Since I write mysteries, people die and my sleuth, Leadville saloon-owner Inez Stannert, must ferret out the criminal and the crime. This latest book in my series takes Inez to Manitou Springs, a fast-rising health resort and tourist destination, where there was a whole lotta dying going on, not all… Read More »Eat Well and Thrive…or Not by Ann Parker
Inspiration. It’s a strange and capricious friend. It can’t be chased; it arrives unexpectedly; and can disappear in a flash. Yet where would we be without it? In every walk of life, nothing would get done or created without inspiration – along with ambition, determination and a healthy dose of… Read More »Inspiration for Thores-Cross by Karen Perkins
A novel with main characters based on historical figures presents a set of challenges to authors. History gives the principals who influenced and affected the course of events, but propaganda and poor record-keeping can alter impressions. Research provides information about particular incidents in the lives of historical figures. Yet, biases… Read More »The challenge of “true” historical fiction by Lisa Yarde
Novelists exist in a “what if?” world. Every activity, every random encounter, every stranger walking through a parking lot is fair game for a writer of fiction. So, too, every movie watched and book read becomes the genesis of an idea. A strange synthesis of this happened to me a… Read More »The Origins of Blue Damask by Annemarie Banks
One of the main themes of my Tales of Ancient Rome series is the exploration of the lives of women in the ancient world through the characters of various women from different cultures. In The Wedding Shroud my protagonist, Caecilia, is an insular Roman girl thrust into the liberal world… Read More »Damn Whores or God’s Police by Elisabeth Storrs