Hanging Out with Jayne Castel

Hey everybody, I'm hanging out at Jayne Castel's blog today, where she's been kind enough to have me over for a guest post. She writes her own novels in a similar historical era as my own. So if you're interested, head on over and check it out, thanks!

American's First Daughter Release!

From her earliest days, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France. And it is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that she learns of her father’s liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age.

Patsy too has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé, William Short, a staunch abolitionist intent on a career in Europe. Heartbroken at having to decide between being William’s wife or a devoted daughter, she returns to Virginia with her father and marries a man of his choosing, raising eleven children of her own.

Yet as family secrets come to light during her father’s presidency, Patsy must again decide how much she will sacrifice to protect his reputation, in the process defining not just Jefferson’s political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.

Order here:

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STEPHANIE DRAY is an award-winning, bestselling and two-time RITA award nominated author of historical women’s fiction. Her critically acclaimed series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into more than six different languages and won the Golden Leaf. Her focus on Ptolemaic Egypt and Augustan Age Rome has given her a unique perspective on the consequences of Egypt’s ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion. She’s also fascinated by the founding of the American Republic and its roots in ancient Rome. It’s her mission to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today.

About Laura Kamoie:

Laura Kamoie has always been fascinated by the people, stories, and physical presence of the past, which led her to a lifetime of historical and archaeological study and training. She holds a doctoral degree in early American history from The College of William and Mary, published two non-fiction books on early America, and most recently held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction as the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty books, Laura Kaye. Her debut historical novel, America's First Daughter, co-authored with StephanieDray, allowed her the exciting opportunity to combine her love of history with her passion for storytelling. Laura lives among the colonial charm of Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two daughters.

Website |Newsletter | Facebook |Twitter | AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER Website

Women Warriors!

Hey, everyone. I'm hanging out over at the English Historical Fiction Author's blog today, where I've posted my latest article as part of their awesome group! It's my second post with the EHFA, and it deals with the history of women warriors. Rah!

Hope you enjoy it! Go check it out:)

San Francisco Writer's Conference 2016!

Whew! I had a great time speaking for the second year in a row at the annual San Francisco Writer's Conference at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. It was especially fun for me because so many people remembered me from last year, and I got to chat with speakers that I used to listen to when I first visited the conference as an attendee years ago.

One of the highlights was when I got to talk about my upcoming book, and how Between Two Fires comes out with St. Martin's Press this August. I got an ovation from my audience of a few hundred, which doesn't happen every day, so that was pretty cool to say the least. It was fun not only to see the interest in my novel, but to see how it inspired other authors to keep pursuing their own writing dreams.

In the pics seen here, I'm the dude two people to the left of the podium. We got to kick off the conference with opening remarks to all attendees, which was pretty fun. I look forward to and hope to speak next year, when I can actually hold up my book in my hands.

Speaking at SFWC Next Week!

Next Friday, I'll be speaking at the San Francisco Writer's Conference for the second year in a row! I'm pretty stoked to get to speak at the very same conference I first attended as a slightly wet-behind-the-ears writer several years ago.

The event will be held at the Mark Hopkin's hotel, and I'll get to address a few hundred budding authors all spending the weekend in San Francisco in order to learn more about their craft. It's also a fun place to connect with fellow book-lovers. Last year I remember telling them about the new book deal I had just signed and this year I get to tell them about my new novel coming out in August! How cool is that?

After speaking at my high school last month and prepping for my speech this month at the SFWC, I'm starting to get more and more comfortable talking to large groups about my work.

What are some great author talks you've attended in the past? What words of wisdom have other authors said that really stuck with you?   

At Misha's Blog Today

Hi, everyone!

I'm over at Misha Gericke's blog today where she's chatting about my book, Between Two Fires, which comes out August 23!

Check it out and let me know what you think, thanks!

Spoke at My Old High School

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at my old high school again, this year telling students all about my new upcoming book! I was genuinely surprised by how interested my audience was in writing and they wanted not only to learn all about my novel, but also how they could make careers in writing themselves. Man, was high school always this cool?

I may not be exactly be longing for my teen years again, but I've got to admit that it was pretty fun to interact with students and share our thoughts on writing and art in general. I've also gotten pretty comfortable talking about my book in front of groups, which helps since I'll be speaking to an audience of several hundred people in a couple weeks at the upcoming San Francisco Writer's Conference.

So how's your February going? Any fond writing or reading-related memories from your school days come to mind?