7 Questions With Erwin Wunderlich, Author

 

Wunderlich grew up in 1950s Florida, fascinated by the stories and experiences of his ancestors and their recollections dating back to the time of statehood.  Starting in his teenage years, he began to record some of their memories, names, and dates that might someday be important to others. When it came time to consider prospective colleges, he had the opportunity to visit the Naval Academy and  subsequently earned an appointment there.   After a subsequent time in the submarine service, he and his wife Susan returned to Florida. Through the years, he earned two masters degrees, one in business and the other in engineering, and a doctorate degree in education. He and Susan raised four children, each of which would themselves attend service academies and become military officers. Today, he occupies his time with writing historical fiction, chiefly based in Civil War and Pioneer era Florida, researching, beekeeping, and carving scrimshaw. His next novel is expected to be published in the fall.

1. How and when did you get  hooked on history?

—My father kept shoving his favorite historical fiction novels in front of me when I was a child.  They were good books by Richard Powell, Marjorie Rawlings, Frank Slaughter, and other authors.  I especially enjoyed stories about the struggles of the pioneers.  

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?  

— A big part.  Besides the extensive research for my historical novels, I also do their illustrations and even further I do award-winning historical scrimshaws.  For those who might not be aware, scrimshaw is an old engraving process where I add ink to my scratchings (see photo example of a scrimshaw I did of Chief Osceola on abalone shell).

3. How does history play  a part of your professional life/career? 

—My family has always loved history, whether it be history by finding lost relics on my bee farm, or history driving by roadsigns (such as in Archer, Florida which motivated me to write my DRUMMER novel concerning Richmond’s gold coming to Archer in 1865). I love doing the requisite background historical research for my fiction books, plus writing articles for various historical magazines.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

—History is the glue behind our human beliefs and heritage.   Local history has unfortunately become shortchanged in our formal education process.  In 1960s Florida, for example, I saw each county controlling its own history curriculum and learning objectives.  Then thanks to the power of funding, with the worry of falling behind other nations, the state took over with its own cram-packed curricula and standards.  And now there is further pressure to have a national curriculum.  

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?

—I like pioneer-type history that tries to give the reader an appreciation of the hardships that our trailblazers faced.  These difficulties and challenges seem oft forgotten nowadays, but can be quite inspiring.  It is my own hope that folks will enjoy my own historical works, plus get busy on their own historical efforts such as documenting their own families’ stories, doing drawings, or the like.

6.       Tell us about your first book Salvos on the Backwater and about your latest projects?

—I had joined a Jacksonville writing club, as a lark, that met one night a week after work.  The group required three pages of writing each time, else you would get the boot from the club.   After such weekly critiques, and a year’s worth of pages, I found myself in a good position to come out with my SALVOS book as a historical novel. It would won a number of first-place awards in various contests, to include the Patrick Smith Award which was presented to me at a banquet by Mr. Smith himself.

7.       Florida seldom gets much attention in Civil War History. What exactly was its significance during the war and what are some examples of stories that should be researched and told?

—Florida turned out to be the breadbasket of the Confederacy, supplying the Army of Northern Virginia with cows and other staples.  As to the state’s few soldiers from its small population, Robert E. Lee designed the Florida war strategy to allow Federal coastal raids, then for the militia to respond to such raids with hit-and-run attacks (much like the Seminoles’ hit-and-run war strategy in Florida up to the year 1858).  

Florida had tough (the best) battle-ready soldiers and cavalrymen, both mainstream and militia, and there is much lore concerning their CW exploits.  Floridians were able to defend Tallahassee and make it the only state capital east of the Mississippi River never overrun by the Federals.

Today, btw, reenactors and folks remember Florida’s two major battles annually at her Olustee and Natural Bridge State Parks, come each February and March. I am often invited to attend these festivals with my books.  The Olustee event is quite large, and I would suggest it to new folks that might want to witness living history.

