Introductions

[Patricia]

I've been listed with the group for a while but have not contributed. It's just one of those extra time-consuming times in life for me. If I have a favorite category of fiction, American Historical would be it. Not too long ago I finished The Signature of All Things and found it most amazingly, surprisingly fine! Can't recommend it highly enough. The opening chapters are a little slow. Stay with it and be rewarded!

[Efrat]

Thanks to Jenny and Amber for the warm welcome! I like to learn history from every possible source, including... TV; I developed addiction to "Washington's Spies" :))

[Dorothy]

Hello fellow history lovers, both readers and authors! My name is Dorothy Wiley and I am a soon to be published historical romance author. My upcoming debut novel, Wilderness Trail of Love, is the first novel in my American Wilderness Series romances and is set in 1797, on America's romantic frontier. I'll post more about the books later, but if you're interested my website is www.dorothywiley.com Happy July 4th everyone!

[Jenny]

Welcome, Dorothy! My favorite time period to read about!

[Sarah]

Hi I'm Sarah. I love historical fiction and some of my favorites are still the ones that I read when I was a kid. I guess I'll never outgrow a great story. (Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham is one of my all-time favorites). I'm currently writing a historical fiction novel of my own, so it's great to see what's popular in this genre.

[Jenny]

Hi Sarah! Welcome to the group!

[Ruth]

Welcome, Sarah!

[J.R.]

I've signed a contract with Sunbury Press for my novel, Something So Divine.
When a young girl is found murdered in a Pennsylvania rye field in the autumn of 1897, a feeble-minded youth known to have stalked the victim, is the prime suspect. Incidents involving another girl and gossip stir emotions to a frenzy, nearly leading to a lynching.
The novel provides a look at the judicial system when women were not allowed to sit on juries.

[Dorothy]

J.R. - Congrats on the contract!

[Jenny]

Excellent news, J.R.!

[J.R.]

Jenny wrote: "Excellent news, J.R.!"

Thank you, Jenny and Dorothy.

[Jack]

Hi, I'm Jack. Love english history particularly Paul Doherty, C.J. Sansom and Karen Maitland. Also an aspiring author rewriting American history with 1809; The year they freed the slaves. Writing it taught me a lot about American history. I am English so must confess to still favouring UK history.

[Jenny]

Hi Jack,
welcome to the group!

[Ruth]

Welcome, Jack.

[Jack]

Thank you my welcome

[Suzanne]

I've been a member of this group for a short while, and just tonight realized I've never introduced myself! I'll try to make up for my rudeness by introducing myself now. :-)

I'm Suzanne Lilly, and I love reading historical fiction. One of my favorite authors is Erik Larson because of his detailed characterization. I know Jenny originally from Twitter and her blog, and now here on Goodreads.

The book I'm currently reading is The King's Daughter by Christie Dickason. Her prose is so creative and beautiful, I just want to make the book last as long as possible. Does anyone here ever feel that way?

[Jenny]

Those are the best kinds of books, Suzanne! Glad to see you here in the group!

[Ruth]

Hi, Suzanne! Didn't you post about that book in Historical Fictionistas "What are you reading?" You make it sound very enticing.

[Suzanne]

Hi, Jenny! *waving*
Jenny wrote: "Those are the best kinds of books, Suzanne! Glad to see you here in the group!"

[Suzanne]

Hi, Ruth!

I may have posted about it there as well. I know I blurbed about it on Facebook, too. I think I've found another favorite author. :-)

Ruth wrote: "Hi, Suzanne! Didn't you post about that book in Historical Fictionistas "What are you reading?" You make it sound very enticing."

[Patricia]

Hello, folks. I am taking a cue from Suzanne and introducing myself, as I hadn't thought earlier to do. I'm not a long-term member and have just been sort of hanging around on the fringes, reading. My greatest love is American Historical fiction. I find, too, that I do a great deal of reading among our own American classics, because at this time period, they have a historical feel. I love Agee and Wolfe and McCullers and Steinbeck and. . . . There are too many to go into.

I too am an author. My own American Historical, A Circle of Earth, was just published in March. A member of this group, Harold, just recently wrote a wonderful review of it, for which I thank him. But I will put news of my own book in the appropriate place.

I'm actually moving through your bookshelf right now and finding all sorts of fascinating things. I don't have as much time to read as I'd like to have. But I keep telling myself that this will change. . . .

[Fox]

Hello, Everyone! :) I'm Elessa. I stumbled upon this group as I was searching for a new book to read after I finish Searing Wind written by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear. I'm a huge fan of theirs and hope to become a fan of many more authors similar to them by using suggestions from this group! :)
Historical fiction, to me, is anything pre-1950. Not entirely sure why I'm that picky, but reading about electronics, automobiles, etc dulls the historical world I'm attempting to be transported to when I get to escape and read. I hope that makes some sort of sense Haha!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading the books listed in the various places of the group!

