Advertise on podcast: Historical Happy Hour

In this episode of The Jane Healey Happy Hour, Jane Healey talks with bestselling historical fiction author Louise Fein about The Book of Forbidden Words, a dual-timeline novel spanning the 1500s and 1950s. Fein shares the history behind real-life Parisian printer Charlotte Goulard, the inspiration she found in the still-undeciphered Voynich manuscript, and the extensive research required to bring two very different eras to life. They also discuss historical accuracy, censorship and banned books, and Fein’s approach to writing stories about women whose voices have been overlooked.

In this episode of The Jane Healey Happy Hour, Jane Healey talks with #1 New York Times bestselling author Lyla Sage about Free Falling, the second novel in her Sweetwater Peak duology. Sage shares how her love of rural communities, antiques, Western ghost-town lore, and haunted-house stories shaped the atmospheric town of Sweetwater Peak and the romance between Clark and Laith. She also talks about writing intuitively, why she thrives during revision rather than drafting, and what her brief move from self-publishing to traditional publishing taught her about the business of books.

Jane Healey talks with Vanessa Riley about Fire, Sword and Sea, her historical novel inspired by Jacquotte Delahaye, a Black woman who rose from a tavern keeper’s daughter to become a pirate captain in the 1600s Caribbean. Riley shares how a visit to Port Royal sparked the novel and why reconstructing Jacquotte’s life required extensive research and careful triangulation from the records of better-documented contemporaries. They also dig into the surprising diversity of Caribbean pirate crews, the brutal role of enslavement in the region’s economy, and Riley’s commitment to portraying history with both honesty and humanity.

Jane Healey welcomes author Priya Parmar to The Jane Healey Happy Hour to discuss The Original, her new novel inspired by Katharine Hepburn’s remarkable life and career. Priya shares how a simple conversation with her mother led to months of research, including reading dozens of books, visiting Hepburn’s homes, and working with primary source materials to better understand the woman behind the public image. The conversation also explores the challenge of balancing historical fact with fiction, the writing process, and why Hepburn’s determination to reinvent herself continues to resonate.

Jane Healey welcomes bestselling author Emily Franklin to discuss Love and Other Monsters, a novel that reimagines the origins of Frankenstein through the eyes of Claire Clairmont, Mary Shelley's often-overlooked stepsister. Listen as Emily shares the years of research behind the book, from uncovering Claire's letters and journals to exploring the remarkable summer of 1816 when literary history was made on the shores of Lake Geneva. They also talk about how themes of celebrity, power, women's voices, and climate resonate just as strongly today, along with Emily's unique writing process that brought Claire's forgotten story to life.

In this episode of The Jane Healey Happy Hour, bestselling author Jane Healey sits down with bestselling author Kerri Maher to discuss Summer of Love, a family secrets novel that moves between 1967 San Francisco and 2015 Napa Valley. Kerri shares how Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way unexpectedly unlocked the idea for the novel, along with the personal connection she has to California and the extensive research behind the state's wine-making history. They also explore dual timelines, addiction and recovery, the writing process, and why perseverance is one of the most important qualities for any author.

Bestselling author Jane Healey welcomes author, former U.S. Congressman, and bookstore owner Steve Israel to discuss his latest historical thriller, The Einstein Conspiracy. Inspired by the Long Island cottage where Albert Einstein wrote his pivotal 1939 letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt warning of Nazi atomic ambitions, Israel shares the remarkable true history behind the novel, his extensive research into Nazi activity in America, and the challenge of balancing historical accuracy with the pace of a spy thriller. The conversation also explores writing process, historical fiction, the importance of independent bookstores, and why stories from the past continue to resonate with readers today.