7 Questions with Historical Fiction Author Perrie Patterson

 

Perrie is a graduate of the University of Alabama. She and her husband Jeff have raised two children and live just north of Atlanta. While Jeff still works for Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia, Perrie has taken to writing novels. Her first four books fall into the new adult romance category, and three of those stories are in the Crimson Series trilogy and take place on the University of Alabama campus. Her other book, Hit Zero could be either young adult (characters are 13-17) or new adult (characters are 18-24) and is a ----second chance, finding a faith of your own, falling in love, all while learning to forgive someone who's hurt you deeply story---- set to the background of competition cheerleading. Perrie's 5th novel is her first historical fiction romance and takes place during the American Revolution and was inspired by Benjamin Tallmadge, a Second Continental Dragoon commander and the espionage leader for what historians would later call The Culper Spy Ring. Available here https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/leader-of-liberty-perrie-patterson/1142929060?ean=9798218132101 

In her free time, Perrie volunteers with the local NSDAR and holds four positions in her DAR chapter. She is a mentor for the Forsyth County School system, leads a ladies Bible study group through Brown's Bridge Community Church, hosts a book podcast where she interviews authors of all genres called The Talking Book Atlanta, and she and husband Jeff enjoy team trivia with their regular Tuesday night team. Perrie's books are available on Amazon, and her website is:  www.perriepatterson.com .

 

1. When did you first get hooked on history?

I had a great high school history teacher. I grew up in Mandeville, LA which is along the North shores of Lake Pontchartrain. But history was not something I was interested in majoring in in college. I was told at a fairly young age that I could join the NSDAR, because I had an ancestor who fought in the American Revolution. I was actually a fashion merchandising major and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1989.

2. What role does history play in your life?

As I mentioned in the first question, I knew I could join the DAR at a young age, but it wasn't until a neighbor mentioned to me one day that she was planning to attend the local DAR chapter meeting. I told her that I knew I could join it and told her I'd like to go with her. It turned out that I did join the chapter and she did not join. I joined the NSDAR Chestatee River Chapter in 2015. Ever since that time, I've grown fonder of our American history and founding of our nation, as well as my own family's role in that. I am now also a member of the Decedents of the Founders of New Jersey, as an ancestor came over from England during the Puritan migration around the year 1636 and helped to settle cities, towns and the state of New Jersey.

3. What role does history play in your career?

As an author, I have written a historical fiction based on the life of a Second Continental Dragoon commander who was also the espionage leader for what historians would later call The Culper Spy Ring. I also have a podcast called The Talking Book Atlanta and through the podcast I interview authors of all genres, some are historians and have written fabulous nonfiction. 

4. Why do you feel studying history is important?

Not only is history interesting, I think that by studying the events, people and things that happened in the past it helps us to better understand what happened in the past and maybe reasons for the way things happened. Studying history might also provide a window into the past giving us a view into the lives, the thoughts and the scenery of past worlds, countries, cities, queens and kings, and kingdoms, which in turn should help us to better understand our lives today maybe giving us ideas about what works and what doesn't. 

5. What is your favorite period in history?

I would have to say the 18th century is a favorite of mine. Particularly the study of the American Revolution and the founding of our nation.

6. What drew you to writing  historical fiction?

It goes back to being a member of the NSDAR, and for those unfamiliar ----that stands for the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution which is an ancestor-based society and was founded in 1890 by four women. It is one, it not the oldest all-female volunteer service organization in the country. It focuses on God, Home, Country through service, volunteering, preserving our historic sites and buildings, celebrating our history, providing scholarships for students and educating the public about our nation's history as well as supporting our veterans and active military. My local chapter has a book club and through that we read a book titled: 355 Women in Washington's Spy Ring by Kit Sergent. At the same time, I was reading this novel, I was watching the TV show based on Washington's spies called TURN. From there my fascination grew to the point I had to write a book inspired by the life of Benjamin Tallmadge, who was asked by Washington to take up a private correspondence during the revolution which helped Washington win the war.

7. What are the Hallmarks of  great historical fiction in your opinion?

Great historical fiction must be filled with historical facts, and some of the work’s characters should be real people from history. Historical works of fiction should draw the reader into the story by giving them a character or several characters to root for, those whose lives they are intrigued by and wish to know more about. And good historical fiction should have a touch of romance, as well as enthralling and captivating scenes that bring the reader into the pages of the book through the use of words they can almost taste. 

7 Questions With Christopher C. Gorham, Author of The Confidante

 

CHRISTOPHER C. GORHAM is the author of THE CONFIDANTE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WOMAN WHO HELPED WIN WWII AND SHAPE MODERN AMERICA (Citadel Press, 2023). He holds degrees from the University of Michigan, Tufts University and Syracuse University College of Law. After practicing law for over a decade, for the last several years he has taught Modern American History at Westford Academy, outside Boston. His writing has appeared in the Washington Post and online publications. THE CONFIDANTE is his first book. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Watertown and Chatham, Massachusetts. The book will be released February 21, 2023, published by Kensington Publishing.

