History Through Fiction - The Podcast

In the final episode of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction, Colin Mustful, chats with Lauren Belfer, author of the novel Ashton Hall. During the interview, Belfer talks about how we go about rediscovering the past, using authentic historical details to create and maintain trust with her readers, and the challenges and importance of writing a neurodivergent character. Don't miss it!

In episode 13 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction, Colin Mustful, chats with Nicola Matthews, author of the novel Kitty Canham. During the interview, Matthews talks about the local lore of the real Kitty Canham, the rhythm of the seasons she experiences living in North Essex, and her journey from theater acting to fiction writing in her forties. She also talks about the challenges of overcoming dyslexia to become a successful fiction novelist. Don't miss it!

In episode 12 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction, Colin Mustful, chats with Robert Bruton, author of the Double Edged Sword Series: Empire Resurgent, Empire in Apocalypse, and Empire in Twilight. During the interview, Bruton talks about the life of Byzantine Military Commander Belisarius, the reason he writes fiction instead of nonfiction, and how 6th century history relates to us today. Don't miss it!

In episode 11 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction, Colin Mustful, chats with Stephanie Landsem, author of the novel Code Name Edelweiss. During the interview, Landsem talks about the rise of facism in the 1930s, the life and heroism of Leon Lewis, and the way she defines success as an author. Don't miss it!

In episode 10 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful chats with David Tory, author of the Stanfield Chronicles: Exploration and Retribution. During the interview, Tory talks about the English Separatists of the 16th and 17th centuries and why they came to the “New World.” He also talks about his career as a computer engineer and philanthropist, his thirty years of sailing off the eastern shore of the U.S., and the challenges of narrating his own books. Don't miss it!

In episode 9 of our Author Spotlight series, Founder and Editor of History Through Fiction, Colin Mustful, chats with Chaya Rochel Zimmerman, author of the novel The Next Pair of Shoes. During the interview, Zimmerman talks about her grandparents and their escape from the Pogroms in Poland, the challenges for today's Jewish Orthodox community, and the meaning of communal self-reflection. Don't miss it!

In episode 8 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful chats with our very own Patricia Bernstein, author of the novel A Noble Cunning. During the interview, Bernstein talks about the history of Catholic persecution in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, her transition from writing nonfiction to fiction, and her route to publication. Don't miss it!

In episode 7 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful chats with Edie Cay, author of A Viscount's Vengeance. During the interview, Cay talks about her decision to write regency romances, some of the famous female boxers that have inspired her stories, her route to indie publishing, and the author marketing collective she belongs to, Paper Lantern Writers. Don't miss it!

In episode 6 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful chats with Wanda M. Morris, author of Anywhere You Run. During the interview, Morris talks about the historical background of the novel, her decision to alternate between third and first-person points of view, using her writing to highlight important civil rights issues, and the Spotify playlist she created for the novel. Don't miss it!

In episode 5 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful chats with Gail S. Fraser, author of the novel Song for the Widowmaker. During the interview, Fraser talks about the history of jute spinning, the value of fiction to fill in historical gaps, travel research she did for the novel, and the way she incorporated authentic music into the story. Don't miss it! 

In episode 4 of our Author Spotlight Series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful chats with Ciera Horton McElroy, author of the novel Atomic Family. During the interview, McElroy talks about her process of revising first drafts, how her own family history relates to her new novel, and the connections that the Cold War era has with political and social issues of today. Don't miss it! 

In episode 3 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful chats with Joanna Politano, author of the novel The Lost Melody. During the interview, Joanna talks about the science behind music therapy, the asylum system during the Victorian era, and where she gets the ideas for her novels. Don't miss it!

In episode 2 of our Author Spotlight podcast series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful chats with Alina Rubin, author of the novel A Girl With A Knife. During the interview, Alina talks about her inspiration to begin writing after years of working in IT, the historical women who inspired her main character Ella Parker, and some important advice she received from an editor that helped propel her forward. Don't miss it!

