Tidemann authors "Letters from Elk City"
Author Michael Tidemann presented a program and shared the inspiration for his most recent book, "Letters from Elk City" on May 25 at the Guttenberg Public Library. (Photo submitted)
By Caroline Rosacker
A piece of crockery, an 1838 French wine bottle, a porcelain doll's face and a woman's diamond ring – all found in a dump site— were the inspiration for historical romance novelist Michael Tidemann's latest book, Letters from Elk City.
Tidemann, a native of South Dakota, has been living in Iowa since 1996. He currently resides in Estherville and is an English and communications professor at Iowa Lakes Community College.
The author is well-known for his newspaper column which is published in 109 newspapers throughout Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and North and South Dakota. His column's content covers book reviews of bestsellers, regional authors, writers and writing.
Letters from Elk City is Tidemann's second novel. He authored Doomsday: A Tale of Cyber Terror in July of 2012. He commented, "Doomsday is a fictional story about terrorists destroying the Internet, causing the total collapse of civilization."
Tidemann presented his program, Letters from Elk City, at the Guttenberg Public Library on Saturday, May 25. He shared his inspiration and the research that was involved in writing his most recent publication.
The author told The Press, "My friend, Bill Hunt, was digging around in a dump site near the wreckage of an old hunting lodge, previously known as the Headwaters Inn, located in Elk City, Ore. The Headwaters at one time was considered a luxury inn. The selection of treasures he unearthed piqued my interest. There had to be an intriguing story behind the discarded items."
Tidemann read over 110 research books and traveled across the United States to gather background information for his latest novel.
He shared, "After many hours of research, I began to investigate the geographic areas and historical landmarks that my characters experienced during their lifetimes. My travels took me to several areas across the United States as I gathered additional information and inspiration for my book."
The historical romance novel depicts the lives of high-standing military men and their relationships with the heroic minority women who shared their lives. At the center of the story are Sir Francis Drake and his lover, Maria; Philip Davis and his wife, Carissa; and modern-day characters, Billy Davis, a descendent of Philip, and Billy's wife, Sarah, a forensic anthropologist. Additional characters in the plot line include the lives of George Pickett and his Haida wife Morning Mist, and Phil Sheridan and his lover, Sidnayoh.
He explained, "The bulk of the novel's story takes place along the slow-moving Yaquina River. Phillip Davis and wife Carissa were the owners of the letters – hence the title for the book."
Tidemann shared his collection of photographs he captured while visiting the many historical sites, homes and geographic locations the novel's characters trod upon during their adventuresome lives.
The story weaves a tale of the intertwining lives of its characters and the love and loss they shared. It contains the mystery of a buried treasure in Neahkanie Mountain in Tillamook County – that still remains a mystery — and the challenges of life spanning several decades, from the 1850s through the Civil War era.
Tidemann's hobbies include travel, photography and reading. "Everything that is involved in writing," he said with a satisfied smile.
You can check out a copy of Letters from Elk City at the Guttenberg Public Library, or purchase a selection of his writings from amazon.com.