[Patricia]

What you just wrote and asked if made sense is the history of my reading life! Thank you for getting it down.

[Fox]

Patricia wrote: "What you just wrote and asked if made sense is the history of my reading life! Thank you for getting it down."
No problem! I'm glad someone else gets it!

[Patricia]

I wrote something to the effect of the following in a query letter once, and I do believe it. When you strip down the electronic, etc accoutrements, you have people more in direct relation to each other--and far more dependent on each other. Also, for me it's a matter of being a nature lover. I try to escape the strip mall environment whenever I can. I want to see and touch natural substances.

[Jenny]

Elessa wrote: "Reading about electronics, automobiles, etc dulls the historical world I'm attempting to be transported to when I get to escape and read. I hope that makes some sort of sense Haha!"

Makes perfect sense to me! Welcome to the group!

[Jenny]

Patricia wrote: "I'm actually moving through your bookshelf right now and finding all sorts of fascinating things. I don't have as much time to read as I'd like to have. But I keep telling myself that this will change. . . . "

So many books, so little time! Welcome to the group!

[Ruth]

Hi Patricia and Elessa. Welcome.

[Patricia]

Thank you!

[Fox]

thanks for the welcome!

[Anthony]

Hello goodreads friends. I’m Anthony Whitt, an avid reader, author, and lifelong Texan with a deep love of the American West. I’m working on a trilogy about the Texas Hill Country and the hardy souls that made a life out of settling the harsh wilderness after the Civil War. The reviews have been awesome and it’s my pleasure to share the work on goodreads. Hard Land to Rule is a story that takes the reader on a ride through treachery, greed, lust, and death that make this tale more than just another western. For more details about Hard Land to Rule and the soon to be released second book in the trilogy, Cold Hard Ride, please visit www.anthonywhitt.com

[Jenny]

Hi Anthony! Welcome to the group!

[Dorothy]

Hi Anthony,
I am about half way through your book. Really enjoying it!
Dorothy Wiley
Author of Wilderness Trail of Love

[Keith]

Hi all.

I'm Keith and am currently at work on my debut novel about three people brought together during the California lumber boom in mid-19th century Mendocino County. It's a dramatic time in American history, filled with people with big ideas and grand schemes as well as fallen hopes and ruin. I live in Berkeley but have been visiting north coast for many years and the history really ignited my imagination. I have other favorite periods, like ancient Rome and early Europe, but I'm attracted to any story that puts history into realistic human context. I'm also fond of language and etymology as well as the role of the arts in the development of people and their cultures.

I'm currently reading Timber Rose and next on my list is China Dolls.

I write about the history behind my lumber boom story on my website at www.keith-skinner.com

I'm looking forward to discovering new ideas, book tips, and meeting other authors here.

[Jenny]

Welcome to the group, Keith!

[Steven]

Sounds great! Welcome.

[Keith]

Jenny wrote: "Welcome to the group, Keith!"

Steven wrote: "Sounds great! Welcome."

Thanks, Stephen and Jenny.

[Paul]

Hi All,
This looks like a great group. I read and write AHF often with that overlooked aspect I call 'Unexpected History'. Looking forward to hearing more from all of you.

[Jenny]

Welcome to the group, Paul!

[Jim]

I'm Jim. I've always loved historical fiction since reading Omar Khayyam by Harold Lamb & John Jakes' Bicentennial series. I'm currently reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. It was a 5 star read until about the middle. It's going downhill though, unfortunately.

[Dorothy]

Welcome Jim!
Dorothy Wiley

[Jenny]

Welcome to the group, Jim! You'll find lots of good book recommendations in our discussion threads!

[Ruth]

Welcome, Jim.

[Patricia]

Jim wrote: "I'm Jim. I've always loved historical fiction since reading Omar Khayyam by Harold Lamb & John Jakes' Bicentennial series. I'm currently reading [book..."

The Jungle is not easy--I recall from when I read it earlier. To be honest with you: am too wimpy now to read it again! Let us know your impressions.

[Jim]

Just to make sure I'm following proper etiquette here, where is the proper place to discuss The Jungle? I did a search for it & only found the book mentioned here & under "meaty historical fiction". That covers a lot of books, so should I make a topic for it in the "Book Discussions" folder?

[Jenny]

You certainly can, Jim! You can also post about it in the corresponding time period folder.

[Patricia]

I'm concluding something that may not be correct--which is that books that shed light on the past, such as The Jungle, must be okay for this group, not just contemporary historical fiction. I'm reading All the King's Men right now for another group. I'm kind of shocked at myself that I haven't before realized why this is considered such a great novel. I do, now!

[Jenny]

People have different definitions of what constitutes historical fiction. My opinion is that even though some books were originally written in centuries past as contemporary fiction, they're historical to today's readers.

[Patricia]

That's really my opinion, too--because, among other things, we're interested in history! Glad that's that's your take.

[Jim]

Thank you, Jenny. Done.