tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24582831149123974052026-04-02T05:12:48.104-04:00Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.comBlogger421125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-28331873988384532722026-03-30T11:40:00.001-04:002026-03-30T11:40:24.419-04:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of being the keynote speaker and leading a masterclass on what we can learn from Charles Dickens about writing historical fiction at the inaugural History Through Fiction Conference in Beverly, MA.Colin Mustful kicking off the conferenceThe location—near Salem, home to America’s most famous witch trials, and many key Revolutionary War sites—was suitably

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-86530269586950585442026-02-21T21:10:00.000-05:002026-02-21T21:10:48.640-05:00

After blogging about Finnish Iida Turpeinen’s Beasts of the Sea last month, I’m sticking with the Nordic theme for the next book I’m writing about as part of my Neo-Victorian Voices series, reviewing novels written in the twenty-first century but set in the nineteenth. Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites (2013) tells the bleak story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the last woman to be executed for murder in

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-15260353167973382282026-01-25T18:16:00.000-05:002026-01-25T18:16:47.028-05:00

Happy 2026 and welcome back to my Neo-Victorian Voices series, in which I review books written in the twenty-first century but set (at least partially) in the nineteenth. This time, for the first time, I’m writing about a novel translated into English from Finnish—Iida Turpeinen’s beautiful and unusual novel, Beasts of the Sea. The novel begins in 1741 when a shipwrecked crew on an island

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-64643301047551024242025-12-31T12:05:00.000-05:002025-12-31T12:05:30.081-05:00

Happy New Year! After tracking my progress via Goodreads, today, for the sixth year in a row, I’m sharing a retrospect on the books I read in the last 12 months. Just like in 2024, in 2025 I read 50 books, maintaining an average pace of 50 pages a day. My ratio of fiction to non-fiction was 42 to 8, while women writers continued to dominate (I read 38 books by women, 11 by men, and 1 by a

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-67266617676472021592025-11-30T20:39:00.001-05:002025-11-30T20:39:18.674-05:00

Happy Holidays, everyone, and thank you for reading blog this year. Are you looking for a gift for a published or early career writer in your life? Here’s my roundup of the presents they just might have on their wish list…An Annual Subscription to Publishers Weekly and/or Publishers MarketplaceHelp a writer stay up to date with industry sales and understand what’s selling to publishers and moving

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-2442064708524021662025-10-18T20:42:00.002-04:002025-10-18T20:48:09.255-04:00

Back in June, I spent a wonderful weekend in Las Vegas for my third in-person Historical Novel Society North America Conference. I recapped some of the quotable takeaways from fellow historical novelists in my Part One blog post, which I wrote on the plane on the way home. Dressed as Miss Havisham for the costume contestBut one of the best things about HNSNA is that the conference isn’t over

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-24382422078606797872025-09-28T14:38:00.001-04:002025-09-28T14:38:49.737-04:00

Allison Epstein’s 2025 novel, Fagin, the Thief, is a prime example of the sort of book that made me launch this Neo-Victorian Voices blog series, exploring and reviewing works set in the nineteenth century, but written in the twenty-first. In this highly engaging and thought-provoking novel, she takes a beloved Victorian classic, Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist (1838), but then focuses on the

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-74006783660452016932025-08-16T21:18:00.000-04:002025-08-16T21:18:18.842-04:00

Welcome back to my Neo-Victorian Voices series, focused on books set in the nineteenth century, but written in the twenty-first. Today, I’m blogging about Louis Bayard’s 2024 novel, The Wildes, which delves into celebrated Victorian writer Oscar Wilde’s conviction for “gross indecency” for his romantic relationship with a man, Lord Alfred Douglas, and the impact of the scandal on his wife and

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-64341411995953961102025-06-30T09:30:00.001-04:002025-06-30T09:30:11.873-04:00

Yesterday I returned home from my third in-person Historical Novel Society North America (HNSNA) conference and my sixth HNS conference overall. This time the conference took place in Las Vegas! As I’ve done at the last few conferences, I’m sharing some of the favorite quotes I heard from fellow authors and a handful of publishing professionals over the last few days. A Part Two post will follow

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-65522228456660546122025-06-26T14:38:00.001-04:002025-06-26T14:38:42.807-04:00

The latest title I’m reviewing as part of Neo-Victorian Voices series, covering novels set in the nineteenth century, but written in the twenty-first, is James McBride’s 2013, National Book Award winner, The Good Lord Bird.Our memorable protagonist is Henry Shackleford, who’s been born into slavery in the Kansas Territory. In 1857, aged around 12, he is “freed” (read: “kidnapped”) by abolitionist

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-68614532793894039992025-05-25T14:08:00.001-04:002025-05-25T14:08:59.035-04:00

Welcome back to my Neo-Victorian Voices series, where I review books set in the nineteenth century but written in the twenty-first!Today’s novel is a dual timeline historical that alternates between the perspectives of a present-day American divorcee, who finds herself in Paris after unexpectedly becoming single in her fifties, and the widow behind the Veuve Clicquot champagne house, who writes

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-58570134230491263622025-04-27T22:05:00.002-04:002025-04-27T22:05:59.254-04:00

It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post in my Writer’s Questions series, covering the most searched questions from fellow writers. Previously, I’ve covered topics as diverse as AI and fiction writers, novel openings, pacing your story, and appearing on podcasts. Today, I’m diving into the subject of writer websites.Why have a website?Having a website is a great way to increase your profile

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-10265087302793175822025-03-30T15:57:00.001-04:002025-03-30T15:57:53.866-04:00