1. How and when did you get hooked on history?

As far back as I can remember, I've been fascinated by history. My grandfather, who I spent a lot of time with as a kid, had been an infantry officer in WWII. In fact, his division, the 69th, was the one that made contact with the Russians in April of 1945. But I didn't know that level of detail when I was young. I just knew he had a cigar box of old photos, army patches and medals, and newspaper clippings from the war--I was mesmerized by these things and by his (sanitized) stories. And it wasn't just WWII! This same grandfather every summer would take our family from suburban Detroit, where I grew up, to Boston, where he grew up. We'd walk the Freedom Trail, see Concord and Lexington--me wearing a tri-corn hat from some gift shop--and I just absorbed it all. I dreamed of one day living in Boston, amidst all that history.

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

Well, my wife and all our friends kind of see me as the history guy, so I get a lot of questions about historical patterns and how the past informs the present or how the present reflects the past. One example would be today's political attacks, where baseless accusations are thrown about in an effort to tarnish or end careers. We really haven't seen that since the 1950s. Also on a personal level, my middle name "Courtenay" was based on General of the US 1st Army in WWII, Courtney Hodges. So as I tell my students, my middle name is History. 

3. How does history play a part of your professional life/career?

After graduating college with a History degree, I went to law school. I practiced for almost 15 years, but every day I felt a tinge of regret that history wasn't part of my life. One day, my wife and I decided I'd leave the law, get my Master's degree and teach history. Besides asking my wife to marry me, it was the best decision I ever made. Teaching Modern American history to 17-year-old juniors taught me to be a storyteller--it also keeps me young and engaged!

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

As the French thinker, Jean Bodin, said, "Studying history is the beginning of wisdom." Before we can know anything, we need to know who we are, what is our shared story, who are our heroes (and villains), how do we individually fit into narratives of locality, state, nation? I see basic historical knowledge as foundational to living the examined life.

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?

The Great War really has always grabbed me. The pathos of these young men, who expected Napoleonic valor and cavalry charges, and who got rats and trench foot. The tomato-red trousers of the French in 1914 and the shiny brass buttons went into war as if they were in the 19th century and they discovered a 20th century industrial war. The class issues of the war--Pal's Battalions sent to die by monarchs who were all related. And because it was a war of attrition, the men had lots of time to write. The poets and novelists of WWII are to me an enduring reminder of the sadness and pointlessness of the war.      

 

6. What attracted you to Anna Rosenberg's story and why is it an important story to tell?

Anna Rosenberg is like Zelig or Forrest Gump in that she played a role in so much history! From a suffragist to pioneer woman campaign manager, from New Deal director to one of the architects of the Arsenal of Democracy, Anna was there. And WWII was just the first act. She attained her highest position in the Cold War, and advised presidents from FDR to Lyndon Johnson. From presidents to generals to Marilyn Monroe, her career reads like a roll-call of history. 

7. Are you at work on other projects that we might look forward to in the future?

Yes, I am working on my second book. I'm going to be canny and not give too much away, but it is safe to say the subject is better known that Anna Rosenberg, but the slice of life I focus on is not well understood.

7 Questions With Andrew Lawler, Journalist and Author

 

Andrew Lawler is author of three books, Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City, The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke, a national bestseller, and Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?: The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization.  As a journalist, he has written more than a thousand newspaper and magazine articles from more than two dozen countries. His byline has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and many others. He is contributing writer for Science and contributing editor for Archaeology. Andrew’s work has appeared several times in The Best of Science and Nature Writing. His website is https://www.andrewlawler.com/ 

1.      How and when did you get  hooked on history?

 

As a child growing up in southeastern Virginia, history was not in a book--it was on the battlefields of Yorktown, in the streets of Williamsburg, and in the thatch-covered buildings recreating Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World. 

2.      What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

 History was the way my family talked about emotions, beliefs, and thoughts; it was a language that helped me to make sense of the world around me. As Faulker said, the past is never dead, it isn't even past. Growing up, I knew that was true.

3.      How does history play  a part of your professional life/career?

 For years I wrote about the future--working for the Futurist Magazine and then covering the space program. But then I was invited to cover an archaeology meeting in Baghdad before the Iraq War, and I suddenly was writing about the past and the way it was entangled with the present. Now I love writing about history more than any other topic.

4.      Why is studying/knowing history important?

 Without knowing--or feeling--our roots, we are leaves in the constantly shifting wind of opinion and social media. Understanding our origin gives us a solid piece of ground to make meaning of the often confusing world around us. To me, it is as vital as air.

