17th Century Author Spotlight with Sheila Dalton

The 17th Century is the new frontier in historical fiction, and I’m delighted to spotlight a fellow adventurer. Please welcome Sheila Dalton, author of Stolen, who will share with us her thoughts and inspiration about her work. But before we meet Sheila, here is a video clip of her novel Stolen. Enjoy! Sheila, you’re an eclectic writer, with your books ranging from literary fiction, poetry, YA and children’s books. Stolen is your first historical with action/adventure and romance set in the 17th Century. What inspired this story? The story was inspired by trips to both Devon, England and Morocco. In Morocco, I…

HNS Conference: Gender Preferences

July 2, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: WritingTags: historical fiction surveyLeave a comment

Every conference generates a unique buzz. The panel discussions, the conversations around the buffet line, all tap into the collective consciousness. The 2015 HNS Conference just concluded in Denver, and I’m left thinking about gender and trends in historical fiction. Discussions about what readers wanted seemed to be top of everyone’s mind, specifically, whether they preferred to read about female or male protagonists. There were two panel discussions around gender and historical fiction, The Gender Divide, and Damsels to the Rescue: Reviving the Male Protagonist. The issue/assumption has been that since women constitute a higher percentage of novel readers, they may shy…

Historical Fiction Survey

April 24, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: NewsTags: historical fiction surveyLeave a comment

I have a confession to make: the collection and organization of data fascinates me. Pretty charts and pivot tables are as captivating to me as shiny baubles are to a magpie. Data tells a story if you know how to slice and dice it. But what does this have to do with historical fiction? If you enjoy the genre, author Mary Tod would like to hear from you. For the past 3 years, Mary has conducted surveys to gain more insight into what readers enjoy about the genre. As a historical fiction writer, I look forward to the results (and the pretty charts!),…