and ethnicities has expanded over the last few years, lots and lots of other places throughout the world exist where we could set historical romances featuring a broader spectrum of characters. I’d like to see these stories multiply immensely. For that to happen, readers must support these stories by sharing them with friends, posting on social media, and writing reviews–even short ones.
Readers have lots of power. They are the demand portion of the supply-and-demand dynamic. I want readers to fall in love with this story then adamantly demand more like it.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Get the story on the page. Many problems (or perceived problems) with a story cannot be uncovered or corrected until words are on the page. Even when you’re not sure of particular details, put some words on the page then go back and fill in the gaps. If necessary, leave yourself notes or comments in the manuscript to return to later.
This process is often useful in helping you determine whether you actually have an issue that requires you to pause to untangle a challenge that must be dealt with before you can move forward in the story or simply an issue that will delay you from moving forward in the story.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
