How Much of a Historical Novel Is Real?

One of the questions I am asked most often is, “How much of your novel is true?” The answer isn’t as simple as you might think. Every historical novel is different. Some authors use history simply as a backdrop for an entirely fictional story. Others stay very close to the historical record. Neither approach isContinue reading “How Much of a Historical Novel Is Real?”

Why Lincoln Could Not Ignore Alton

One of the questions I had to answer while writing my novel was obvious to me yet also a central premise of the work: Why would Abraham Lincoln care about Elijah Lovejoy? Why would he care about what happened in Alton and feel compelled to go there? Lincoln and Lovejoy never met. When I beganContinue reading “Why Lincoln Could Not Ignore Alton”