Looking for your next best read? Curious about how and why some novelists wrote their books?

In my role as a features writer for the Historical Novel Society, I get to read new releases of historical novels and interview authors to discuss their careers, their processes, and discover what has inspired them to write their books. You can read the interviews below. Find the books at your local independent bookstore or library.

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What They Said About Luisa by Erika Rummel

In 1575, Luisa Abrego, a freed slave from Seville, was tried in Mexico for bigamy by officers of the Spanish Inquisition. Aside from the trial record, no other documentation of her exists. Intrigued by that scrap of information, Renaissance historian and author Erika Rummel resurrects Luisa in her latest novel. Rummel uses a unique storytelling approach to describe Luisa and her life: ten fictional characters tell what they know (or think they know) about Luisa; Luisa’s point of view is not part of the novel.

In our interview, the author explains why she made this deliberate storytelling choice and reveals how writing this book helped expand her knowledge of the Renaissance era and refine her writing techniques. You can read all about it here.

A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopkins

Among her many achievements, Bessie Coleman was the first American to earn a civilian aviation certificate from the French Federation Aeronautique Internacionale (FAI). This was something she had to do because, being African American and female in the 1920s, nobody in the United States would train her to fly. So she took three years of night school classes, became fluent in French and earned her brevet – a full two years before Amelia Earhart.

Author Carole Hopkins – who is also a 737 Captain with United Airlines – described in our interview the challenges that caused this book to be 12 years in the making, and the ways she is inspired by “serving the legacy that Coleman started.”

Read my interview with Carole Hopkins here.

The Other Princess by Denny S. Bryce

One of the “treasures” Queen Victoria acquired from her vast empire was her African goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Sarah was a princess whose family was massacred by a rival tribe. They enslaved her for years until an English sea captain rescued her, changed her name from Aina to Sarah Forbes (his surname) Bonetta (the name of his ship) and presented her to the Queen as a gift.

Author Denny S. Bryce reveals in our interview the surprising series of events that led to her writing Sarah’s story. She also shares the details of her writing process, including how her background in public relations and marketing contribute to her approach to researching historical novels.

Read my interview with The Other Princess author Denny S. Bryce.

The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin

Inspired by Boston’s famous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, author Emily Franklin portrays Isabella Stewart Gardner as the strong, quirky, determined, brash and ahead-of-her-time person she was. She triumphed over loss and the rejection of upper-class Boston society, to leave a mansion showcasing her vast collection of old masters, antiques and objects d’art “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.”

Author Emily Franklin, a writer of many genres, shares with me the ways that writing this way hones her craft, and also discusses her fascination with the themes of memory and what we keep.

Read my interview withThe Lioness of Boston author Emily Franklin

The Eulogist by Terry Gamble

In this novel, the author’s inspiration goes far beyond her ancestors’ founding of the Procter and Gamble company. She launches the fictional Givens family along the same immigration path as her family, and then sets them up for the same types of struggles the Gamble family faced as immigrants.

My discussion with Terry Gamble includes her fascination with multi-generational families, and what she learned about 19th Century events that “set the table for what we must deal with today.”

Read my interview with author of The Eulogist, Terry Gamble

Sarah’s War by Eugenia Lovett West

The writing career of author Eugenia Lovett West began during her fifties and peaked in 2019, when at age 96, she released two new novels. One of these is Sarah’s War, set during the American Revolution, when main character Sarah Champion finds herself set up by her aunt as a spy for the patriots.

In our interview, Eugenia reveals her love of suspense and a fast-moving story, and provides some advice for writers of all ages.

Read my interview with Eugenia Lovett West, author of Sarah’s War

The Ice Swan by J’nell Ciesielski

What happened to all the noble and aristocratic families after the fall of the Romanovs, when the Bolsheviks swept in to overtake Russia? Thousands fled with little more than the elegant clothes on their backs. They were forced to journey all over the world to find a safe place and rebuild their ousted communities. One of the largest such communities was in Paris during the 1920s.

In our interview, author Ciesielski describes the research requirements for this book: the joys of researching the Paris diaspora, as well as the exhaustion brought about by investigating medical history and techniques.  

Read my interview with the author of The Ice Swan, J’nell Ciesielski

The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli

OK, you probably have heard of the enigmatic Lisa Gherardini… or as she’s more often called, Mona Lisa. But did you know that the staff of The Louvre spirited most of the museum’s collection (including Lisa’s portrait) out of Paris just before the Nazis arrived to plunder the treasures? Women drove the escape vehicles!

As part of our interview, author Morelli tells me about her first “meeting” with Lisa, and discusses how her work as an art historian and teacher supports her writing, and reveals the process she uses when needing to think about certain questions as a historical novelist instead of a scholar.

Read my interview with Laura Morelli, author of The Stolen Lady

A Most Clever Girl by Stephanie Marie Thornton

Who was the person who ran the largest Soviet spy ring in the United States during the Cold War? A woman by the name of Elizabeth Bentley. Her confession to the FBI not only identified 41 Soviet sources operating throughout the U.S., it essentially took down the golden age of Soviet espionage, which had been ongoing for over 20 years.

During our interview, author Thornton shares with me the many challenges of writing about such a successful spy: the ultimate unreliable narrator and an “incredibly complex woman.”

Read my interview with A Most Clever Girl author, Stephanie Marie Thornton

Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini

You likely know at least a little bit about Abraham Lincoln’s wife. What about her sisters? Mary Todd Lincoln’s relationships with them were some of the most important in her life. Elizabeth Todd Edwards and Emilie Todd Helm both lived extraordinary lives in their own right, and were present during a particularly transformative time in America’s history.

In our interview, author Chiaverini talks about her drive to explore little-known historical characters. She also explains her approach to her trilogy of novels that reveal Mary Todd Lincoln from the perspective of significant people in her life.

Read my interview with the author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters, Jennifer Chiaverini

Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott

Did you know: under the remains of medieval London lies buried the once great Roman city of Londinium. It was abandoned around 420AD for reasons unknown. So much remains unknown about this period of history that it’s known as the Dark Ages. Author Stott delves into the lives of women during this time through two female characters who flee to the haunted city.

In our interview, the author shares her challenges with writing about the Dark Ages, especially women in that time, and the recurring exploration in her books of history and science with twists of alchemy.

Read the interview with Dark Earth author Rebecca Stott.