Best Research Discovery Ever!

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Whenever I begin a new writing project, I always spend a week or two brainstorming, plotting, and researching my characters and setting. During this phase, the research I uncover often helps shape not only my characters, but the plot itself.  That’s exactly what happened last week.

Many of you know that I have been retelling classic Disney fairy tales in historical western settings, giving them all a Texas twist. 🙂 I have a Beauty & the Beast retelling coming this June – To Love a Beast. A beauty invades the home of a scarred recluse to save her family’s book binding business, but more than books bind these two when a fearsome hunter attempts to write their ending. You can preorder the e-book here. (Print and audiobook will be available closer to the release date.)

Well, the next fairy tale on my list is The Little Mermaid. This one is extra special to me, because it is the first Disney movie my husband and I watched together when we were dating. Also, my husband courted me with letters while we were apart for the summer, and in one of them, he quoted all the lyrics to Kiss the Girl. This was pre-Internet, when you had to listen to a recording of a song over and over and write down the lyrics by hand. A true gift of love. (Happy sigh.)

In order to have a woman nicknamed “Mermaid,” she had to live near the sea, which left only one Texas setting as a good option – Galveston. During my research, I learned that during the 1880’s Galveston was the largest and wealthiest city in Texas. It possessed one of the busiest ports in the country and was second only to Ellis Island as a part of entry for immigrants. The perfect place for my poor heroine to dream about being part of a different world, one filled with wonderful things to spark her imagination.

The best thing I found during my rsearch, however, was that was was a real “Ursula” in Galveston during this time period.

There was a convent in Galveston that offered boarding school education to wealthy young ladies. And it was known as . . .  St. Ursula’s By the Sea – established and run by an order of Ursuline nuns, an order dedicated to the education of young women.
How perfect!
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Of course, I had to find a way to tie my villainess to this place. I didn’t want to corrupt a nun, but it seems reasonable to assume that the nuns might have brought in teachers to instruct their girls on more specialized subjects – such as music. So, Octavia Underhill is going to teach music at the Ursuline Academy. This will give her access to the socially elite and will place her in a position of power and influence.
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The academy received an amazing architectural remodel in the years after my story (finished in 1895), turning it into a Victorian Gothic masterpiece. Designed by the local architect that my hero is going to apprentice with. ?
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This new building was one of the few to withstand the 1900 hurricane, and the nuns opened it to the public as a hospital and shelter. Unfortunately, a different hurricane in 1961 damaged the aging structure, and in 1962, they demolished this Victrian beauty.
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Making this discovery, however, felt like such serendipity! It’s moments like this that make me feel like the story was meant to be. ?
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This story won’t be available until next year, but I thought you might find this bit of history as fascinating as I did.
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For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.

36 thoughts on “Best Research Discovery Ever!”

  1. Such discoveries are exciting. I’ll be interested to see how this research fits into your book.

  3. Honestly – I can’t imagine the amount of research authors do in writing books. And your imagination must be incredible! Thank you Karen for such an interesting blog. Loved the history and research involved.

    • Many times the research sparks the imaingation, so the two go hand in hand. For example, I was thinking Octavia (my villain) would be an aunt of the heroine, but when I uncovered the convent, ideas started sparking about a “professional” matchamker. We’ll see how it turns out as I write. 🙂

  5. wow this is truly fascinating. thanks for sharing. welcome today. cant wait for this book to come out.

  8. I had no idea that Galveston was like Ellis Island as a place for immigrants to go. Of course, the first thing I think of when I hear Galveston is the song by Glenn Campbell.

  13. Hi Karen, wow, this is so very interesting, thank you so much for sharing this info! Your book sounds like it is going to be a really good one! Have a great rest of the week.

  14. WOW beautiful photos/pictures! That is some history you found. I love it when an author ties real history to their stories.

  16. Hi, Karen! I love how you retell Disney stories!

    I know the Ursuline nuns well. All four of my daughters were taught by them when they were in an all-girls high school. Sadly, the nuns have aged and aged, and they have left their convent here to live out their days in the mother house.

    How fun that you will be able to incorporate their Academy in your book!!

    • The more I learn about these women, the more I admire them. Dedicating their lives to their faith and to the service of educating young women. A noble calling indeed!

  18. I just love those unexpected gems of information that seem to drop in our laps serendipitously!
    I’m from the New Orleans are and there is also an Ursuline Academy for Girls there. It was established in 1727 and is the oldest continuously-operating school for girls and the oldest Catholic school in the United States. If interested, you can see more about it at https://www.uanola.org/about/history-heritage

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