Author Uses Unforeseen Source for Research

An interesting twist occurred in researching the Appalachian Roots Series. When I taught at Oakboro Elementary School, I also served as leader for the Oakboro Junior History Club. In order to get to attend the Tarheel Junior Historian Awards Day in Raleigh, a student had to submit a project. Blake Williams submitted a model of the early town of Big Lick. When I was writing  Transplanted to Red Clay, the fourth and final novel in the series, I used this model to help in my research, since the book is mainly set in Big Lick in Stanly County, NC.  This model is still on display at the Oakboro Regional Museum of History. So, the teacher used her student’s work as part of the research for her book. I never imagined such a thing might happen when the projects were submitted.

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