BY AVELLINA BALESTRI

Avellina Balestri: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

Samantha Wilcoxson: I grew up in rural Michigan, where books were my best friends. It was only natural that I would eventually start writing them myself, though I stubbornly waited until my thirties to make this realization. I still love being at the lake in Michigan for the summer, but prefer Florida in the winter. My husband and I also love to travel. Of course, a stack of books goes with me wherever I go.

Avellina Balestri: What first inspired you to start writing?

Samantha Wilcoxson: After a brief stint in accounting, I was thankful to be a stay-at-home mom. Once my children were old enough for me to consider working again, my husband suggested that I try writing. It has been a perfect fit for me, allowing me to pursue a lifelong passion while maintaining a flexible schedule so that I can always put my kids first.

Avellina Balestri: How did you first become interested in history, and what are your favorite time periods?

Samantha Wilcoxson: I have loved learning about history since I held my little illustrated classics and wondered if that was really what life was like during the time they were written. I don’t stick to a particular time period. Some of my books take place during the Wars of the Roses and early Tudor era, and others are set during the American Revolution and even the twentieth century. Currently, I am visiting the first half of the nineteenth century in the United States. This started because of research for my James Alexander Hamilton biography, but I am considering writing a novel within this era as well. Americans don’t know enough about this formative period, and I would like to do my little part to change that.

Avellina Balestri: What started you on the journey of historical fiction writing in particular?

Samantha Wilcoxson: I didn’t consider writing anything else. History – fiction and nonfiction – is primarily what I read, and I love helping modern readers connect with someone from the past that they may not have had any knowledge of or sympathy for before reading one of my books.

Avellina Balestri: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of working within the historical fiction genre?

Samantha Wilcoxson: My favorite part of writing historical fiction is definitely feeling a strong connection to the past, finding those similarities with people who lived long ago, and learning from our differences. My least favorite part is when I read historical fiction that doesn’t do this. Instead, some authors try to place a character with a twenty-first century mindset into the past, and I really don’t understand the point of doing that.

Avellina Balestri: How have you chosen which historical characters to feature in your books, and what made their stories resonate with you?

Samantha Wilcoxson: I tend to be drawn to lesser-known, tragic figures with an emotional story to tell. Or, as some of my reviewers say, I like to make readers cry. Believe me, dear readers, tears fall when I write it as well.

Avellina Balestri: What is your process in terms of research and bringing historical characters to life?

Samantha Wilcoxson: How I perform my research really depends upon who and what I am studying. Whenever possible, I visit the places people lived, so that I can write about it as accurately as possible. I love when I am able to obtain letters or diaries written by the people I am writing about. Nothing is better than learning about them in their own words. I’m often writing about someone not prominent enough to have biographies written about them, but I can often look for tidbits in biographies written about people in their lives. Contemporary newspapers are also a great source of the era’s trends, prices, common phrases in use – all sorts of interesting details that bring authenticity to a work of historical fiction.

Avellina Balestri: What is your method to integrate fictional characters and situations into the historical setting?

Samantha Wilcoxson: I don’t use many fictional characters. The only time I usually do is when I know someone filled a particular role, but I don’t know who or anything about them. An example is the live-in caregiver for Catherine Donohue in Luminous. I knew that a woman was hired to help in the house as Catherine’s health declined, but that was all I knew, so I created a nurturing lady to fill this role.

Avellina Balestri: If you had the chance to convey a message to your favorite historical characters, what would it be?

Samantha Wilcoxson: That’s an interesting question, since I feel like I’m always learning from the past rather than informing it. I suppose I might let people know that we figure some things out. Equality works. However, we’ve also made our own mistakes, and I’d love to talk to people from the past about how we could have better retained their positive attributes that we have lost.

Avellina Balestri: What do you find more enjoyable/difficult: First drafts or editing/rewriting?

Samantha Wilcoxson: I enjoy writing my first draft. That’s when all the ideas can come pouring out. I tend to underwrite, so my most difficult task is going back and filling in the gaps where I rushed too much from one thing to another. I don’t love editing, but it is a necessary evil.

Avellina Balestri: How have you gone about publicizing yourself and your works?

Samantha Wilcoxson: I am always looking for new ways to publicize my books. The most difficult part of writing is making people aware that your book exists, and what worked a few years ago might not be effective today. For example, I used to get thousands of hits on my blog every time I posted. It is still a useful tool, but it doesn’t get the same results now. Bookbub is great if you can get accepted as a featured deal, but it has a big upfront expense as well. I try to consistently have some kind of marketing going on through a variety of book promoters.

Avellina Balestri: What are some of the main themes/morals you would like readers to take away from your works?

Samantha Wilcoxson: A major theme of my works is the consistency of the human experience. Whether one lived in the fifteenth century or any period since then, we share experiences of love, family, faith, and friendship. I hope that my stories help readers appreciate these basic but important aspects of life and some of the ways that people of the past made them a priority.

Avellina Balestri: What is some advice you would give aspiring authors, especially those focusing on the historical fiction genre? 

Samantha Wilcoxson: Become part of the historical fiction community – it’s a great place! Discuss books on Goodreads, join historical fiction Facebook groups, get to know other people who are passionate about the past. Building that network will give you support, a place to go when you have questions, and eventually readers.

Avellina Balestri: Plug your socials, published works, and current projects!

Samantha Wilcoxson: Coming soon – James Alexander Hamilton: Son of the American Revolution from Pen & Sword

Published works:

Women of the American Revolution

But One Life: The Story of Nathan Hale

Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl

Plantagenet Princess Tudor Queen: The Story of Elizabeth of York

Faithful Traitor: The Story of Margaret Pole

Queen of Martyrs: The Story of Mary I

Novellas:

The Last Lancastrian: A Story of Margaret Beaufort

Once a Queen: A Story of Elizabeth Woodville

Prince of York: A Story of Reginald Pole

HWF Anthologies with Samantha’s short story contributions:

Hauntings

Alternate Endings

Masterworks

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