Blog

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

My daughter asked for a story with a female hero. After Harriet Tubman and Hidden Figures, I turned to older, scholarly books that weren't intended for mass consumption. Dona Beatriz always intrigued me because I'd never heard anything about her before or after one professor brought her up in a class, and she was a definite badass. So she was up next with a few following her since. The story just kept getting longer with each retelling, and here we are.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be? (Meant to be fun. Skip if you need to!)

Beatriz: Ambitions az a Ridah by Tupac Shakur [thinking about it as a wrestling entrance theme]

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

History is my favorite to read, while Historical Fiction is my favorite to write.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

All We Say: A History in 15 Speeches by Ben Rhodes and Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality by Tomiko Brown-Nagin.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

A pair of dance scenes I won't say more about.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I love writing at 2am when everybody else is knocked out, despite what it does to my next day.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

I wish I did. My life is a freestyle; I'm making it up as I go along.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Lukango, of course.

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

The book began with a simple question: what happens when a child experiences a traumatic event that she is too young to understand, but never truly escapes?

From there, the story grew into an exploration of memory, identity, and the ways people reinvent themselves in order to survive. I was interested in how the same life can look completely different depending on who is telling the story, which is why the novel is structured as a series of interconnected viewpoints rather than a traditional linear narrative.

At its heart, "The Book of Revelations" is about the stories we tell ourselves to endure loss, guilt, loneliness, and love—and what happens when those stories begin to break down.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be? (Meant to be fun. Skip if you need to!)

For Nan, it has always been "Doll Parts" by Hole. The song wasn't written in the era of the novel, but emotionally it captures something essential about her vulnerability, longing, and fractured sense of self. Most of the other characters are harder to answer without giving away too much. Their stories are often built around revelations that I would rather let readers discover for themselves.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Literary fiction is my first love, particularly novels that explore psychology, memory, identity, and human relationships. Writers like Don DeLillo, Paul Auster, Joyce Carol Oates, and Stephen Vincent Benét have all influenced me in different ways. That said, I also enjoy mysteries, history, biography, sports writing, and humor. Good storytelling transcends genre.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

"Falling Man" and "The Body Artist" by Don DeLillo, "Intuition" by K.T. Carlisle, "Starr Bright Will Be With You Soon," by Joyce Carol Oates writing as Rosamond Smith.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The 1965 Indianapolis sections were probably the most enjoyable because I loved researching the period and recreating a vanished world down to the smallest details. The ending, however, was the most emotionally satisfying to write. It felt like arriving at a destination I\'d been moving toward for a very long time.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

No lucky charm, no special ritual. Give me some white noise from the television and a can of Diet Coke and I'm ready to work.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

If you tell me something can't be done, you're probably right—you can't do it.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

That survival is possible. Not because trauma disappears, and not because the past stops mattering, but because people can find strength, hope, and healing in one another. If the book has a central belief, it's that love does not erase suffering—but it can help carry it.

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

Failure, really. In the distant past, I wrote short stories for women’s magazines, and then after a break I tried full length fiction again. I wrote some fairly mediocre contemporary romances and attempted a series set in the mid 20th century, so almost historical, but I failed almost in every sense, and those books became the secrets I hardly ever mention.

But the desire to write was still there.

Then I realised that mostly American writers dominated the historical romance market even when the setting was English, and I decided I must, if nothing else, be able to bring as much authenticity if not more, to such writing, because I am English and it’s my history – I refer to the sprinkling of genuine historical facts in my books – all researched carefully, and all providing greater depth.

Just over five years ago, I hit on the idea of creating a series, starting in Victorian times and mostly set in England but with a few journeys abroad. A combination of Downton Abbey, The Forsyte Saga and Upstairs Downstairs but with romance at the very centre while not entirely skipping past the more grim parts of life and history.

And yes, it really has taken five years to bring The Earl's Daughter to the public.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I read very widely — Nicholas Sparks to Andy Maslan, Harlan Coben to Robert Harris, David Nicholls to Ian McEwan, Lisa Kleypas to Julia Quinn. The common thread, I think, is emotional intelligence. I’m drawn to books where the characters feel genuinely alive, whatever the genre. And that is also what I try to write.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Leaving Time – Jodi Picoult
The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield – Katherine Mansfield
The Secret Keeper – Kate Morton [Actually just started yesterday]

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Three scenes stay with me. One follows a moment of real danger and its aftermath — it allowed me to write something quite tender and funny. Another is a garden scene on Alice’s birthday, initially comic and ultimately heartbreaking. And the third I’ll leave firmly between the pages.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I’m a pantser — I write entirely without an outline, following the characters where they lead. Some writers find that alarming. I find the alternative impossible.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Be kind. It sounds simple. It isn’t always.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I’d love them to remember the Aucourte family. Then they’ll know who’s who when we get to future books, but I would like them to remember that England in the 1890s wasn’t so very different from now when it comes to matters of the heart.

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

This story is a sequel to my 2nd published novel - "T. H. Elkman". The story was originally a screenplay that won some award money, which helped me produce a Western TV pilot. Over the years, it has become a favorite with my readers, with many requests for a follow-up story.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be? (Meant to be fun. Skip if you need to!)

Elkman - Born under a Wanderin' Star McGredy - I'm Trouble (By Johnny Cash, I think...)

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Period Western & Adventure stories. I also enjoy writing in those genres and constantly am doing research for my stories.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Charles Goodnight biography
Robert Evans biography - The Kid stays in the Picture
Louis L'Amour - How the West was Won
Cowboys & Indians Magazine
True West Magazine
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Making of photo book
J. Frank Dobie - Can't remember which one…

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The gunfight in the middle, where McGredy was almost lynched and Elkman rides in to save the day.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I stand up while I write in a small, unfinished bathroom in the house. It's dark and filled with a lot of my cowboy and adventure gear. My wife asks why I don't write at my office desk, where there is a great view? I get up every morning at 5:30 am, so it's dark, and I couldn't see out the windows anyway.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

The key to writing is showing up to put the words on the page. Be selfish and steal the time, or it will be gone to something else.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Life is a journey to be enjoyed. The hardships and misfortunes are the mark of a well-lived life. Obstacles are the things you remember, look back on, and make you grow. My Western and Adventure stories are mostly tales of survival.