For the Historical Novel Society conference a few weeks ago, I created a video trailer about Divided Loyalties. My first novel, this Civil War novel follows a young Irish immigrant named Maureen as she figures out how she can come to the aid of her adopted country. I thought my readers who weren’t in attendance…
Tomorrow is my first book festival since Covid canceled everything. I am joining ten writer-members of the Maryland Romance Writers under our very own tent at the Write Women Book Fest in Glenn Dale, Md. These are accomplished women from best-selling authors to undiscovered newbies who have written books everyone should read. If you like…
On the sixth day of Christmas… Even though those twelve days are supposed to start on December 25 and run to Epiphany, Jan. 6, I want to offer my gratitude for the people and things that make the writing life possible for me. Today, I’m celebrating friends. As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to cherish…
I’m grateful for @NaNoWriMo and all the support writers give one another to get to their goals. It’s a great way to reach your goal of becoming a novelist.
My brother called me the other night to recommend a book he thought I’d like. Bill, who is a year younger than me, and I have been close through chicken pox, trips on the family sailboat, teen angst (both ours and our kids’), and now growing older and maybe wiser. As usual, he called while…
Before I wrote novels, I was a travel writer. In fact, I always say it was my travel writing that led naturally to writing historical fiction and, more recently, love stories. On Wednesday night, at 7 p.m Eastern time, I’m going to talk about my past life for the South Baltimore writers of the Maryland…
I’m proud of the success I’ve had during this month of crazy writing. There’s a lot to learn before you can tell a good story. But the most important lessons for beginners are these
1-Sit down.
2-Write.
Imagine my delight this morning when I discovered my Civil War novel is ranked 20 on an Amazon bestseller list. That bright orange bar proclaiming #20 made my day. Last week during Amazon Prime Days DIVIDED LOYALTIES was specially priced—and I guess that’s what prompted the attention. And the sales. Either way I’m happy to…
I had the most marvelous time yesterday at The Greyhound, an independent bookstore in Berlin, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Quaint Berlin, once dubbed “America’s Coolest Small Town,” is located a half hour from Ocean City and Assateague Island, Md. The bookstore is filled with best sellers and the works of local writers. I’m thrilled to…
The Historical Novel Society came to town for its bi-annual conference and I was there. HNS2019 met in National Harbor, on the shores of the Potomac, June 20-22, bringing together historical writers of all stripes — Biblical, Civil War, ancient Rome, 1960s. We talked about everything from marketing to dancing a reel.The wonderful Dolen Perkins-Valdez …
Mary K. Tilghman, writer 