5.      What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?

 More obscure periods and places! Ancient Egypt is great, but Mesopotamia is even older and less known and therefore more intriguing. Why did those people begin to build cities, write, and create what we call civilization?  Central Asia's past is also fascinating, this vast swath of territory on which so much of history played out. And then there is Polynesia, where the greatest sailors of pre-modern times embarked on amazing feats of nautical skill..

6.       How did you get the idea for  your new book, Under Jerusalem: Buried History of the World's Most Contested City?

 I had written about Middle Eastern archaeology for years, but I had long avoided Jerusalem. All that current-day religion and politics made it seem like a reporting nightmare. Then I took a tour with an archaeologist friend who opened my eyes to the extensive work going on underground--work that had begun in the 1860s. I suddenly realized that religion and politics are precisely what made archaeology in Jerusalem so unique, controversial, and fascinating. 

7.      What did you hope readers learn from reading Under Jerusalem?

 Science and exploration never happen in a vacuum. People have agendas--political, religious, scientific, etc--but that is a natural part of being human. I hope that people who read my book will come away with a deeper understanding of how those who dug up the biblical past ended up turning Jerusalem into a sought-after and violent place. But they also uncovered information that I believe could one day lead to a fuller and richer understanding of this contested city that might, someday, form the basis for peaceful coexistence.

7 Questions With Colin Mustful, History Through Fiction Podcast

 

Colin Mustful is the founder and editor of History Through Fiction. As a traditional publisher, he works with authors who want to share important historical stories with the world. He is also an independent author and historian who has published four historical novels. He has a Master of Arts degree in history and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. Mustful is an avid runner and soccer player who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He believes that learning history is vital to understanding our world today and finding just, long-lasting solutions for the future.

1. How did you get hooked on history?

My interest in history has been a process. Growing up I was always drawn by historical markers. When I reached college I began studying Native American history—especially as it related to their displacement and removal. It intrigued me that such a profound tragedy could have possibly happened and I wanted to know why. Also, during college, I discovered that I had an aptitude for writing historical essays. This led to what would eventually become a career writing and publishing historical fiction. 

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

History plays an important role in everyone's personal lives...I believe. It colors our perspective and determines our perception of the world. It helps us understand the world around us and provides us with the tools to think critically about what's going on around us and how to respond. 

3.  How does history play  a part of your professional life/career?

I work as a para educator in the social studies department at a local high school. I also write and publish historical novels. As an author and publisher, I spend a lot of time conveying history through blogs, articles, videos, and public speaking engagements. 

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

It's absolutely vital to our understanding of the cultures, conflicts, and circumstances of the world around us. Without knowing and understanding history we cannot know or understand our neighbors or ourselves. History allows us to think critically, helping us make better, more informed decisions while giving us a deep and necessary sense of empathy for people and places outside of our own inner circle. 

5.  What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?

I find all history fascinating in one way or another. But I'm continually drawn by the genocide of Western Indigenous peoples. It seems an impossible tragedy that we still understand so little about and have learned so little from. 

6.  How did the History Through Fiction Podcast come about?

I began podcasting with the New Book Network. This gave me an introduction to the podcasting process, something I didn't know how to do beforehand. Also, after working as a para educator in a digital music class, I learned a lot about digital audio workstations and sound design. So, after starting my press in 2019, I decided to combine my experience and knowledge to launch my own podcast as a way to advance my online presence and find more readers. 

7. What do you hope to convey to your listeners and followers?

I hope that writers can relate to the authors that are on the podcast. I hope that they discover that they are not alone in the daunting process of writing, publishing, and promoting a novel. I hope that readers gain a greater appreciation for everything a writer must go through to bring a book into the world. And, of course, I hope all listeners learn something new about history while discovering new books and authors to add to the TBR (to be read list). 

7 Questions With Piper Huguley, Historical Fiction Author

Piper Huguley seeks to make new inroads in the publication of historical romance by featuring African American Christian characters.  The Lawyer’s Luck and The Preacher’s Promise, the first books in her “Home to Milford College” series, are Amazon best sellers.  The Mayor’s Mission, published in Winter 2014.  The next entry in the series, The Representative’s Revolt was published in Spring 2015. She is a 2013 Golden Heart finalist for her novel, A Champion’s Heart—the fourth book in “Migrations of the Heart”. The first book in the series, A Virtuous Ruby, was the first-place winner in The Golden Rose Contest in 2013 and was a Golden Heart finalist in 2014. The first three books in the “Migrations of the Heart” series, which follows the loves and lives of African American sisters during America’s greatest internal migration in the first part of the twentieth century, was published by Samhain Publishing in 2015.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son. Her latest book is By Her Own Design.  https://piperhuguley.com/

1. How and when did you get hooked on history?

When I was young. I also read the Little House series and dressed up as a different historical figure every Halloween. I was also Laura Ingalls Wilder one time with a sunbonnet perched upon my afro! 

