What was the inspiration for your most recent book? Over There, the third book of the Gilded City...
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Five Tips for Crafting Memorable Villains
Simply having the villain commit evil deeds is not enough. Part of the fun of writing from the villain’s point of view is diving into their psyche, getting to know them at a deeper level. Just like the protagonist, they have motives, wounds, and flaws. They also have fears, enemies, secrets, regrets—and relationships.
How Managing a Horse Boarding Ranch Informs My Historical Fiction
At 70 years old, I have an interesting, second career and “day job”. My husband and I live on and manage a horse boarding ranch, Equisance (Equine...
Words with a Wordsmith: Diana R. Chambers
Welcome to PLW's Words with a Wordsmith Friday! Today we interview Diana R. Chambers, author of the The Secret War of Julia Child, a USA Today...
Q & A – Myths About Writing Historical Fiction You Should Stop Believing
All I knew was that I had a story I wanted to put out into the world, and I was determined to get it done no matter how long it took. It took a long time, meaning five years from when I initially sat down to write until I had a final product that I could be proud of.
How IT Project Management Informs My Historical Fiction
Only a short time ago, I was an IT project manager. My day job had nothing to do with writing historical fiction novels. In fact, I didn’t even...
How My Job in Medical Strategy & Research Informs My HistFic
Historical fiction writers come to this genre from a multiplicity of paths. Some of us adore a certain part of history and want to bring that era...
Crafting a Craft Book – The Perspective of an Editor
Until now, my proudest accomplishment was the release of my literary historical fiction novel, Blind Tribute. But now, two days hence, this...
Historical Fiction How-To
If I stacked all of the "how to write" and literary criticism books I have read over the years, it would probably be taller than I am (I am not...
Do you need to be a historian to write great historical fiction?
Writing historical fiction can be a bit of a balancing act. It’s a tightrope walk—between being authentic enough to engage readers, and being...
Research With Limited Source Material
When writing fiction of about any era, historical records can be inaccurate, even contradictory. Think about all the media and news sources available now, and imagine trying to sift through all that information in the future to write a historical novel. There are so many different perspectives and interpretations written about a single event. Because personal experience and core values color the recounting of any incident, it will be difficult to narrow it down to just the facts.
Bring Horses to Life in Historical Fiction
Your characters are charging into battle, life is in the balance. What kind of horses are they riding? What tack? Why would those horses ride into...
Words with a Wordsmith: Alina Adams
What was the inspiration for your most recent book? My first Soviet-Jewish historical fiction, “The Nesting Dolls,” was set in 1930s USSR...
Into the Breach Launch Day
Today is the Day for Into the Breach with You! My ADHD-coded heroine gets her chance to shine. I have a feeling, judging from the early reviews,...
PLW The History Quill Panel: Strong Women in Historical Fiction are not Anachronistic
If damsels in distress or heroines who only talk about their clothes and suitors make you want to throw the book across the room, you should check...
Paper Lantern Writers presenting on book publishing at writers’ Convention
If you're a historical fiction writer, you've probably heard of The History Quill. This is an organization that aims to provide dedicated support to...
FINALLY – the Dahlquin Family Saga Continues!
I am thrilled to be in the home stretch to releasing By Arrow and Sword, Book Two in my Dahlquin Series, this month - a family saga set in Medieval...
Edie Cay’s Historical Romance Releases 2025
In 2024, I wrote five Historical Romances. 2025 is no slouch either, but mostly because I’m seeing the publication of some of those books....
Interview with Historical Fiction Author
A huge thank you to fellow Paper Lantern Writer Jilliane Hamilton for these thoughtful interview questions! What drew you the medieval world when...
The Emergence of a Heroine
Guest Blog by award-winning author Barbara Stark-Nemon I was on the third day of a bicycle trip from Lisbon, Portugal to the Alhambra in Granada,...
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