Historical Fiction
Date Published: 10-07-2025
Publisher: NorthStar Press
Interview with Candace Simar
Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story? Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?
I visited many small town museums and the North Dakota Historical Center in Bismarck, ND. I read multiple nonfiction books about life as a prairie homesteader. My favorite research sources are the memoirs of people who actually homesteaded in the 1800s. These are often found as small chapbooks in museums. I also researched the laws regarding homesteading and the experiences of correspondence brides. Two of my great-uncles homesteaded in the early 1900s and family stories found their way into MONTANA MATRIMONIAL NEWS.
What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?
I did extensive research on how to build a sod house. Ask me anything!
I also read extensively about pioneer experiences, especially the women. They showed great tenacity to endure life in sod houses or claim shacks, little money, many children, and great physical demands.
What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?
I once took a class from Diana Ossana (Larry McMurtry’s writing partner) at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. She taught me Mr. McMurtry’s way of blending research in a seamless way: do your research first, set it aside, and write your story. That way the research bubbles up organically without overpowering the story line. This advice has worked well for me.
A historical novelist needs all the research of a non-fiction writer but uses only 10% of it. Without doing the entire amount, the reader feels there is something “off” about the authenticity of the work. Knowing the mores and zeitgeist of the times makes the story ring true.
Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.
First of all, my third grade teacher, Mrs. Gense, was first to encourage me to be a writer.
I have found inspiration and encouragement from Diana Ossana at the Iowa Writing Festival, Jonis Agee and Lisa Tucker at the Taos Writing Conference, Sheila O’Connor from local workshops, and Robert Olen Butler at the Lake Superior Writers Conference. I first began writing poetry with a local chapter of the National Federation of States Poetry Societies, an invaluable group of supportive poets that helped me learn lyrical and sensorial techniques that prove to be a great foundation for all writing.
Do you write in the same genre all the time?
I mostly write frontier/historical fiction, but have also written poetry, memoir, inspirational writing, and short fiction.
If so, have you ever consider writing in another one?
I grew up as the granddaughter of Scandinavian immigrants and hearing their stories. I am also passionate about history. It feels most natural to blend the immigrant experience with historical events. Family lore is woven into my writing.
Lately I’ve been feeling pulled back to poetry. There is something most satisfying about a poem that “works.” We’ll see where that takes me.
I also enjoy writing inspirational writing. It’s on my to-do list.
I keep a list of ideas for short stories. My imagination keeps me up at night.
Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?
My favorite character from MONTANA MATRIMONIAL NEWS is Doctor Gamla, an elderly midwife and almost-doctor in Nickelbo, North Dakota. Doctor Gamla is based on my great-grandmother’s midwife. She was sometimes called a witch because of her herbal remedies and was famous for her cures. She also gave advice freely about every human malady. In MONTANA MATRIMONIAL NEWS her mantra is: “My cures work if you can stand them.”
I enjoy writing older female characters with grit and determination—also women without filters. I remember relatives and neighbors who had survived wars, the great depression, and other hardships. In my 30-year experience as a Certified Gerontological Nurse, I knew many such women!
I’m working on my next novel, PRAIRIE WIND CARRY ME HOME, also set in Nickelbo, ND. Dr. Gamla shows up again as the mentor who helps a young woman face tragedy.
About the Author
Candace Simar likes to imagine how things might have been. She combines her love of history with her Scandinavian heritage in historical novels that examine the early days of Minnesota and North Dakota. “I write historical novels to share painless history lessons about the fascinating and unique history of our region.”
Her historical novels include: Sister Lumberjack, book five in the Abercrombie Trail Series (North Star Press, March 2024) Follow Whiskey Creek (Sweet Honey Press 2023) Escape to Fort Abercrombie (Five Star Cengage 2018) Shelterbelts (North Star Press 2015), Blooming Prairie (North Star Press 2012) Birdie (North Star Press2011) Pomme de Terre (North Star Press 2010), and Abercrombie Trail (North Star Press 2009). Her short story collections: Dear Homefolks (River Place Press 2017) and The Glory of Ordinary Time (Wolfpack Press 2018). Farm Girls (River Place Press 2013) is a book of poetry co-written with her sister, Angela Foster. Candace’s short stories have been published in the anthologies: Spoilt Quilt (Five Star Cengage 2020), Librarians of the West (Five Star Cengage 2021); and Why Cows Need Cowboys (Two Dot Press 2021).
Simar is a Spur Award winner and Spur finalist from the Western Writers of America for her Abercrombie Trail series. Shelterbelts was a finalist in both the Willa Literary Awards in Historical Fiction and the Midwest Book Awards. Escape to Fort Abercrombie holds a Will Rogers Gold Medallion and a Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers.
Her short stories and poetry have received awards from the Bob Dylan Creative Writing Contest, Lake Region Review, League of Minnesota Poets, National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Dust and Fire, and the Laura Awards for Short Fiction.
Candace enjoys sharing her research and writing with groups and book clubs across the nation.
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