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

I made my husband tour historical places for our honeymoon. 

3. How does history play a part of your professional life/career?

As a professor, I've personally witnessed the great decline in the historical knowledge of students over the past 30 years. I'm changing careers from being a literary professor to an author of historical fiction in order to find new and dynamic ways of imparting history to the general population of adults. 

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

Knowing the full historical truth of a wide variety of people in the United States, will help us to come to a more complete understanding of how the American experiment benefits everyone all over the world. When we only know part of our history, we are cheated of understanding the great sacrifices many others have made to help the United States become a great country. 

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?

 In the United States from  Civil War to Civil Rights.  Too many people want to skip over the complexities of this period. We need to slow down and appreciate all of it. 

6. What inspired you to write historical fiction?

When I realized there were only a handful of historical fiction stories about Black women written by Black women, I knew I had to help more people understand the unheralded contributions Black women in the United States have made to this country. Historical fiction helps light the spark of interest so that more scholars of history will do the difficult work of documenting the lives of marginalized women who would not have left primary source materials behind. 

7. In your opinion, what are the hallmarks of well-written historical fiction?

Relatable characters, a clear narrative, period appropriate language and a complete author's note at the end of the book to explain how historical research was used to write the story. 

 

7 Questions with Sam Kean, Bestselling Author and Podcaster on Science and History

 

Sam Kean spent years collecting mercury from broken thermometers as a kid, and now he’s a writer in Washington, D.C. His stories have appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Slate, and Psychology Today, among other places, and his work has been featured on NPR’s “Radiolab”, “Science Friday”, and “All Things Considered,” among other shows. The Bastard Brigade was a “Science Friday” book of the year, while Caesar’s Last Breath was the Guardian science book of the year. The Disappearing Spoon was a runner-up for the Royal Society book of the year. Both The Violinist’s Thumb and The Dueling Neurosurgeons were nominated for PEN’s literary science writing award. He also hosts the podcast "The Disappearing Spoon." where he tells stories of science and history. Website https://samkean.com/ 

1.      How and when did you get  hooked on history?

I've always liked history, but was set on being a scientist for a long time. Then I started working in real science labs, and realized it wasn't for me. (I was clumsy, and hated the specialization.) But I
thought back on what I liked about science, and realized that I enjoyed learning about the people involved - those who discovered things, those who missed out, the heroes and the villains. I liked the
stories. So learning about the history of science was a natural way to get into those stories.

2.      What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

I think it gives me a broader perspective on the world and current events. I also enjoy seeing the cyclical nature of history - how themes and ideas repeat themselves over time. Science is a cumulative
field that builds on previous advances, but it's beholden to history
nevertheless.

3.      How does history play  a part of your professional life/career?

It's what I write about! I enjoy covering new scientific discoveries sometimes, but I feel like you don't understand what's happening unless you really get into the history.

4.      Why is studying/knowing history important?

Again, it gives your perspective. It's so easy to get wrapped up in daily events, whiplashing back and forth. Learning history teaches you to focus on what matters.

5.      What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?

Anything science-related, I'm game to learn about. And I interpret that broadly. My new book is about experimental archaeology, and I like how the field uses science to open up whole new windows into the past.

6.       Your books and podcasts focus on the science in history or the history of science. Where did you first start to put them together?

Ha, when I realized that I was cut out to work in labs! This happened back in college, and I really wanted to keep learning about science and be involved in the field ... just not be in the lab all the time. Writing about science and science history allowed me to do that.

7.      Your most recent book is The Icepick Surgeon. After researching and writing the book, what impressions or newfound knowledge and understanding are you left with?

This was a tough book to write, but an important one for me. It takes a hard look at science and some of the awful things that have happened in the name of science. I always have and always will love science, but I don't think we can bury our heads and pretend like bad things didn't happen. But I promise my next book will be more fun. :)

7 Questions with Novelist J.G. Lewis

 

J. G. Lewis grew up in London, England, where she spent her childhood visiting nearby museums and watching the mounted regiment ride down her street. She came to the U.S. for college and stayed for the sunshine.

