Modern Good Reads discussion

Hello. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be able to interact with you in the area of Historical Fiction, but I also encourage discussions on factual and alternate history writing. History was one of my favorite subjects in school and I have written a historical novel called Kicker. The book is based on actual events and people who served in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II.



As for my background, I am a U.S. Air Force veteran and a retiree from The Pennsylvania State University where I had a successful career in Information Technology. As an avocation I am a commercial fixed and rotary wing pilot and was once a flight instructor. After retiring I took up wood carving and have won many awards in international wood carving competitions. I am fortunate to have studied the art under master artisans in Austria. When I am not carving, I enjoy fishing and traveling around the world.

Please join me in discussing and sharing your thoughts on history and historical fiction.

Just joined up, R Grey and lo and behold, you are the moderator for historical fiction, MY kind of town...

Sarah

Welcome Sarah. Join in on the conversations in the Historical Fiction thread.

Hi R Grey! I have a question; my current novel is categorized both historical fiction and paranormal. Will it fit in this discussion?

Thank you!
:)

I'm currently writing a novel of historical fiction. I look forward to seeing what works and what does not in today's readers' minds re this genre. While I'm probably too far along to change what I've created (about half of a long text, so far), I hope to learn something here. Favorite historical fiction novel was James Michener's "The Covenant".

Hello!

My name is Marilyn Callan, I am a housewife, who is married to a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman. I have worked briefly in radio,for an FM station KLite KVLT 92.3. I was the Receptionist/Accounts Payable/Receivable/Board operator, running commercial sets.

I also worked in radio via the Internet. I was fortunate that because of my Internet radio position, (Assistant General Manager/D.J./Promotions Director) I was able to interview Angus Clark, and Andrew Ross of Trans-Siberian Orchestra fame. Angus Clark,and Andrew Ross both tour with TSO West. The interview I did, was to promote a CD, for their group DareDevil Squadron..I also had the pleasure of interviewing Doug Tidstrand, who has worked in the film industry, composing music. Doug currently has joined a "Cars" cover band.

I love historical fiction, and I also read nonfiction, as well. Eric Ives, John Guy, Sarah Grist wood, G.J. Meyer, Marion Meade, Helen Rappaport, Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory are some of my favorite authors, but there are of course more authors not in that list, whose work I enjoy, although listing them would make this thread far too lenghty.

I belong to another reading group, which at present has been focusing on the year 1066. I have two books which need to be completed this month, so I will do my very best to keep up with this group.

My favorite queen will always be Eleanor of Aquitaine, and I hold a soft spot for Lady Jane Grey, and thanks to John Guy, Mary: Queen of Scots, as well. I am also fascinated by the Romanovs, and Brian Boru: High king of Ireland. The book of Kells, and the Lindsfarne gospels book also are keen interests to me, too.

P.S. wrote: "Hi R Grey! I have a question; my current novel is categorized both historical fiction and paranormal. Will it fit in this discussion?

Thank you!
:)"

Sure. Why not.

A.H. wrote: "I'm currently writing a novel of historical fiction. I look forward to seeing what works and what does not in today's readers' minds re this genre. While I'm probably too far along to change what I..."

A.H. wrote: "I'm currently writing a novel of historical fiction. I look forward to seeing what works and what does not in today's readers' minds re this genre. While I'm probably too far along to change what I..."

Welcome, Join in on the conversations in the Historical Fiction Discussion Board

Marilyn wrote: "Hello!

My name is Marilyn Callan, I am a housewife, who is married to a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman. I have worked briefly in radio,for an FM station KLite KVLT 92.3. I was the Receptioni..."

Welcome, Join in on the conversations in the Historical Fiction Discussion Board

Hello Mr. Hoover, nice to meet you. I am, among other things, a bit of a history geek. What I enjoy about historical fiction is that it allows an author to bring an epoch to life with vibrant characters.

Eric wrote: "Hello Mr. Hoover, nice to meet you. I am, among other things, a bit of a history geek. What I enjoy about historical fiction is that it allows an author to bring an epoch to life with vibrant chara..."

I agree and its makes history fun.

