All meetings (except the January 26th date) take place at:
The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, 4014 N Goldwater Blvd #101, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
2-4 pm
September 29 Ann Griffin: On writing Another Ocean to Cross, research, photographs and building a compelling story. “This book is a page-turner till the very end, resonant with deeper questions than most books of historical fiction.”—M. Spence
October 27 Tasha Alexander and Charles Todd: The Poisoned Pen’s interview with these outstanding HF authors. We will “piggyback” our meeting to take advantage of their timely visit. Tasha writes Victorian/Edwardian mysteries. Charles Todd (actually a mother/son writing duo) write a WWI nurse in the post war period. Excellent writers and speakers.
November 17 Jessica McCann: On her experiences going from traditional small press publishing to self-publishing. Her thought process, the pros and cons of each path and the elements that tipped the scales for her. Her latest book is Peculiar Savage Beauty, set in dustbowl Kansas. “By placing a recognizable protagonist in an almost unimaginable setting–a land under attack and a people uprooted—McCann has crafted an unforgettable novel.” ~ Booklist
Dec 8 Poisoned Pen Historical Fiction Holiday Party with Egyptian Christmas Cookies and more. Laurie King and Leslie Klinger with their new release For the Sake of the Game, Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon and Dana Stabenow with her release Death of an Eye, the first of her Eye of Isis series set in the reign of Cleopatra
January 26 Cynthia Kiefer: Genealogy Resources for Historical Fiction Writers. Back with a new talk by popular demand. We will meet at Cynthia’s house not the Pen. Email Judith for directions.
Genealogy resources can provide rich story world detail for the historical fiction writer seeking to create believable settings, distinct character voices, and events situated in a specific time and place. These resources offer an incredible wealth of historical information focused on the experience of actual people, especially those who immigrated to America after the Revolution. While the information available in these resources is still largely Euro-centric, the diversity is improving. Cynthia will present specific examples of resources and content historical fiction writers can use to create everyday life worlds around their characters. Please come prepared to share examples of genealogy resources you have found useful in your own historical fiction research.
Feb 9 Editing your manuscript. Experienced free-lance editor Jamie Wyman will show how to identify and fix those pesky problems that writers tend to leave in despite their best efforts