Lisa Wingate’s novel Before We Were Yours is based on the true story of a woman who stole hundreds of children to sell to wealthy families for adoption. The true story of those children is horrific, thanks to the crimes of Georgia Tann.
The year 2000 rolled in with a wild 24 hours in world news. We anticipated a Y2K problem with computers malfunctioning because they couldn't handle years starting with 2. What we got was something else entirely, situations that are still unfolding. I saw it start from a vantage point at the Voice of America.
A new historical novel about the early Quaker movement. The Kendal Sparrow explores the daring and deep faith of courageous young women. Author Barbara Luetke talked to me about her work.
It was a journey of just seven miles. It took Robert Smalls from slavery to freedom and into the history books. His hero's journey continued long after that, and continues even today.
Free Africans were much more important in the 16th century voyages of discovery and exploration than history has recognized. They played several crucial parts in Francis Drake’s voyage around the world
The Cowboy looms large in American mythology. The images most of us see and read about are of white men, “Anglos.” Our culture has managed to erase the fact that cowboys were also Mexican, Native American—and African-American.
Have you ever said "thank you" to your car after a difficult journey? Hugged your sewing machine when you finished a complicated project? Why not? Just the act of doing it can make you happier.
Historical fiction is an enjoyable way for many of us to learn history, especially since the internet has made fact-checking easy and even fun. Let’s take a recent masterpiece as an example.
Human brains generate ideas all the time. If you’re a writer, your brain has probably come up with lots of great novel ideas. But for all of us who write, the first and most persistent obstacle is to creative ideas is you—your inner critic, your inner saboteur. Think about this: When Stephen King’s brain first [...]
“Where do you get your ideas?” is a question all successful authors get asked. Their answers are all different but they have a few things in common. See how some famous novelists answer that question, and maybe find some inspiration of your own.