A little bit of insight into my process, and a Mercury excerpt!

emeralddodge:

An insight into the kind of research I have to do when writing my series:

Benjamin’s family actually does own an HR consulting firm! It’s a front business for their real business, but for tax reasons they keep the front up and running, and it pulls in about half a million dollars in profit a year. It’s called Trent Solutions, and they hire trained HR specialists to deal with the problems that people contact Trent Solutions about. This is the company that Janice was referring to when she offered Jillian a job in Ignite.

There’s a part in Mercury where we read a newspaper clipping from 1979. In it, it mentions Mr. Trent’s company. Here’s the tricky part: “Trent Solutions” is a very 21st century name. So instead of slipping in a slight anachronism, I called up my parents, who were my age in the 1970s, and asked them what such a business would be called. 

—

Article in the Washington Post’s Style section, dated March 11, 1979.

Janice L. Lewis Marries Henry B. Trent

Janice L. Lewis of Middleburg, Va. and Henry B. Trent of Annapolis, Md. were married on March 9, at the historic Oatlands Plantation located in Loudoun County, Va. The Reverend Scott Laarson officiated.

Janice, 24, is the daughter of the Dr. and Mrs. John Lewis, also of Middleburg. She is a graduate of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where she studied Journalism. She is the granddaughter of Mr. Benjamin Lewis, noted D.C. businessman and founder of the Lewis Foundation, and his wife, Leah. She is also the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Stanhope, of Manassas, Va.

Henry, 28, is the son of the late Mr. Franklin Trent and Mrs. Eleanor Trent, also of Annapolis. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., where he studied business. Henry is employed in his family’s business, Trent Consultants.

Clara Lewis, sister of the bride, served as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Erin Lewis, sister of the bride, Alexandra Edge, Ashlynn Peery, Danielle Snider, and Amber-Jean Hensey. Flower girl was Katherine Lewis, cousin of the bride. Michael Lewis, brother of the bride, and Franklin Trent III, twin brother of the groom, were best men. Ring bearer was Adam Rowe, a friend of both families. Janice wore a custom-designed wedding gown by Chanel, and carried a bouquet of cream and red roses. 

The rehearsal dinner and reception, hosted by the groom’s parents, was held at their home. 

The couple will honeymoon in the UK, France, Switzerland, and Croatia, then reside in Annapolis.