Jodi Daynard's Blog

PIPER G. HUGULEY makes her historical fiction debut in June 2022 with the publication of By Her Own Design: a novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register (William Morrow Publishing), who was the Black fashion designer of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress. She is also the author of Sweet Tea by Hallmark Publishing and the author of two historical romance series: “Migrations of the Heart”, about the Great Migration and “Home to Milford College. She blogs about the history behind her novels at http://piperhuguley.com and lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and son.

INTERVIEW

I’ll never forget how I first met you, Piper! It was at the 2018 Historical Novel Society convention outside of Washington, D.C., and you were in an elevator that stopped at my floor. In a very lovely manner, you began to introduce yourself and tell me that you had enjoyed my novels when the doors slammed shut! I figured out afterwards that you were Piper Huguley, author of several well-received Black historical romance novels. Since then, I’ve enjoyed following your rising star. And I’m so glad you agreed to be our June Author Spotlight at American Historical Novels. Welcome!

In the past, you’ve written both historical romance novels and contemporary romance. Can you explain to our curious members (me, included), how you’d define “historical romance”?

Historical romance is a story that ends with a Happily Ever After ending set at least 50 years in the past. Historical fiction can have a romance storyline, but may not have a Happily Ever After ending. There may not be equal viewpoints from the hero and heroine. As I see it, historical romance is one of several subgenres of historical fiction.

In your new novel, Ann Lowe’s life only really takes off after she dumps her no-account, controlling husband. How did you manage to go from writing love stories to a story that, if anything, presents a very good argument for not getting romantically involved?  

  I think a good historical story can still appeal, no matter what the story line happens to be.  That’s how I see my job as a historical writer—no matter what subgenre I choose to write my story in.

It’s fair to say that there are still a lot of Black women in history that have not come to light the way they deserve. Ann Lowe is definitely one. What attracted you to her story in particular?

She accomplished the impossible. Trying to be a successful author in an industry that has only recently seen the value of the lives of unsung Black women also seems impossible. I’ve consistently looked to events in the past and people in the past for role models in my own life. I saw potential in Ann Lowe’s story, and I think others will see that role model potential in her story.

The thing that impressed me most about By Her Own Design is your choice to let Ann Lowe tell the story. You created a voice for her, literally giving voice to someone who had not had one in the public sphere. How did you achieve the confidence to write this story in her own voice? What steps did you take to get there?

I’m a Black woman whose ancestors were enslaved just two counties over from where Ann Lowe came from. I’m a Zora Neale Hurston scholar.  Hurston was born in the same region and the same time as Ann Lowe. To be honest, I was born to write this story.

Your novel begins with arguably the most horrifying event in a life filled with horrifying events: The day, two weeks before Jackie Kennedy’s wedding, the pipes burst in Miss Lowe’s studio, ruining the wedding party dresses–including the bride’s. I feel like Lowe’s “make it work” moment after this catastrophe can be seen as a metaphor for the obstacles for Black women in this country faced, particularly but certainly not exclusively those women of her era. It also says something about their incredible perseverance. Do you agree, and can you speak a little about it?

Absolutely. One of the sayings Black women always say is that “We make a way out of no way.” Zora Neale Hurston said that “Black women are the mules of the world.” I believe that Ann Lowe understood these parts of her heritage and they all came together on one of the worst days of her life.

You have a scene in which Jackie apologizes to Ann for not mentioning her name in newspaper reports of her wedding, robbing Lowe of a potentially huge source of future clients and income. In your Author’s Note, you let your readers know that this scene was invented. When did it first come to light that Ann was in fact the designer of Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress? And did Jackie ever right this wrong in some way?

It was mentioned by one writer in the Washington Post after the wedding, but no one seemed to pick up on it, and the correct attribution was erased from history. Or maybe people knew that a Black woman designed one of the most photographed wedding gowns and they didn’t care. In the book, I reveal one way Jackie might have made up for her silence about Ann Lowe.

Turning now to some questions for our writing members:

Are you a pantser or an outliner?

Planster. I write a few chapters first and then outline the rest.

How many drafts do you tend to write before you’re satisfied?

A minimum of three.

What is your greatest challenge as a writer? I.e., do you have an “Achilles Heel”? If so, how do you manage to overcome it?

  Someone said that the pacing was slow in my first novel, and I’ve always been focused on trying to improve that aspect of my work.

