photo by
Mary Noble Ours
Interested in particular eras of history? Me too! You'll see on the timeline above that I have multiple titles for some time periods. And a series for characters who seemed to especially captivate readers' hearts. Other novels came about because I saw a big "hole in coverage"—hidden history, people and events entirely forgotten or little discussed.
WORLD WAR II (1944-1945) A “trilogy” about Henry Forester, a downed B-24 pilot saved by the French Resistance, inspired by the experiences of my father and other aircrews and the brave civilians who risked all to help them. Henry’s saga of escape, redemption, and self-redefinition begins with UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY and continues with its sequel A TROUBLED PEACE , set in post-liberation France where Henry returns to look for those who saved him. Readers’ continuing questions and fondness for the characters prompted me to also add a companion narrative, ACROSS A WAR-TOSSED SEA, the story of Henry’s hometown girl and two young British evacuees seeking safety for the duration with her family.
A fourth WWII novel was spawned from “saving string”—holding onto a surprising discovery when researching Henry’s trilogy that just didn’t fit into already jam-packed plots: LOUISA JUNE AND THE NAZIS IN THE WAVES, a portrait about a young teen dealing with the little known but deadly Nazi U-boat attacks along the Virginia coastline, trying to help herself and her family survive sudden loss and unexpected dangers.
Surviving the often heartbreaking challenges of the Great Depression so steeled the young men and women who fought in WWII. I was honored to encapsulate that formative resiliency in BEA AND THE NEW DEAL HORSE, set on a Virginia horse-farm during the devastating drought of 1932. A young teen and a formidable older trainer try to prep a volatile jumper for a horse show, where winning could help save the drought-stricken farm.
THE COLD WAR (1954-1973) Three docu-novels exploring fraught political decades and the dangers of disinformation, polarization, and censorship. SUSPECT RED (1953-54 McCarthyism); WALLS (1960-61 Berlin when the infamous Wall goes up) and TRUTH, LIES, AND THE QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN (1973's shocking Watergate hearings and the simultaneous battle for the Equal Rights Amendment). These “docu-novels” are nonfiction/fiction hybrids. Each chapter begins with images of that month’s factual news events that then affect characters’ thoughts and actions. The unique format provides an evocative synopsis of a pivotal year in American history and allowing readers to experience information simultaneously with the characters. All three works feature characters from opposite sides of the political spectrum, learning to trust and care about one another—despite what they’ve been fed to believe—before it’s too late in a personal crisis they face that mirrors the nation’s overarching upheaval.
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (1774-1778) has always fascinated and amazed me. I have two titles: GIVE ME LIBERTY , a look at the earliest moments of the Revolution through a young fifer in the 2nd VA Regiment, and his best friend, a runaway slave who must seek his freedom with the British, joining the Royal Ethiopian at the Battle of Great Bridge. Plus, HAMILTON AND PEGGY! A REVOLUTIONARY FRIENDSHIP, a biographical novel about the whip-smart, “wicked wit” Peggy, the youngest of the Schuyler Sisters made famous by the musical Hamilton, whose rather stunning story SO deserves its own telling.
Check out the timeline for single works delving into other phenomenal historic moments like the Italian Renaissance. I particularly LOVED exploring the Italian Renaissance through the young poetess in Leonardo's first portrait, the only work by da Vinci in all the Americas! Check on the covers to learn more about each.