Realism is as synonymous with nineteenth century-set novels as petticoats and corsets, but Virginia Feito’s 2025 Victorian Psycho isn’t a “realistic” tale of a serial killer governess. Instead, the novel, the latest I’m reviewing as part of my Neo-Victorian Voices series, is a sort of historical fever dream of the most gruesome kind, that relies on its period setting, unlikely murderer/

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-12343865548686839932025-02-23T19:24:00.000-05:002025-02-23T19:24:35.400-05:00

It’s no secret that I love a book based on real Victorian scandals (after all, I did write a novel about the affair between Branwell Bronte and Lydia Robinson!), so I was excited to read Laura McNeal’s 2024 The Swan’s Nest as part of my Neo-Victorian Voices series, reviewing works set in the nineteenth century, but written in the twenty-first.The Swan’s Nest tells the story of the relationship

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-1615954930894921612025-01-12T17:08:00.000-05:002025-01-12T17:08:35.106-05:00

Welcome back to the Neo-Victorian Voices review series, covering novels set in the nineteenth century, but written in the twenty-first. Today I’m blogging for the first time about a book set in 1800s Australia! The closest I’ve gotten previously was 1800s New Zealand, when reviewing Eleanor Catton’s 2013 The Luminaries back in 2018. It’s 1896 in Western Australia when Eliza’s father, the

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-60868103578487691522025-01-04T15:27:00.001-05:002025-01-04T15:27:05.414-05:00

Happy New Year! After tracking my progress via Goodreads, today, for the fifth year in a row, I’m sharing a retrospect on the books I read in the last year. (Here are the links to check out the 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020 editions if you’d like to travel back in time!)In 2024, as in 2023, I read 50 books, an average pace of approximately 50 pages a day. My preference for fiction over

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-89981869024704507932024-12-27T11:35:00.000-05:002024-12-27T11:35:15.784-05:00

I very much enjoyed reviewing French Decadent writer Rachilde’s 1887’s The Marquise de Sade for this blog back in 2020, which was one reason why I was so delighted when publisher Rachilde & Co. got in touch about their new translation/edition of her 1893 novel, The Animal. The Animal, Rachilde (1893)Available in English for the very first time, The Animal tells the story of Laure Lordès,

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-58635483566420369152024-11-10T22:02:00.000-05:002024-11-10T22:02:15.187-05:00

I’ve previously reviewed Gustave Flaubert’s 1869 novel, A Sentimental Education, for this blog, but this month I’m back with a post about a lesser-known work—his collection of Three Tales, published eight years later in 1877. In the first story, ‘A Simple Heart,’ a servant woman, Felicité, suffers through a difficult existence, despite the love she has to give. She ends her days unable to

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-39110042650594756162024-09-16T17:51:00.000-04:002024-09-16T17:51:02.508-04:00

Last week, I flew back from England after attending my fourth HNS conference in person. This time we were in Dartington Hall in Devon, the theme of the conference was “from the author’s page to screen and stage,” and I spoke on a panel with fellow writers Heather Webb and Kris Waldherr about authors as “adaptors” in retellings. On the ground at HNS 2024Throughout the conference, as usual, I

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-5030733117282684162024-09-04T06:19:00.000-04:002024-09-04T06:19:43.357-04:00

I'm currently in London en route to the Historical Novel Society UK 2024 conference in Dartington Hall, Devon, where I'm speaking on a panel alongside fellow writers Heather Webb and Kris Waldherr.Check out my pre-conference speaker interview here! If you're also going to the conference, please connect with me, on person or online (on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to my email

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-11854900527258179122024-08-21T23:17:00.000-04:002024-08-21T23:17:47.195-04:00

I’m back with a review of yet another novel written in the twenty-first century, but set in the nineteenth, as part of my Neo-Victorian Voices blog series. This time we’re in 1876 San Francisco for Frog Music by Emma Donoghue, whose 2016 novel, The Wonder, I reviewed back in 2018.Frog Music really drives home the idea that truth can be stranger than fiction when it comes to writing historical

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-31030318800456531772024-06-21T16:38:00.001-04:002024-06-21T16:38:52.171-04:00

Welcome back to the Secret Victorianist. This month I wrote a guest post for Sarah Emsley's blog as part of her A Summer Party for Sense and Sensibility series, exploring Jane Austen's novel from a variety of perspectives.In my post I share a close reading of the sections of Sense and Sensibility that deal with Margaret Dashwood. If Elinor represents sense and Marianne sensibility, what are we to

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-43798213649355648212024-05-26T14:49:00.001-04:002025-01-04T15:17:16.412-05:00

Welcome back to my long-running Neo-Victorian Voices series, in which I review books set in the nineteenth century but published in the twenty-first. Today, I’m blogging about Ami McKay’s 2016 novel, The Witches of New York, which combines three of my favorite things—the 1800s, NYC, and a little dash of magic. Beatrice Dunn arrives in New York in 1880 on the same day as the great obelisk,

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-47070000656837202892024-04-27T15:34:00.003-04:002024-04-27T15:34:32.834-04:00

I know very little about nineteenth-century Japan, but I strongly identified with non-fiction writer Amy Stanley’s author note in her 2020 biography, Stranger in the Shogun’s City. Stanley writes about her excitement at uncovering the story of Tsuneno, a woman born in the early years of the nineteenth-century, through letters and other family records. As a writer of historical fiction, I too have

Secret Victorianisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346234352007002183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2458283114912397405.post-37506564525094761482024-03-24T22:29:00.000-04:002024-03-24T22:29:10.436-04:00

Welcome back to my master class blog series, where I dissect passages by famous nineteenth-century authors to inspire writers today. This is the fifth time I’m taking cues from Charles Dickens (1812-1870). Previously, I used his novel A Tale of Two Cities (1859) to talk about powerful openings, his novella The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain (1848) to talk about repetition, and his short

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