In episode 1 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction chats with Elan Barnehama, author of the novel Escape Route. During the interview, Barnehama talks about the influence Bob Dylan's music had on him in his youth, the importance of breaking the cycle of generational trauma, and what it truly means to be a New Yorker. Don't miss it! 

History Through Fiction is proud to announce our upcoming podcast series “Author Spotlight”, featuring fourteen new interviews with historical novelists talking about their books, their craft, and their journeys to publication. New episodes will be released weekly beginning Monday, January 16. 

In our final episode of Season 3, host Colin Mustful chats with Addison Armstrong about her new novel The War Librarian. During the conversation, Armstrong talks about her love of words and reading, the challenges of writing a dual timeline narrative, and the inspiration she receives from her sister who is studying professional aviation at Auburn University. She also talks about the history of war librarians during WWI and the strange irony of the U.S. government's effort to censor books while at same time promoting them. Don't miss it! 

In Season 3, Episode 14 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Elizabeth Churchill, author of the novel Desolation of the Wicked City. During the conversation, Churchill talks about the history of piracy in Jamaica, the challenges of being a lawyer and fiction writer, and the process of starting her own press, Baroness Publishing. Finally, she inspires listeners by talking about how to handle rejection while making your own path to success. Don't miss it! Seriously, it's very uplifting. 

In Season 3, Episode 13 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Eileen Brill, author of the novel A Letter in the Wall. During the conversation, Brill talks about the letter she found the wall of her home that inspired this story. She also talks about the research she did to learn more about the women who write the letter, how she creates relatable, complex characters, and her experience publishing the novel with a hybrid press. Don't miss it!  

In Season 3, Episode 12 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Taylor Brown, author of Wingwalkers. During the conversation, Brown talks about the unique tidbit of information in William Faulkner's biography that inspired him to write this story. He also talks about the history of Barnstorming, his long and precarious road to success as an author, and his own background in aviation. Don't miss it!  

In Season 3, Episode 11 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Liza Nash Taylor, author of the novel In All Good Faith. During the conversation, Taylor talks about using her home at Keswick farm as a prominent setting for her novels. She also talks about the history of candy making (yum!), her background in the fashion industry, and the transition to writing fiction after becoming an empty-nester. Don't miss it! 

In Season 3, Episode 10 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Alina Adams, author of My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region. During the conversation, Adams talks about basing the novel on the family stories she heard growing up as an immigrant from the Soviet Union. She also talks about the history of the Jewish Autonomous Region, her experience leaving the Soviet Union at age 7, and the decision to publish her book with History Through Fiction, a micro-press, instead of one of the Big 5. Don't miss it!  

In Season 3, Episode 9 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Michael X. Wang about his new novel Lost in the Long March. During the conversation, Wang talks about leaving medical school to pursue being a writer, the Communist propaganda he discovered that led him to research Mao's Long March, and the advantage of using fiction to give readers a fuller view of history. Don't miss it! 

In Season 3, Episode 8 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Roberta Seret about her new three part historical novel series Transylvania Trilogy. During the conversation, Seret talks about creating a hybrid voice that combines history and fiction, the history of Romania and how it became a part of the European Union and NATO, and about Romania's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine War. Finally, she talks about her love of film and the value of combining art, politics, and history on the screen. Don't miss it! 

In Season 3, Episode 7 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, guest host and HTF author Alina Adams chats with L. Bordetsky-Williams, author of Forget Russia. During the conversation, Adams and Bordetsky-Williams talk candidly about their families' histories in Soviet Russia and the improbable notion of returning to the Soviet Union from America. They also talk about their thoughts on cultural appropriation, Jewish identity in Russia, and the reasons Bordetsky-Williams choose fiction instead of nonfiction to tell her family's story. It is a great conversation and you don't want to miss it!

In Season 3, Episode 6 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Alena Dillon about her new novel Eyes Turned Skyward. During the conversation, Dillon talks about the Women Airforce Service Pilots or W.A.S.P. program, the decade-long process of revising the novel, her long and uncertain path to publication, her transition from nonfiction to fiction, and the perseverance that led her to where she is today. Dillon also talks about high standards that female characters have been held to, but that are now changing to include flawed and fully-human female protagonists. Don't miss it! 

