Historical Fiction Episodes

Kate and I discuss her latest book The Rose Code, writing about the unsung women code breakers at Bletchley Park who helped shorten the war by at least two years, the amount of secrecy required of those who worked at Bletchley Park and the mental and emotional toll on them, and much more.

Lauren and I discuss her latest book Band of Sisters, how she learned about this courageous group of women, how often women’s stories have been erased from the historical narrative, the one issue that almost broke the Smith College group, her 2021 Pink Carnation series Read-a-Along and more.

Jennifer and I discuss her book The Yellow Bird Sings, her impetus for telling this story, the significance of the violin and the color yellow in the book, what she learned on her research trip to Poland and how that impacted her writing, and why she selected Poland as the setting.

Bella and I discuss The Diabolical Bones, the Brontë novels that inspire the books in this series, the Brontë sister who influenced her pen name, the joy she feels writing these books, how she came up with the word detectors, and much mo

Susan and I discuss her latest novel The Nature of Fragile Things, the unexpected book that inspired her to write this story, her interest in the mail-order bride phenomenon, the fragility of San Francisco’s infrastructure prior to the 1906 earthquake, and more.

Erika and I discuss her latest novel The Invisible Woman, bringing Virginia Hall to life, highlighting the everyday people who contributed to the French Resistance, touring the CIA Museum, how readers are looking for stories of redemption during the pandemic, and more.

Julia discusses her latest book The Last Garden in England, the pros and cons of choosing a popular topic like gardening to write about, the importance of creating a strong sense of place, and recruiting her father to help her research English gardens.

Sadeqa discusses her latest novel Yellow Wife, how the story spoke to her, switching from contemporary fiction to historical fiction for this book, tackling a tough and timely topic, how she loves to hike when she has free time, and much more.

Molly discusses her novel The Heiress, writing Austen-inspired fiction, creating a story around a fictional character from Pride & Prejudice, her favorite Jane Austen book, researching Regency-era England, and much more.

Judithe discusses her novel The Chanel Sisters, why she chose Antoinette to tell the sisters’ story, how Coco Chanel’s early years influenced her designs and fabrics, the unique research Judithe conducted, and much more.

Marie discusses her latest novel The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, writing about the venerated Agatha Christie, telling the stories of women that history forgot, the event that changed the trajectory of Agatha Christie’s career, and much more.

Sarah discusses her debut novel The Wrong Kind of Woman, writing about women’s issues in the 1970s, how her story resonates in today’s world, incorporating the music and television of the era into her research, and more.

Fiona and M.J. discuss Stories from Suffragette City, the inspiration for this compilation, the speed with which the project came together, honoring the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote, and how each author is reflected in their individual stories.

Rhys discusses her latest novel The Last Mrs. Summers, creating an homage to Rebecca, writing two books a year, reading historical fiction during these stressful times, advice for aspiring authors, and much more.The Last Mrs. Summers can be purchased at...

Natalie discusses her debut novel The Jane Austen Society, the long-lasting impact and continued relevance of Jane Austen’s books, the importance of independent book stores, launching a debut novel during the pandemic, and more.The Jane Austen Society c...

Hazel discusses When We Were Young & Brave, her inspiration for the story, writing about World War 2 in the Pacific, her extensive research for the book, exploring the human condition, her reading recommendations, and much more. When We Were Young & Bra...

Tori discusses her debut novel Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish, her inspiration for the story, creating a love letter to Cincinnati, the generational theme in the book, her advice for aspiring authors, and much more.Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish can be purcha...

John talks about his latest novel Old Abe, writing a fictional account of Lincoln’s life, conducting research on one of the most famous men in history, how he decided to tackle this subject, and much more.Old Abe can be purchased at Murder by the Book. ...

Kristin talks about her latest novel the New York Times bestseller The Book of Lost Names, the research she did regarding the forgery of documents during World War 2, writing about ordinary people who rise up to do extraordinary things, the large number ...

Signe and I discuss her latest novel The Forgotten Kingdom, researching people and events from the sixth century, telling stories previously lost to time and history, working as an acquisitions editor, and much more. The Forgotten Kingdom can be purchas...

Asha discusses her debut novel Fifty Words for Rain, setting her novel in post-World War 2 Japan, her lifelong love of the country and its language, having her novel chosen as a Good Morning America book club selection, and much more. Fifty Words for Ra...

Gill discusses her latest novel Jackie and Maria, the reader who gave her the inspiration for this story, Jackie and her sister Lee’s complex relationship, the rivalry between Jackie and Maria, her year-round love of swimming, and more.

Alka speaks about her debut novel The Henna Artist, having Reese Witherspoon select her book for her May book club, honoring her mother, the importance of women telling their stories, and much more.The Henna Artist can be purchased at Murder by the Book...

Alex discusses his latest novel The Paris Hours, the challenge of writing a story that takes place over the course of one day, owning an independent bookstore, setting a book in Paris, and much more.The Paris Hours can be purchased at Murder by the Book...