A lot of our members will relate to the fact that it took you a while to break through as a writer, and that you originally self-published your work. How do you account for this breakthrough into mainstream publishing? Was it just your own perseverance, the changing climate for BIPOC writers, or some combination of the two?

A combination of both. There are people who were writing in 2014 with me who are not around anymore. And I’m happy that publishing is finally waking up and noticing the amazing work that BIPOC writers have been doing for years.

What are some things we wouldn’t know about you just by reading your work? I.e., are you a sports fan, Salsa dancer, secret Karaoke singer?

I’m a true crime aficionado and the nerdy daughter of two musical fashionistas, but I cannot sing a note.

What books are on your bedside table right now?

Sister, Mother, Warrior by Vanessa Riley and One True Wish by Trisha Thomas.

What’s next for you?

American Daughters, my next novel, is about the secret interracial friendship between Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt, the daughters of Booker T. Washington and Theodore Roosevelt, respectively.

The post American Historical Novels June Spotlight: Piper Huguley first appeared on Jodi Daynard.

Hi, Camille! Thanks so much for agreeing to be our March 2022 Author Spotlight. I know you a little bit because for a while we shared the same publisher. But can you tell our readers about yourself generally?

Hi! Thank you for having me. I live in coastal Virginia after having lived in San Antonio, San Francisco, Denver, and rural Pennsylvania. I’ve been married for twenty-four years and have four children, two of whom are grown and flown. And one rambunctious German shepherd puppy. After working in politics and real estate, I fulfilled my life-long dream of becoming an author. So I’m excited to visit with you about my sixth book, Until We Meet.

When did the writing bug first hit you? When did you know you wanted to be a writer? I know you were in real estate for a while, but I have a sneaking suspicion that you have always written.

I wrote short stories since as long as I can remember and my mom really encouraged me in that. But the writing bug hit me at age twelve when I was really bullied in school (Coke-bottle glasses, stringy hair, crooked teeth), and I’d spend recesses in the library. I read through nearly everything they had – Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, the Bobbsey Twins. Those authors really helped me escape my pain and I wanted to be like them one day.

For our readers who are interested in writing historical fiction, can you give us insight into your writing process?

Sure! I never set out to write historical fiction – I don’t think I could have even told you that it was a genre, though looking back, l see that it was a significant portion of what I read. But my first book, by the nature of what the story was, had to start in the 1930s, and I knew that I had to make it feel authentic. So I went online (often Wikipedia as a launching point), watched videos on You Tube, and I especially found it helpful to use Google Maps to “walk” streets. Obviously, lots had changed over the years, but that book was set in Liverpool and many of the buildings that were there in the 1930s are still around today.

I know one author who read two hundred books about her subject matter before writing her novel, but I cannot conceive of that!! Instead, I research as I go – I write until I need to look something up such as – What did telephones look like in 1955 and would they have had a party line? – and then I add what I find.

How did you manage to do all your research during Covid? Did your methods have to change because of Covid, and if so, how?

I have often been able to travel to the places I write about, so that definitely set me back. But since most of my research is Internet-heavy, it wasn’t too bad. In fact, I spent a great deal of Covid time researching my next historical fiction book, Come Fly With Me, for which I interviewed a lot of former Pan Am stewardesses from the 1960s. So that was actually easier because of Covid since they were all at home sheltering in place!

Did you find anything in your research that was particularly fascinating or that helped shape the novel?

I knew that I wanted my main characters to work in a real-life factory, not a fictional one. So I researched what was going on in and around Brooklyn during this era and I found out how significant the Brooklyn Navy Yard was. They were hiring women as more and more men went to war, so it was the perfect setting for my three female characters who were finding their place in the world.

In February 2020 – just before the world changed so much – I was in Honolulu as part of a family Pacific cruise and we toured the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor. Little did I know that just a few months later, I would be writing this book and that the Missouri was actually built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. So it acted as a bookend to the story – my characters work on the ship as it’s being built, and then the ship is the site of the ending of the Pacific part of WWII.

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer? How have you been able to overcome it (if indeed you have!)

My greatest challenge is overcoming the belief that writing is all about ongoing inspiration. It’s actually such a roller coaster – you get an idea that you’re very excited about, but after that initial spark, it’s very much like a job to continue with, punctuated by moments of excitement and inspiration again. I think I always romanticized the profession, thinking that writers were constantly in the creative zone. And when I am, it’s really exciting. But like Edison said, it’s “10% inspiration, 90% perspiration.” I definitely find this to be true.