A USA Today bestselling novelist, she didn’t delve into historical fiction until she discovered genealogy and the impressive cast of potential characters in her family history. Once she realized how many fascinating historical figures are all but forgotten, she decided to breathe life into them again by creating stories for them to inhabit.

The Ela of Salisbury series features the formidable Ela Longespée, wife of King Henry II’s illegitimate son William. The widowed mother of eight children, Ela served as High Sheriff of Wiltshire and castellan of Salisbury and ultimately founder and abbess of Lacock Abbey.

J. G. Lewis currently lives in Florida with her dogs and horses. 

            1. How and when did you get hooked on history?

I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t intrigued by history. I grew up in central London within walking distance of the Victoria and Albert Museum. My mother was and is a lover of art and history and books and shared her passions with me and my sisters.

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

Some of my earliest memories are visiting the costume galleries at the V&A and learning—while looking at tiny panier dresses and delicate embroidered mules—that people were much smaller back then due to nutrition. Now that I know more, I suspect that the galleries are full of tiny clothes and shoes because those are the ones that didn’t really fit anyone and thus didn’t get worn out! Ela’s husband William Longespée was over 6’ tall. Based on how she appears on her seal I imagine Ela being fairly tall as well. I’ve since learned a healthy suspicion of preconceived notions about history and everything else in life.

3. How does history play a part of your professional life/career?

My first real job after college was at a museum, now known as The Paley Center for Media. I worked my way up from administrative assistant to curator over the eight years that I was there. After leaving the museum I wrote contemporary novels which were published all over the world in more than twenty languages. Delving into genealogy made me want to explore history in my fiction, as I became fascinated with the untold stories hiding in the past. Although I grew up in England, and even did an A-Level in History, I had never heard of Ela, or even that there was a female sheriff during the middle ages. Exploring Ela’s life and imagining her exploits took my writing career in an exciting new direction.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

Learning history gives us insight into our own humanity and provides a sort of touchstone for whether we are on the right track. I think through much of the twentieth century there was a feeling that we were moving forward into a brighter and better future of the “better living through chemistry” sort. In the 21st century I think people are looking back to the past and pondering the things we lost along the way, like herbal medicine, knowing how to farm without destroying the land, and taking time to reflect and be present.

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?

I’ve always been primarily interested in social history: What people wore, what they ate, how they talked, what their houses looked like, etc. It was a great disappointment to me to arrive at university ready to pursue a history degree, and discover that all the classes were about battles and treaties and involved memorizing the dates, locations and reasons for various wars. I quickly changed my major to Semiotics, which allowed me to study aspects of culture that were far more intriguing to me. I’m actually interested in all periods of history, from very ancient to “just yesterday.” If Ela had lived during the Roman era, or the Victorian era or anything in between, I suspect I’d have been just as interested in exploring her life and work. Once you delve into a period of history you realize that the people and even the culture are similar to our own in ways that don’t seem obvious at first glance, and that never fails to fascinate me.

6. What inspired you to write the Ela of Salisbury Medieval Mysteries?

I discovered Ela almost by accident. I typed the name of a Victorian ancestor—Anne Theresa Elizabeth Haly—into Google, and was surprised when it led me to a list of descendants of William the Conqueror. In between myself and that particular William, were quite a few interesting people, including Ela. At the time there had been no books published about Ela since the excellent history of her life published by William Lisle Bowles in 1835. Since she was High Sheriff of Wiltshire I thought it would be fun to imagine what type of crimes she might be called upon to solve, and thus the mystery series was born.

7. Who is Ela and what kind of mysteries is she involved in?

The series begins when Ela finds herself widowed at age thirty-nine. She decides to pursue the roles of sheriff and castellan that were recently held by her husband. Historical records show that she was initially ousted from the castle and had an uphill battle getting it back. This struggle to regain her ancestral home and command the role of sheriff provides a backdrop to the first three books. The mysteries I embroil her in are generally murders—discovering how a young woman came to be found dead in a clump of reeds, or how a foreign merchant mysteriously fell to his death from a castle parapet. My goal in writing the mysteries was to keep things interesting for myself as well as my readers by exploring a variety of plots and subjects within my early thirteenth century setting. So far I’ve confounded Ela with a variety of troublesome villains including opium traders, child slavers and an outlaw. As I write this I’m nearing the end of the first draft on book eight in the series. Information about the books can be found on www.stoneheartpress.com .