A Bunch of Historical Novelists Go to Vegas

I learn about their books. My "to be read" list grows.

Mark Twain counseled authors to “write what you know,” but historical novelists rarely follow his advice. Most depict eras they haven’t lived in and people they’ve never met. One popular definition of historical fiction includes novels set fifty years earlier, so it’s possible that older writers might recall something of the times they describe. But few would rely solely on memory alone to write for publication.

Mark Twain’s advice was to “write what you know.” Photo by RJ Baker.

My Las Vegas Adventure

I spent last weekend at the 2025 Historical Novel Society/North America (HNSNA) conference in Las Vegas. Yes, Las Vegas, although the meeting rooms were far away from the gaming tables and slot machines. The sessions attracted hundreds of writers who delight in portraying worlds outside their own experiences. I met authors of novels set in ancient Egypt, pre-Colombian Peru, the Ottoman Empire, the English Civil War, the U.S. Civil, the French Revolution, Spanish colonial California—I could go on and on.

In conversations at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I sensed these writers’ passion for their subjects and their commitment to making history come alive. Many spoke of days spent in libraries and archives and traipsing through historic ruins. More than a few mentioned the thrill of “running down the rabbit hole.” Plenty of human beings would avoid that. Historical novelists appear to like it.

Learning about my colleagues’ projects led me to wonder what drew them to their subject matter. Why do they write about X? Here’s a sampling:

A fascination with genius

Novelist Stephanie Cowell has portrayed the lives of some of the world’s greatest artists, ranging from Claude Monet in Claude & Camille to a youthful Shakespeare in The Players. She delves into the source of their astonishing talent and captures the heartbreak and setbacks they faced before they were “great.” Her immersive prose reveals their moments of loss, loneliness, humiliation, and disappointment. Her writing is rich, subtle, and extraordinarily moving. Her next novel, The Man in the Stone Cottage, comes out in September. It’s about the Brontes, and I can’t wait to read it.

Reclaiming a tarnished legacy

Marion Davies was once a Hollywood star, but only dedicated film buffs recognize her name today. Leslie Johansen Nack’s fictional biography, The Blue Butterfly (2022), covers her work, her thirty-year relationship with William Randolph Hearst, and her affair with Charlie Chaplin. Painfully for Davies, many have assumed she is the model for Citizen Kane’s Susan Alexander, an amateurish opera singer whose career is fueled by her tycoon husband’s money. Nack offered a much more nuanced and accurate picture of Davies in a panel I attended. Here’s an instance where fiction can bring readers closer to the truth. I certainly plan to read The Blue Butterfly before I watch Citizen Kane again.

Portraying a visionary journey

In On a Sundown Sea (October 2025), Jill G. Hall mixes fiction and history to portray Katherine Tingley, a self-described medium and clairvoyant who led the American Theosophical Society in the early twentieth century. Tingley spearheaded “a world crusade to spread brotherhood.” She invited followers to San Diego where she hoped to establish Lomaland, “a sacred space of learning, artistry, and divine harmony, built on a barren peninsula yet brimming with hidden potential.” As often happens in a cynical world, Tingley contends with betrayal and lies. Intriguingly, author Hall describes herself as an “an intuitive creator [who] began writing historical fiction because characters from the past began appearing on my page.” The book comes out this fall, but you can preorder it now. Tingley must have been an amazing person.

A passionate story waiting to be told

Author Kelly Scarborough came across the seeds of her plot on a sleepless night when she picked up a long-cherished copy of Désirée, a historical novel about a Swedish princess who was Napoleon’s first love (It’s also a film starring Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons). But Butterfly Games (January 2026) isn’t about Désirée. Scarborough’s protagonist is Jacquette Gyldenstolpe, one of Désirée’s attendants. Jacquette falls in love with the heir to the Swedish throne, an affair that threatens the crown. Hmm . . . romance, political intrigue, the opulent world of the Swedish royal court—that sounds right up my alley. I’ve already pre-ordered my copy.

Honoring an extraordinary feat

Author Joan Fernandez wants her readers to know about Jo van Gogh’s “enormous achievement.” Jo was Vincent’s sister-in-law, the widow of his brother Theo. After both men died, Jo took on the daunting task of selling an unknown painter’s works in a competitive, male-dominated art market. She “saved Vincent van Gogh’s artwork from obscurity.” Midwest Book Review called Saving Vincent (April 2025) “a rich tapestry of storytelling that underscores the profound importance of art in our lives.” It occurred to me that Joan’s novel is really about saving the rest of us. Suppose Jo van Gogh had been less courageous and savvy. Vincent’s glorious paintings might have been lost.

Remembering how things used to be.

Della Leavitt’s forthcoming Vivian’s Decision (April 2026) takes readers to 1956 Chicago where an overwhelmed mother of four is “distraught to be pregnant again.” She visits her family doctor who cannot help. An illegal abortion would be her only option. Leavitt’s novel follows Vivian over the seven days in which she agonizes over her decision. The story may be set in the past, but its premise is unsettlingly relevant to the moral and political questions that divide us today. Vivian’s Decision is one woman’s story and an intergenerational saga, but its central dilemma is worth remembering and considering. I’ll be reading it when it comes out next year..

Righting a wrong

Naturally these exchanges with other writers made me think about my own intentions. The Queen’s Musician is based on the life of Mark Smeaton, a little-known historical figure who was unjustly executed for treason and adultery with Anne Boleyn. He died alongside four other men facing the same charges, and I’ve been haunted by his story ever since I first learned about it.

My hope is that The Queen’s Musician is a small step toward justice for a young man who was mercilessly used and killed. It’s a novel, but it contains one age-old truth: We should all be on guard when powerful leaders believe they can abuse and sacrifice other human beings in pursuit of their goals. “The ends justify the means” has led us into some of history’s darkest corners.

The Queen’s Musician is available where books are sold.