Who have been your writing inspirations?

My all-time favorite author is Agatha Christie. I’ve read all of her Poirots and have never once figured out who did it. She is a master!! And as much as I love mysteries, she is why I don’t write in that genre – I don’t feel like I could even attempt to do what she does.

For historical fiction, Kate Morton is by far my biggest inspiration. Her books are like dessert on a page – lush writing, perfect word choices, compelling stories. If you haven’t read her, run to your local bookstore right now!!

And finally, I was good friends by the late author Leila Meacham, who wrote Roses, Tumbleweeds, and many other 600+ page historical fiction books. Over frequent pancake breakfasts, she taught me how to be an author – what all of the different editing titles meant, how to not lose yourself to the business, etc. I miss her.

What are some things we wouldn’t know about you just by reading your work? I.e., are you a sports fan, Salsa dancer, equestrian?

Great question! Hmmm…I have always loved the Denver Broncos! When I was growing up, my dad worked at the television station that broadcast their games. So we frequently got tickets to go to then-Mile High Stadium. Sometimes in the corporate box, and sometimes—my favorite—the “cheap” seats in the South Stands. In one game, there was a blizzard, and so few fans showed up that the fans were named the MVP of the game! So I can say that I’ve been the MVP of an NFL game…

On Mondays, the station hosted “The John Elway Show,” in which the famed quarterback would interview one of the players and recap Sunday’s game. My dad often took me to that, and as there was no studio audience, it would just be my dad, the cameraman, the producer, John Elway, and the guest.

What books are on your bedside table?

As we are building a house and about to move, I’m reading a bunch of what I call my “B-list” books. Titles I’ve picked up at used book stores over the years, etc. Books that I don’t plan to keep and can donate or sell later. That way I don’t have to move them. So I’m excited to move in in a few months and get back to my “A-list” books. It has taught me to be a little more discerning about what books I pick up in the future. Additionally, I’m really on a kick of reading romance by Sariah Wilson, most of which are published by Montlake [an Amazon imprint]. The books are sexy, but I suspect she has religious views that keep her from crossing the line. I’m a PG kind of reader and writer, so the level of heat she writes with is just perfect for me.

What’s next for you?

I am part of a wonderful new contemporary series with a group of other authors called The Wishing Tree series. My book, a novella, is called A Parade of Wishes and comes out at the end of this month!

The post Interview with Camille di Miao first appeared on Jodi Daynard.

What is Your Research Process?

Hello, all! It is my hope that these images will help you picture my process in gathering facts for my novels. In brief, here are my steps:

1) Select the time and place of my novel.

2a) Begin to research the time and place – broadly at first, reading biographies, searching online, taking out armfuls of library books, watching documentaries, reading memoirs, and then drilling down to newspapers, restaurant menus, train timetables, etc. I take notes by hand, keeping good track of where each note is from.

2b) Travel! I ALWAYS go to see the place of my setting. For A More Perfect Union, I went to Barbados.

Me, looking smug as I sat in an idyllic pool while my family back in Boston got slammed with a Nor’easterMe in front of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, for A Transcontinental Affair

2c) Next, I compile my infamous daily calendar (time) and map (place)

Note that the calendar includes events Edie will care about and react to: Duke Ellington Playing on July 1. Amelia Earhart leaves Lae. Earhart plane forced down at sea on Saturday, July 3. Terrible heatwave begins on July 7. And Gershwin dead at 38 on the 12th.Crude map allows me to begin to imagine all the various clubs and bars that Edie will frequent.

Step 3) I create a mega-list of every fact I deem important, organizing them into categories.

First of 20-page fact list. This category contains African American English and current slang termsThis page from the Fact List contains details about food costs, Harlem clubs, and the Savoy Ballroom, where a great deal of action will take placeSteamboat schedule I referred to for Edie’s job chopping onions on a steamboat. I usually get these “minutae” facts towards the end of my researching, when I know exactly what I want for my characters’ actions

Step 4: Once I’ve written my chapter outline, I cut and paste all the facts I think I’m going to want in each chapter so they’re “at my fingertips” while I write the first draft.

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The post Lessons from the Literary Trenches: My research Process first appeared on Jodi Daynard.

The material in this post originally appeared in my panel discussion for the 2021 Historical Novel Society Conference, Fact in Fiction: Bringing Long-Lost World to Life. It is my hope that these images will help you picture my process in gathering facts for my novels. In brief, here are my steps:

1) Select the time and place of my novel.