Author John Glynn joins Jane Healey to discuss his debut novel, The Lost Book of Lancelot, a queer retelling of Arthurian legend that reimagines the story of Sir Lancelot through a fresh and deeply researched lens. John shares how discovering the little-known relationship between Lancelot and the knight Galehaut inspired the novel, and discusses the challenges of navigating centuries of Arthurian source material. He also explores his creation of the Isle of Women, his approach to reimagining characters like Guinevere, and the themes of prophecy, identity, and agency woven throughout the story. The conversation also touches on John’s writing process, his experience as an editor and author, and his advice for aspiring writers.

Join bestselling author Jane Healey on The Jane Healey Happy Hour as she talks with U.S. Air Force veteran John Edward Collins about his debut novel, The Interdictionist, a Cold War military thriller inspired by his own experiences as an NSA cryptologist in West Germany. Collins shares the remarkable story behind the book, including how the NSA required him to submit both his memoir and novel for review decades after his service. The conversation explores the realities of Cold War intelligence work, the transition from memoir to fiction, and the family history and European travels that helped shape the novel’s setting and characters.

Jane Healey welcomes debut novelist Laura Vogt to discuss In The Great Quiet, a historical novel inspired by the life of Vogt’s great-great-grandmother, who joined the 1893 Cherokee Outlet land run in Oklahoma Territory. Laura shares how family stories, extensive research into women homesteaders, and overlooked corners of American history shaped the novel, along with the challenge of writing fiction rooted in her own ancestry. The conversation also explores the emotional realities of the writing life, including the unpublished manuscript that came before this debut and why perseverance matters so much to emerging writers.

New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center joins Jane Healey to discuss her new romantic comedy, The Shippers, a childhood friends-to-lovers story set aboard a wedding cruise. Katherine shares how her own first kiss on a cruise inspired the novel, why she believes love stories deserve to be taken seriously, and how humor, hope, and emotional connection shape her writing. The conversation also explores her writing process, the slow path to literary success, upcoming screen adaptations, and her advice for aspiring writers on cultivating self-encouragement and trusting the creative process.

Bestselling historical fiction author Janis Robinson Daley joins Jane Healey to discuss her latest novel, Under Two Flags, inspired by a little-known 1918 memoir ghostwritten by Daley’s grandfather. The novel follows Josephine, a young American Jewish opera student who travels to Berlin during World War I to pursue her musical dreams amid growing political tension and hardship. Janice shares the remarkable true story behind the book, her research into wartime Berlin and opera training, and how she brought Josephine’s voice and resilience to life for modern readers. She also discusses writing found family dynamics, balancing historical fact with fiction, and why World War I remains such a compelling and underexplored era for historical fiction readers.

Jane Healey welcomes debut author Kayla Hardy to The Jane Healey Happy Hour to discuss The Quarter Queen, a historical fantasy set in 1840s New Orleans. Drawing on her background in Black folklore and Louisiana Creole history, Hardy explores the life and legend of Marie Laveau through a layered mother-daughter story that blends magic with real historical tensions. The conversation highlights how voodoo, Catholicism, and the realities of slavery intersect in the novel, as well as Hardy’s path from TV pilot to published book. Hardy also shares how she approached Marie as both a powerful figure and a flawed, human mother navigating a dangerous world.

Jane Healey welcomes back New York Times bestselling author Allison Pataki to discuss her new novel It Girl, inspired by the real-life story of Evelyn Nesbitt. From her rise out of poverty to becoming one of America’s first celebrities, Nesbitt’s life unfolds against the backdrop of the Gilded Age and the birth of modern fame. Pataki shares how she blended history with fiction to reclaim Evelyn’s voice, explores the darker side of early celebrity culture, and reflects on the enduring parallels between Nesbitt’s story and the treatment of women in the spotlight today.

In this episode of The Jane Healey Happy Hour, Jane Healey speaks with New York Times bestselling author Sadeqa Johnson about her new novel Keeper of Lost Children. Johnson shares the little-known history that inspired the book, including the real story of journalist and adoption advocate Mabel Grammer, who helped place more than 500 mixed-race “brown babies” born in post–World War II Germany into American homes.