On the Road to History

[Peg Herring]

I'm attending the Historical Novel Society Conference this weekend, which should be great fun. When history nerds get together past and present meld, since many of us feel as close to figures of other times as we are to many folks still walking around.

I'm moderating a panel of talented and varied authors: Kate Forsyth from Australia, Mary Sharratt from England, Chris Blevins from Illinois, Nancy Hull from my home state of Michigan, and Margaret George, who calls Wisconsin home but seems to be everywhere. Their books and experiences are widely varied, so we should get some good discussion going on our topic, dialogue in historical novels.

Other highlights of the conference will be my pitch session with Barbara Peters of Poisoned Pen and meeting Edward Rutherfurd, an author I've admired for years (along with Margaret George) as a "great" of living historical novelists. Of course there's the opportunity to see old friends and to get acquainted or reaquainted with others.

I'm sure there will be some bemoaning of the current state of publishing, but that's good too. We all need to vent.