More than one reader has contacted me asking how I managed to explicitly portray the Great Dismal Swamp in “Escape To The Maroons.” Since that was my intent, I’ll take the compliment. But after visiting the place, I don’t know that any writer can truly describe how extreme surviving there must have been. When I traveled to Virginia and spent a day touring the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, a Ranger drove me around to show me several highlights, including Lake Drummond. Today’s...

Set in Japan in 1906, this story follows a young English boy and his Japanese friend. Their innocent missteps lead them to discover a shared sense of duty and discipline across cultures. The piece explores the Edwardian ideal of honor and the quiet moral codes of two civilizations meeting in a rapidly changing world. James Hogan is a published author of historical fiction and travel writing. His novel “Love Through All Strife” was published in 2019. He has also contributed articles to Travel...

If you love historical fiction, try this list out for your 2026 to-read challenge: If you love opera and the canals of Venice, you’ll love ‘ Poinsettia Girl’ by Jennifer Wizbowski; If you love ‘Poinsettia Girl’ you’ll adore more Italian opera history with ‘Viva Violetta & Verdi ’ by Howard Jay Smith; For more inspiring Italian historical fiction, and if you loved ‘Viva Violetta & Verdi’, you’ll want to set your calendar for the release of Mary Thurlow’s art-inspired novel ‘ Sandro &...