After much anticipation, we are finally releasing our episode with Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton! I talked to Tosca and Marcus about their latest book, The Long March Home, which features three friends from Alabama fighting in the Philippines during World War II. This conversation makes a spectacular finale to season five. Here’s a description of the novel from Revell: Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Jimmy “Propper” Propfield is determined to leave his home behind and see the world with his best friends Billy Crockett and Hank Wright. The Army is his way out. Plus, it will help him forge ..read more

Today, Crystal Caudill joins me on the show for the second time! We discuss the third and final novel in her Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age series. It’s entitled Counterfeit Faith, deals with the Secret Service, and is set in Philadelphia. Crystal and I discuss this newest book (which releases on Tuesday, May 16), the theme of faith and doubt that plays a role in the novel, the 19th century opiate epidemic, houses of refuge, and how an unromantic person can write historical romance! Here’s a description of Counterfeit Faith: As matron of Final Chance House of Refuge, Gwendolyn Ellison has ded ..read more

In the midst of technological difficulties and scheduling snafus, I bring you a solo episode a mere 32 hours late. This is something I would only notice in a podcast I listen to daily, so if any of you missed me, I am beyond flattered and grateful. I’m also grateful for the latest review, which I forgot to mention two weeks in a row! What do I actually talk about in this episode? I share some surprising news about this season. There are only two more episodes left before I break for summer. I tell you about the interviews you still have to look forward to before that break. (You won’t want to ..read more

Laura Frantz came back on the show to talk about her latest novel, The Rose and the Thistle. Inspired by her own family history, Laura wrote this story set in the Scottish Lowlands during the Jacobite uprising of 1715. Laura is a Christy Award winner and the ECPA bestselling author of more than a dozen novels. More importantly, she’s a kind soul, and always a delight to have on the podcast! Here is a description of the novel from Revell: Amid the Jacobite uprising in 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley’s father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies. Forced to flee ..read more

Kim Vogel Sawyer is known for writing “gentle stories of hope.” Her latest novel, The Tapestry of Grace, is a perfect example of that legacy. On this episode, we discuss this novel and Kim’s use of her own Mennonite background in her characters, why she was compelled to include orphaned children in her story, and the historical details she incorporated (including how her characters brewed coffee in 1895!). Here’s a description of The Tapestry of Grace from Kim’s website: When a group of Kansas women start a Frauenverein, a benevolent society devoted to aiding widows and orphans, life ch ..read more

Karen Heenan’s novel Coming Apart released in October, but the sequel, Coming Closer, is out next week! These books, set during the Great Depression, portray family relationships with such beautiful, raw honesty. They’re also set in my home state of Pennsylvania, which adds to the appeal for me. However, any reader of historical fiction will find them fascinating. Listen to my conversation with Karen to learn more! Here’s the description of Coming Apart: No one knows you like a sister. Ava has always been poor, so she doesn’t think the Great Depression will change anything. But when her mothe ..read more

Jaime Jo Wright is the queen of all things macabre in the Christian Historical Fiction world. Her latest book, The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, is no exception. It’s set at a mysterious castle–which takes on a life of its own—in the midwestern United States. In this episode, Jaime and I discuss why she writes dark stories and how she brings redemption into them. Here’s a description of the book from Bethany House: In 1865, orphaned Daisy Francois takes a housemaid position and finds that the eccentric Gothic authoress inside hides a story more harrowing than those in her novels. Centuries la ..read more

Brian C. Johnson honors the struggles and accomplishments of the ordinary citizens who launched the Civil Rights Movement by committing himself to the advancement of multicultural and inclusive education. On the show today, he shares his foray into writing historical fiction in his slave narrative Send Judah First, which was inspired when he took his students on an educational trip to Belle Grove Plantation. One of the park rangers at the plantation shared about an enslaved woman named Judah. Only two documents prove Judah ever lived, so Brian decided to tell her story. Purchase Send Jud ..read more

Jen Turano has been called one of the funniest voices in the inspirational genre. She’s a USA Today bestselling author of historical romantic comedies, set during the Gilded Age. They usually revolve around the New York Four Hundred. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, listen to the episode! We discuss the Four Hundred, as well as Jen’s latest novel, A Match in the Making, how she uses real historical figures in her novels (carefully), and the value of walking the trail with her rescue dog. Here’s a description of A Match in the Making from Bethany House: When Gwendolyn Brinley accepted ..read more

Listen to the 100th episode of Historical Fiction: Unpacked! Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to enter a celebratory giveaway! This episode features Jocelyn Green’s twentieth book, The Metropolitan Affair. Jocelyn and I talked about Egyptology, forgery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the roaring twenties setting of her latest novel. Here’s a description from Bethany House: With a notorious forger preying on New York’s high society, Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Lauren Westlake is just the expert needed to track down the criminal. As she and Detective Joe Caravello search for ..read more