In Season 3, Episode 5 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Julie Janson about her newly republished novel Benevolence. In this conversation, Janson talks about a lot of important topics related to Indigenous land rights and history in Australia. As a Burruberongal woman of the Darug Aboriginal Nation she talks about growing up in the Australian Bush and learning about her family history. Finally, she provides readers a list of other Indigenous Australian writers she recommends. Don't miss it!  

In Season 3, Episode 4 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Judith F. Brenner about her new novel The Moments Between Dreams. During the conversation, Brenner talks about the challenges faced by her characters who must overcome Polio and Intimate Partner Violence. Brenner also talks about her decision to set the novel in post-WWII Chicago and her experience publishing with Greanleaf Book Group. While the novel was published in May, the interview with Brenner is being published in October because it is Polio Awareness Month and National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Please follow the links to learn more.  

In Season 3, Episode 3 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Georgie Blalock, author of The Indiscreet Princess. During the conversation, Blalock talks about Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victorian and the main character of her novel, and her struggle to pursue her passion as an artist. Blalock also talks about going from screenwriting to narrative fiction, the discipline required to meet deadlines as an author, and the routines that get her maintain her discipline. Don't miss it!

In Season 3, Episode 2 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with K.M. Butler, author of the historical Viking Normandy novel The Raven and the Dove. During the conversation, Butler talks about the Norse settlement of Francia during the late 9th century which is the setting featured in his novel. He also talks about the opening scenes of his novel, his fascination with transitional moments in history, and the important lessons history has for us today. Finally, Butler shares his insight about the publishing process. Don't miss it!

In Season 3, Episode 1 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Yvette Manessis Corporon, author of the novel Where the Wandering Ends. During the conversation, Corporon, whose family descends from Greece, talks about the history of the Greek Civil War, the heroism of Queen Frederica, and the beautiful Greek of Corfu that acts as the setting of her novel. Finally, she talks about the years of rejection she faced before finding success as a historical novelist. Don't miss it!

We're so excited for Season 3 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, we made a teaser! Season 3 features fifteen episodes with historical novelists who'll be talking about their books and their craft. A new episode will be released every Monday beginning September 12, 2022. The teaser includes one quote from each of the fifteen authors. Check it out and don't forget to subscribe for alerts about each new episode!

History Through Fiction is proud to announce that season 3 of our podcast is kicking off on Monday, September 12! Hosted by founder and editor Colin Mustful, season 3 includes fifteen episodes released weekly. Each episode features a historical novelist who will be talking about the craft of weaving elements of history and fiction to create engaging and enlightening stories. Notable interviews include International Best-Selling author and Emmy Award winning producer Yvette Manessis Corporon, winner of the Montana Prize in Fiction Taylor Brown, and Burruberongal writer from the Darug Aboriginal Nation Julie Janson. The podcast also features an interview with History Through Fiction's own New York Times bestselling author, Alina Adams whose Soviet-Jewish historical novel, My Mother's Secret, comes out November 15.

This special bonus episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Allegra O'Neill and Katie Wilson, 2 of the 3 co-founders of Simily, a self-publishing platform that elevates creative writing. In this special episode, host Colin Mustful chats with the two co-founders about their groundbreaking online platform that connects writers with readers, democratizes the way stories gets seen, and pays writers for each unique view of their work. The co-founders also talk about the community-oriented features of the platform and their goals to make Simily the place to go for a personalized reading experience. If you're a reader or a writer you don't want to miss this episode!

In this special bonus episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, HTF intern Reina Markert talks with Sheila O'Connor about her novel Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions. Called an ambitious blend of fact and fiction, Evidence of V explores history of incarcerating young girls for the crime of “sexual immorality”, something that happened to the author's maternal grandmother at the age of 15. In the episode, host Reina Markert talks with O'Connor about some of the obstacles to her research, the challenge of being an author, character, and narrator, and the importance of starting conversations about incarceration and the criminal justice system. Don't miss it!