Would like to join the list. I read and write historical fiction for MG/YA. I got hooked on the genre when we lived in a remote area of British Columbia and wanted to find out the facts behind the many stories that were circulating about the settlers in that area. Now I live in Colorado, so that is my focus. I love the research. As a reader, I enjoy other genres as well.

Nancy wrote: "Would like to join the list. I read and write historical fiction for MG/YA. I got hooked on the genre when we lived in a remote area of British Columbia and wanted to find out the facts behind t..."

Welcome Nancy. Join us in the Historical Fiction discussion thread.

M.G. wrote: "I just finished reading Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth and I was wondering if anyone could recommend other historical fiction books that use architecture as a theme."
Oops, just realized I was on the Meet the Moderator page! I'll repost on a different thread! But nice to meet everyone here : )

S.R. (Sarah) wrote: "Just joined up, R Grey and lo and behold, you are the moderator for historical fiction, MY kind of town...

Sarah" I lived with this story of my girlfriend's grandfather having turned in the Rosenbergs; and my best friend's grandfather one of the City's [San Francisco] greatest newspaper editors. So, after five versions of the screenplay were encouragingly passed on by major producers, I wrote it all into a novel and came up with Pawns an historical fiction piece. I already have the first of two history books in print thru Central Coast Books, San Luis Obispo, CA, so historical fiction was a natural for me.

Hi, R.

It is nice to meet you and be a part of this group. HF is my favorite genre to read and to write. I've been a teacher, a mental health worker, a construction worker, and bookstore clerk, as well as many other things. I'm married, have a 22 year old son graduating from college soon, and have two cats. Presently I live in Texas and am still reeling from the huge fertilizer plant explosion near Waco yesterday.

The group sounds exciting and I look forward to participating. It's also good to realize that there are readers and writers of HF out there.

Hello R Grey
Does the term "Historical Fiction" confine a story to that era, or, can it be a contemporary story with an historic connection or ongoing consequence?

Deray wrote: "Hello R Grey
Does the term "Historical Fiction" confine a story to that era, or, can it be a contemporary story with an historic connection or ongoing consequence?"

I feel a contemporary story with solid connection and references to the past would qualify.

Hi and lovely to find this thread and read the many interesting comments here. I wrote a novel in the category of historical fiction. It's set in Spain in the build-up to the Spanish Civil War.
I'm currently writing a novel which is very much set in the here and now but am trying to find books which give an objective account of Cuban history as well as any fiction in this field. If anyone has any ideas/thoughts, I'd be very grateful :)

When is does a story become historical? What about 1963? Living memory for me, but historical for younger people, I suppose.

Hi I am a big historical fiction fan and look forward to every ones comments. @ Tannis I believe it is considered 25 or 50 years before the authors birth. I have seen books written about the 60's considered historical. Being a 60's baby myself doesn't want to look at it that way.

Tammy wrote: "Hi I am a big historical fiction fan and look forward to every ones comments. @ Tannis I believe it is considered 25 or 50 years before the authors birth. I have seen books written about the 60's c..."

Ouch!! Yes, I'm afraid we are history now. I'm so old, Joseph Stalin was dictator when I was born.

Hi, Mr Gray, and others

Very happy to join this group.

Question. Do you feel a connection to the past when you're working with wood? - or ponder, sometimes even follow the grain to identify which part of the tree it is you're working on? How old was it? It grew on this Earth somewhere, but where, what gave it that smell?

I do quite a bit of furniture refinishing, down to the bone, hand sanding at times in detailed areas. I often catch the smell of history, whatever that is. A smell that evokes a feeling, or connection to the past. Each project has a unique smell, but it belongs somewhere, has a home.

Has it, that smell, (and not the Lynyrd Skynyrd song) ever put you in a writing mood?

Okay then. If I haven't run everyone off with my goofy question, I'd love to hear if you, Mr Gray, or others in the group have ever been inspired by the 'smell' of history in wood.

Best to all,
jw

I have a non-fiction book on Native American history. Would I put my R4R under historical or does the group only do fiction?

I am Edward Garner, publisher of MindBridge, representing Ford Nettleton and his new book, “AIDEN, Crossing to Eternity.” Ford and I would like to donate an ebook for review. AIDEN overlaps several genres, including historical fiction, religious historical fiction, and Christian historical fantasy. The book is 400 pages long, excluding the front and afterward.