2a) Begin to research the time and place – broadly at first, reading biographies, searching online, taking out armfuls of library books, watching documentaries, reading memoirs, and then drilling down to newspapers, restaurant menus, train timetables, etc. I take notes by hand, keeping good track of where each note is from.

2b) Travel! I ALWAYS go to see the place of my setting. For A More Perfect Union, I went to Barbados.

Me, looking smug as I sat in an idyllic pool while my family back in Boston got slammed with a Nor’easterMe in front of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, for A Transcontinental Affair

2c) Next, I compile my infamous daily calendar (time) and map (place)

Note that the calendar includes events Edie will care about and react to: Duke Ellington Playing on July 1. Amelia Earhart leaves Lae. Earhart plane forced down at sea on Saturday, July 3. Terrible heatwave begins on July 7. And Gershwin dead at 38 on the 12th.Crude map allows me to begin to imagine all the various clubs and bars that Edie will frequent.

Step 3) I create a mega-list of every fact I deem important, organizing them into categories.

First of 20-page fact list. This category contains African American English and current slang termsThis page from the Fact List contains details about food costs, Harlem clubs, and the Savoy Ballroom, where a great deal of action will take placeSteamboat schedule I referred to for Edie’s job chopping onions on a steamboat. I usually get these “minutae” facts towards the end of my researching, when I know exactly what I want for my characters’ actions

Step 4: Once I’ve written my chapter outline, I cut and paste all the facts I think I’m going to want in each chapter so they’re “at my fingertips” while I write the first draft.

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The post Lessons from the Literary Trenches: My Research Process first appeared on Jodi Daynard.

Lessons from the Trenches: Working through Criticism

Accepting and then working through criticism of a manuscript is one of the hardest things we do as writers. I have gotten better at it over the years, but it still smarts—especially when I’ve already revised something many times and think it’s “done.” What you do with criticism, however, can mean the difference between a project’s success or failure.

My “To Do” list after getting a beta reader’s feedback.

Choose your readers carefully. Keep in mind that those who are not writers or editors may not have the language to tell you precisely what is wrong. You may need to ask them follow up questions.I have three “beta readers.” They don’t read all at the same time, but spaced out by several months. It’s amazing how different people can see different things.Don’t try to explain. You won’t be in a reader’s house to tell them what you really meant! Your critic is responding to the text. Listen carefully and try not to get defensive. Remind yourself: they are doing you a huge service that will ultimately make your work better!Sometimes, critics want to play writer by offering you solutions. “What if he…?” or “What if they…?” Dissuade them from offering you solutions. That’s your job. And I always find it muddies my mind to hear “their” visions.If they haven’t written the feedback down, make sure you take notes. When my husband reads my work, I ask him to write down his feedback. Then I can take what he writes and skulk back to my lair, to process it in my own time.Take a deep breath. They’re talking about the WORK, not YOU (although we writers tend to conflate the two!)Think of yourself as a re-writer. I do.Feedback is only useful if it resonates with you, if it’s basically telling you something you already know. And even then, the changes must come from your own creative vision. They have told you what doesn’t work, but you must create what works!Getting criticism isn’t merely an ego blow; it’s frightening. For some reason, we (absurdly!) have no faith that we can ever re-imagine anything, even though as writers of fiction we imagine as easily as we breathe! Faith in yourself is something you develop slowly, over time and repeated experience.Transfer the criticism from your reader to yourself. Rewrite it in your own words. Internalize it. The way I do this is to literally transfer the information: I make a table of “Things to Do” with three column headings: ISSUE, ACTION, and TEXT. I use the text column for new material as it comes to me. The “Action” column is for the abstract concept, such as “add more description.” The description itself will go in the TEXT column.Breaking down the feedback in this way quantifies it and makes it feel manageable. I can check off the easier issues such as trimming back, working my way into the tougher problems of characterization, believability, or forward movement. Once I’ve taken a stab at all the issues and have crossed everything out, I will print out the manuscript and read it from start to finish.Personally, I like to work on as much as I can without re-rereading the manuscript. I do the work in my head, write passages out separately, imagine where to cut, etc. I want to keep my reader’s eye as fresh as possible for the re-read.Writing the best book possible means, for me, switching back and forth between being a writer and being a reader. They are two distinct beings within myself. I strongly believe that developing the reader in you is as important as developing the creative writer.Give your work a week or more to lie fallow before you re-read it. This will allow you to acquire more distance from it and be a better criticial reader.As creative writers, we are always partly blind to our work in progress. Try not to beat yourself up over this reality. We see things when we see them. It is a process, and sometimes a long one. Most of my novels have taken anywhere between 14 and 21 drafts!