Time for another Bonus Episode! This special episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Adele Myers, debut author of The Tobacco Wives. Called "a beautifully rendered portrait of a young woman finding her courage and her voice” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Wingate, The Tobacco Wives is a coming-of-age novel set among the tobacco fields of North Carolina that sheds light on the hidden history of the tobacco industry. We chat with Myers about her background in advertising, the long and uncertain publishing process, and the important lessons her story has for readers today. Don't miss it!

Time for a Bonus Episode! This special bonus episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Marlie Wasserman, author of The Murderess Must Die. Host Colin Mustful talks with Wasserman, a debut novelist, about her choice to tell the story of Martha Place, the first women executed by the electric chair. Wasserman also talks about the yellow journalism that plagued media coverage in the late 1890s, and she reflects on how she brought her characters to life using an up close and personal writing style. Don't miss it!

Season 2 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast is coming to end, but we have one more interview for your listening pleasure! Episode eleven features Rachel McMillan, author of numerous books and novels including The London Restoration and her upcoming The Mozart Code. In this episode we talk with McMillan about her love of historical fiction, what architecture can teach us about the past, and the way the aftermath of war shapes us and our relationships. McMillan also tells us about the responsibility she has to be upfront about the differences between history and fiction. She also considers issues of appropriation by asking herself the questions, “Is it valid that I am telling this viewpoint? Is it right for me to tell this viewpoint? Am I the best person to tell this viewpoint?” Don't miss this fantastic conversation!

We're ready for episode ten, are you? History Through Fiction: The Podcast continues with Amy Belding Brown, author of Emily's House, a novel about Emily Dickinson's longtime maid, Irish immigrant Margaret Maher, whose bond with the poet ensured Dickinson's work would live on. In this episode we chat with Brown about her choice to write a story about Margaret Maher rather than Emily Dickison. We also learn about Brown's writing process in order to discover her character's voices, and about the teacher that influenced Brown to become an author. Check it out!

Moving on to episode nine in Season 2 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast. This episode features writer, professor, scholar, and interpreter Julieta Almeida Rodrigues, author of the Eleonora and Joseph: Passion, Tragedy, and Revolution in the Age of Enlightenment. In this episode we chat with Rodrigues about using fiction to go beyond facts, the role women play in revolutions, and the connection that the past has to today. As Rodrigues states, just like they did during The Enlightenment, “we want to be equal, we want to be fraternal, we want to have solidarity. We might not achieve it, but I think it's the goal of this century.” Don't miss this fun, wide-ranging conversation!

It's time for episode eight in Season 2 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast. This episode features Mark Sullivan, author of the World War II historical novels Beneath a Scarlet Sky and The Last Green Valley. During our insightful conversation with the author, we chat about The Long Trek faced by Black Sea Germans during WWII, an event that is the centerpiece of his newest novel. We also talk to Sullivan about his background as an investigative journalist, how he uses travel to fill gaps in his research, and the value historical fiction has by bringing history to life. Don't miss out on this fantastic insight from bestselling author Mark Sullivan!

Season 2 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast continues with special guest Lindsey Fera, author of the just released historical novel Muskets and Minuets. A debut novel by Fera, Muskets and Minuets tells the story of Annalisa Howlett who masquerades as a man to join the colonial rebellion against the British. In this interview with the author, Fera talks about the rich history of her New England home, the challenge of portraying the mindsets of historical characters, and she shares a little bit of her perspective working as a nurse during the bleakest periods of the Covid-19 pandemic. Don't miss this fascinating conversation!

On to episode 6 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast. This week we feature Mally Becker, author of the Revolutionary War-era novel The Turncoat's Widow. In this episode, we talk with Becker about the volunteer role at the Morristown National Historical Park that helped her uncover some surprising information and inspired her to write The Turncoat's Widow. We also talk about how she wrote a female protagonist in a male dominated society, what she discovered about George Washington, and her path to publication with Level Best Books. Put in your earbuds, sit back, and enjoy!

