One of my favorite parts of being an author is research. My latest historical fiction novel, The Librarians of Lisbon, published by Zando, gave me the chance to explore the fascinating realm of World War II espionage tactics and equipment. Some of what I learned genuinely surprised me. For instance, I had no idea that...Read More

When I was writing my historical fiction novel The Librarians of Lisbon, there were two people who kept appearing in mind, beloved ghosts from the past. The first was my aunt, Carol Warfield Tallman, who worked as a librarian for over thirty years at the William Penn Memorial Museum (now the State Museum of Pennsylvania)....Read More

When I consider World War II and the terrible choices, and sacrifices, so many made to help defeat Hitler, I face the daunting question, “What would I have done?” I want to believe I would have been brave enough, strong enough, to fight for right even in the face of my own death or the...Read More

One aspect of World War II that, up until relatively recently, didn’t garner a lot of attention, was the role that librarians, scholars, and academics played in the Allied efforts to win the war. Dozens of women scholars, librarians, and—yes, beautiful socialites, too!—served as World War II spies. These women helped to inspire characters Bea...Read More