The post Lessons from the Literary Trenches: Working through Criticism first appeared on Jodi Daynard.

Lessons from the Trenches: Working through Criticism

Choose your readers carefully. Keep in mind that those who are not writers or editors may not have the language to tell you precisely what is wrong. You may need to ask them follow up questions.I have three “beta readers.” They don’t read all at the same time, but spaced out by several months. It’s amazing how different people can see different things.Don’t try to explain. You won’t be in a reader’s house to tell them what you really meant! Your critic is responding to the text. Listen carefully and try not to get defensive. Remind yourself: they are doing you a huge service that will ultimately make your work better!Sometimes, critics want to play writer by offering you solutions. “What if he…?” or “What if they…?” Dissuade them from offering you solutions. That’s your job. And I always find it muddies my mind to hear “their” visions.If they haven’t written the feedback down, make sure you take notes. When my husband reads my work, I ask him to write down his feedback. Then I can take what he writes and skulk back to my lair, to process it in my own time.Take a deep breath. They’re talking about the WORK, not YOU (although we writers tend to conflate the two!)Think of yourself as a re-writer. I do.Feedback is only useful if it resonates with you, if it’s basically telling you something you already know. And even then, the changes must come from your own creative vision. They have told you what doesn’t work, but you must create what works!Getting criticism isn’t merely an ego blow; it’s frightening. For some reason, we (absurdly!) have no faith that we can ever re-imagine anything, even though as writers of fiction we imagine as easily as we breathe! Faith in yourself is something you develop slowly, over time and repeated experience.Transfer the criticism from your reader to yourself. Rewrite it in your own words. Internalize it. The way I do this is to literally transfer the information: I make a table of “Things to Do” with three column headings: ISSUE, ACTION, and TEXT. I use the text column for new material as it comes to me. The “Action” column is for the abstract concept, such as “add more description.” The description itself will go in the TEXT column.Breaking down the feedback in this way quantifies it and makes it feel manageable. I can check off the easier issues such as trimming back, working my way into the tougher problems of characterization, believability, or forward movement. Once I’ve taken a stab at all the issues and have crossed everything out, I will print out the manuscript and read it from start to finish.Personally, I like to work on as much as I can without re-rereading the manuscript. I do the work in my head, write passages out separately, imagine where to cut, etc. I want to keep my reader’s eye as fresh as possible for the re-read.Writing the best book possible means, for me, switching back and forth between being a writer and being a reader. They are two distinct beings within myself. I strongly believe that developing the reader in you is as important as developing the creative writer.Give your work a week or more to lie fallow before you re-read it. This will allow you to acquire more distance from it and be a better criticial reader.As creative writers, we are always partly blind to our work in progress. Try not to beat yourself up over this reality. We see things when we see them. It is a process, and sometimes a long one. Most of my novels have taken anywhere between 14 and 21 drafts!

The post Lessons from the Trenches: Working through Criticism first appeared on Jodi Daynard.

Hello, all. I've created a new FB group and welcome all fans of my novels. For people interested in discussing books, the craft of writing, American history, and the writing life!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/95325...

All I want for Christmas (or Chanukah) are reviews of A Transcontinental Affair, posted on Amazon as well as Goodreads. In exchange, I'll be hosting a big giveaway next month open to all of you who have posted reviews. Now, where I'm from, we call that a Yankee Swap! :-) A Transcontinental Affair

It's the long-awaited publication day for my new novel. Spread the word! https://tinyurl.com/y6a9k9jc

Well, we're ramping up for the release of A Transcontinental Affair on November 1st, and without giving anything away, I'd love to answer questions about it. Here's what my dear friend, bestselling novelist Thelma Adams (Last Woman Standing, Bittersweet Brooklyn), has to say about it:

"Book an amazing trip back in time with A Transcontinental Affair. With complex heroines, impeccable prose, high drama and a view of the West as it was being won, this historical romance set on America's first transcontinental train trip in 1870 offers the perfect must-read novel for a long, leisurely rail journey -- or a commuter binge. Passionate, insightful, empathetic and unforgettable."