Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose

The setting feels rich and authentic, but I wonder if that was driven by research or a love for the period. How does the author balance accuracy with storytelling?

The descriptions of the community and local life made it easy to picture the setting, but I’m curious if that was intentional from the start or evolved during writing.

Their camaraderie and teamwork added warmth to the mystery, but I wonder if the author drew from real-life friendships or crafted them specifically for the story.