Next up on History Through Fiction: The Podcast is our very own Ron Blumenfeld, author of the historical mystery novel The King's Anatomist: The Journey of Andreas Vesalius. In this episode we talk with Blumenfeld about the biography of Andreas Vesalius that sat on his shelves for fifty years before it finally inspired him to write his debut novel. We also chat about the challenges of studying anatomy during and before the Renaissance, the magnificent works of art included Blumenfeld's novel, and about the risks and obstacles encountered by travelers in 16th century Europe. It was a fun, informative conversation and we think you'll enjoy it!

This week History Through Fiction: The Podcast keeps rolling with Sadeqa Johnson, author of Yellow Wife. Named an O, the Oprah Magazine and SheReads, Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books of 2021 Pick, Yellow Wife tells the story of Lumpkin's Slave Jail as seen through the eyes of Pheby Delores Brown. In our conversation with Johnson, we chat about the moment that inspired her to tell this story, the importance of reading to inform your writing, and her secret to getting to know her characters on a deeper level. It's a great conversation and you don't want to miss it!

Episode 3 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features historian Christopher D. Stanley, author of the historical novel trilogy A Slave's Story. We chat with Stanley about his travel research through the Greco-Roman world, the life of a slave in ancient Rome, and the differences between sharing history through fiction and nonfiction. We also talk with Stanley about the importance of history and how historical fiction can make history relatable to us today. As Stanley says, “a good historical novel can make us also ask us questions about our own world?”

Next up on History Through Fiction: The Podcast is Stephanie Landsem, author of the stunning 1930s-era novel In a Far-Off Land. In this episode we talk with Landsem about some of the important social issues raised by her novel such as women's rights and Mexican repatriation. Landsem also talks about the joy in watching old films to research 1930s Hollywood, the birth of celebrity, and her unique way of recreating the biblical parable of The Prodigal Son. You won't want to miss this episode, it's the cat's pajamas!  

Leading off Season 2 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast is Sarah Penner, author of the New York Times Bestseller The Lost Apothecary. In this episode we chat with Penner about the incredible success of her debut novel and her experience transitioning from being a writer who works full-time to being a full-time writer. We also chat with her about overcoming rejection, the importance of portraying women's stories, and her role encouraging writers who are not as far along in the process. As she states, “I think it's important for people to know that these dreams are not inaccessible to them.” Don't miss it!

After a fantastic first season, History Through Fiction is proud to announce that season 2 kicks off on Monday, September 13! Hosted by founder and editor Colin Mustful, season includes eleven episodes released weekly. Each episode features a historical novelist who will be talking about the craft of weaving elements of history and fiction to create engaging and enlightening stories. Notable interviews include New York Times bestselling author Sarah Penner and author of the bestselling novel Beneath a Scarlet Sky, Mark Sullivan. The podcast also features an interview with History Through Fiction's own author, Ron Blumenfeld whose historical mystery novel, The King's Anatomist, comes out October 12.

In this bonus episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, we step away from elements of writing to talk with Oanh Jordan, the founder of Tiny Triumph Co., about elements of marketing—relationship marketing. Jordan, who operates her own literary marketing consulting firm, talks with host Colin Mustful about how she went from being an engineer to helping authors discover and design purpose-driven marketing strategies. She also talks about using social media to reach a larger audience and what the book industry will look like in the post-pandemic world. If you're an author with an upcoming or published book, don't miss this insightful interview!

Bonus Episode! In the first-ever bonus episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast we bring you publisher, entrepreneur, and book lover, Sue Arroyo. Unlike our usual episodes, we break away from the craft of historical fiction to take an insider look at publishing. Founder of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful talks with the Arroyo, the founder of CamCat Books, about her long and challenging path to publishing, the importance of establishing an author platform, and the joy in finding what she calls “books to live in.”

In our final episode of season one, host Colin Mustful talks with novelist, memoirist, playwright, and screenwriter Dale Swanson. Author the historical novels The Thirty-Ninth Man and Tears of Sorrow, Swanson discusses the intricacies of his research, the process of working with an editor to cut 80,000 words from his manuscript, and his goal of inspiring readers toward forgiving but never forgetting. You don't want to miss it!