Mary Anna Evans' Life As a Writer A few years ago, I was speaking to the Institute for Learning in Retirement in my hometown, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It was a large crowd of people who thought that retirement was great because it gave them more time to learn things. In other words, these were my kind … Continue reading Guest Post: Historical Novelist Mary Anna Evans
Guest Authors
Guest Post: How Lucretia Grindle Writes Historical Fiction
The Importance of Character, Setting, and Situation A friend whose opinion I respect a great deal once told me that all a great historical novel is, is a great novel in a historical setting. I agree. Although that sounds deceptively simple and deserves a little unpacking. Character, setting, and situation are the central components, the … Continue reading Guest Post: How Lucretia Grindle Writes Historical Fiction
Guest Post: Bringing History To Life Through Fiction
Behind the Scenes: How Amy Maroney Brings History To Life For me, there are three integral steps to writing historical fiction: travel, research, and writing. Travel is the magic—the pixie dust that sparks my imagination and gives me story and character ideas. Doing research is endlessly fascinating to me. I love disappearing down rabbit holes, … Continue reading Guest Post: Bringing History To Life Through Fiction
An Interview with Emma Rose Millar
Emma Rose Millar is the co-author of the historical novel Five Guns Blazing, the first place winner of The Chaucer Award in Historical Fiction. Five Guns Blazing is an epic tale of piracy, slavery, and treason. Meredith Allard: When and why did you begin writing, and did you always write historical fiction? Emma Rose Millar: I’ve been writing … Continue reading An Interview with Emma Rose Millar
Charlie Britten at The Anne of Green Gables Museum
Visiting Prince Edward Island Here are Charlie Britten's thoughts about her time at the Anne of Green Gables Museum on Prince Edward Island. Anne of Green Gables was one of my favorite books when I was a child, and the museum sounds like someplace I'd like to visit. Visiting the Land of Green … Continue reading Charlie Britten at The Anne of Green Gables Museum
Writing the Love that Dare Not Speak Its Name in Historical Fiction
Here's author Laurel Deedrick-Mayne talking about her new novel, A Wake For The Dreamland, and her experiences writing historical fiction about a gay character during World War II. * * * * * How do we write the love that ‘dare not speak its name’ within the genre of historical fiction? I confess that even writing … Continue reading Writing the Love that Dare Not Speak Its Name in Historical Fiction
An Interview with C. W. Gortner
Here's my interview with C.W. Gortner. If you love historical fiction, particularly Tudor fiction, then Gortner is your guy. C.W. Gortner holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California, as well as an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco. In 2012, he … Continue reading An Interview with C. W. Gortner
An Interview With Barbara Taylor Bradford
I've been lucky enough to interview such literary legends as John Jakes and Jean M. Auel. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview another legend, Barbara Taylor Bradford. Barbara Taylor Bradford has written the notable New York Times Best Sellers A Woman of Substance, The Ravenscar Dynasty, and The Women in His Life, among many others. … Continue reading An Interview With Barbara Taylor Bradford