I receive remarkable questions from students and readers—about stories, history, the process of writing, and all those dark, unexplored crevices in history. It never ceases to amaze me how inquisitive young minds can be. I learn so much for what I’m asked to consider or rethink, so whether you’re a young reader or not, ask away… Submit a question!

Q: As a writer, what would be your ideal vacation?

I love how open-ended this question is! My ideal vacation would be to The Shire. Yes, the same Shire...

Appalachian Trail
Women & Girls: Mildred Lissette Norman Ryder

From an “upbringing…rich in non-denominational ethics of morality and peace”, to flapper, to wife, MILDRED LISSETTE NORMAN RYDER, a.k.a....

Q: How and what gardening research was needed for The Isle of Devils?

Plants are plants, right? That’s what I thought when I started researching what seeds or medicinal herbs would have...

Women & Girls: Gertrude Jekyll

GERTRUDE JEKYLL was a British horticulturist, garden designer, craftswoman, photographer, writer, and artist. She is best known as a...

Q: How do you find inspiration?

I have a feeling I may be answering this for a very long time, as there are many ways...

Q: What genre would you write if you weren’t writing historical fiction?

Horror. No doubt about it. Don’t even have to think about it. My go-to for pleasure reading is horror....