History Through Fiction - The Podcast

In the third episode of Season 7 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful interviews Alix Rickloff, author of The Last Light Over Oslo. They explore the life of Florence Harriman and her role in Norway during WWII, including the German invasion and the rescue of the Norwegian Crown Princess. Rickloff delves into the character of Cleo Jaffray and her journey, balancing historical...

In the second episode of Season 7 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful engages with author Aurélie Thiele, discussing her novel, The Paris Understudy, set in 1938 Paris and inspired by opera singer Germaine Lubin. They delve into the lives of characters Madeleine Moreau and Yvonne Chevallier, against the backdrop of pre-war France and the grand opera house central to the sto...

In the Season 7 premiere of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Madeline Martin, author of "The Booklover's Library." They delve into the life of widow Emma Taylor, exploring the legal constraints she faced in wartime Nottingham and the heart-wrenching choices of the Blitz, including pet sacrifices and sending children to safety. Martin shares insights on Emma's bon...

Get ready for Season 7 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, launching on Monday, September 16th! We're back with a fresh roster of authors who skillfully blend historical events with captivating fiction. Tune in weekly to meet these creative minds and dive into the stories where history comes alive. Madeline Martin opens the season with her novel The Booklover’s Library, setting the stage for...

In this special bonus episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, we dive into the world of literature, business, and entertainment with the multi-talented Ciera Horton McElroy. As the CEO of Clover & Bee Communications and author of "Atomic Family," Ciera shares the intriguing literary reference that inspired her company's name and her journey from freelance writer to successful business own...

The final episode of season 6 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Jill George, author of the novel A Hopeless Dawn. During the interview, host Colin Mustful chats with George about the painting that inspired her novel, what life was like for the people of Cornwall—the 19th century fishing village featured in her novel—, and the character profiles she creates before starting any novel....

Season 6, Episode 12 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features our very own Ezra Harker Shaw, author of the novel The Aziola’s Cry: A Novel of the Shelleys. During the interview, host Colin Mustful chats with Harker Shaw about the values and ideals extolled by Mary and Percy Shelley during their lifetimes, the influence of Lord Byron on the lives and writings of the Shelleys, and the story...

Season 6, Episode 11 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Yangsze Choo, author of the novel The Fox Wife. During the interview, host Colin Mustful chats with Choo about the mythology of the fox in east Asian culture, the tradition of detective novels in Chinese literature, and the years Choo spent writing her first manuscript that was never published. Choo also talks about the joy and...

Season 6, Episode 10 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Marthese Fenech, bestselling author of historical novels set in 16th-century Malta and Turkey. During the interview, host Colin Mustful chats with Fenech about the rich history of the island country of Malta, her dedication to her craft, and the inspiration that led her to write her Knights of Malta series. Don’t miss it!

Season 6, Episode 9 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features historical fiction editor and founder of Historical Editorial, Jenny Quinlan. During the interview, host Colin Mustful chats with Quinlan about when she discovered her love for historical fiction, how and why she started Historical Editorial, what advice she has for authors when working with an editor, and the challenges and rewa...

Season 6, Episode 8 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Jennifer Ryan, author of the novel The Underground Library. During the interview, host Colin Mustful chats with Ryan about how she creates authentic characters, how the Bethnal Green Library became an underground library during The London Blitz, and how Ryan’s grandmother inspired this and other stories. Don’t miss it!

Season 6, Episode 7 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast has Robin Oliveira, the author of A Wild and Heavenly Place. Host Colin Mustful talks with Oliveira about immigration to Seattle in the late 1800s, her dedication to the facts and extremely thorough research, and how she combined her ancestry with her love of the Pacific Northwest to write this novel. Don't miss!

Season 6, Episode 6 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features ReShonda Tate, author of The Queen of Sugar Hill. Host Colin Mustful chats with Tate about the challenges, personally and professionally, Hattie McDaniel faced after becoming the first black woman to win an Oscar, the relevance of Hattie’s story today, and the reasons behind Tate’s decision to write historical fiction. Be sure to...

Season 6, Episode 5 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast has Candace Simar, the author of Sister Lumberjack. During the interview, host Colin Mustful talks with Simar about how her own family history inspires her stories, what life was like for 19th century lumberjacks, and the history behind the Benedictine Health System. Don't miss this great chat!

Season 6, Episode 4 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Elizabeth R. Andersen, author of The Alewives. Host Colin Mustful chats with Andersen about beer vs. ale, how her tech and journalism experience helped her write historical novels, and her choice to go for independent publishing right away. They also discuss the stunning Pacific Northwest, where Elizabeth lives and enjoys hiking....

Season 6, Episode 2 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast has Brock Meier, the author of The Stone Cutter. Host Colin Mustful talks with Meier about the history of the Nabataean Kingdom, the biblical origins of his main character Nahor, and the unique rock-cut architecture of Petra. Don't miss this great chat!

Season 6, Episode 2 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast has Angie Elita Newell, the author of All I See is Violence. Host Colin Mustful talks with Newell about the history of the American Indian Wars and the Battle of the Little Big Horn, how to make historical events into a compelling fictional narrative, and what it means to infuse history with emotion so we don't repeat the mistakes of the...

Season 6, Episode 1 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast has Eric Z. Weintraub, the author of South of Sepharad. Host Colin Mustful talks with Weintraub about developing his characters Vidal and Bonadonna, the Jewish diaspora after the Alhambra Decree, and how his MFA program helped him craft his first novel. Don't miss this great chat!

History Through Fiction: The Podcast is about to launch its thrilling 6th season! Starting on Monday, February 19th, we're kicking things off with a lineup of authors who have mastered the art of weaving historical facts with riveting fiction. Every week, you'll get to meet these talented writers and hear about their experiences turning the rich tapestry of history into spellbinding stories. Eric...

In our final episode of the season, Season 5, Episode 14 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features J.L. Oakley, author of the novels The Quisling Factor and The Jøssing Affair. During the interview, host Colin Mustful talks with Oakley about the Norwegian resistance movement during WWII, the important reason her main character can speak in sign language, and how her own family history helpe...

Season 5, Episode 13 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Marlie Parker Wasserman, author of the novel Path of Peril. During the interview, host Colin Mustful talks with Wasserman about why President Theodore Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to travel abroad while in office, the career of White House Secretary Maurice C. Latta who served for nine different presidents, and how she...

Season 5, Episode 12 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features D.G. Schulman, author of the novel Anna’s Promise. During the interview, host Colin Mustful talks with Schulman about the circumstances facing Poland during WWI, her extremely positive experience working with Wild Rose Press, and what it means to hold tight to one’s faith, religious or otherwise. Don’t miss it!

Season 5, Episode 11 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Cy Stein, author of the novel A Time for Lies . During the interview, host Colin Mustful talks with Stein about the rise of McCarthyism in the 1950s and the danger it represented, why he chose to write alternate history instead of historical fiction or nonfiction, and the direct links he sees between McCarthyism of the past and...

In this very special bonus episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful chats with Ellen O’Brien, author of The Hills That Hold Me and winner of History Through Fiction’s first annual short story contest grand prize. During the interview, Mustful talks with O’Brien about Melangell, the Catholic Saint upon which her story is based, the value of study landscapes to bring histo...

Season 5, Episode 10 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Cody Epstein, the author of The Madwomen of Paris. During the interview, host Colin Mustful talks with Epstein about the history of the Salpêtrière asylum, the curious, startling nature of Victorian death photography, and the realities and consequences of gender inequity in health care. Don’...