Weaving a History of Silk
A glimpse into the history of wild silk and its possible relevance to my forthcoming novel, Song of the Silk Weaver
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cplesley
Aug 163 min read
The Ick Factor in History
On the not so nice parts of history and their inclusion in historical fiction
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cplesley
Aug 96 min read
The Traveling Salesmen of History
On the value of merchants' travel accounts as sources for historical fiction, or what we can learn from the traveling salesmen of history
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cplesley
Aug 24 min read
Interview with Michelle Moran
Interview with the author Michelle Moran, whose latest novel, "Maria," explores the true story behind "The Sound of Music"
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cplesley
Jul 264 min read
The Rabbit Hole of Historical Research
The joys and perils of historical research when writing fiction, with special attention to the author's next Songs of Steppe & Forest novel
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cplesley
Jun 285 min read
Interview with Ellery Lloyd
Written interview with the husband-and-wife team who publish as Ellery Lloyd, about their latest suspense novel, just out from Harper
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cplesley
Jun 72 min read
Another Stage, or Life in Retirement
Life in retirement takes some getting used to, so here are thoughts about the decision to slow down and ways to occupy that freed-up time
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cplesley
May 175 min read
Interview with Audrey Burges
Interview with author Audrey Burges about her latest novel, A House Like an Accordion
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cplesley
Apr 196 min read
Co-writing The Merchant's Tale
Interview about co-writing conducted by Joan Schweighardt with C. P. Lesley and P.K. Adams, discussing The Merchant's Tale
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cplesley
Feb 232 min read
Food and Character
An exploration of food as an indicator of character in novels, citing Ruth Reichl and her work
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cplesley
Jan 193 min read
The Writing Vacation That Wasn't
On how what was supposed to be a writing vacation turned into a vacation from writing, and why that may not be a bad thing
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cplesley
Jan 53 min read
Writing Plans for 2024
A look at my writing plans for 2024, as well as other book and editing news
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cplesley
Dec 29, 20234 min read
The Why of Writing
The why of writing fiction, and thoughts about whether it is best to focus on the story or the sales
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cplesley
Dec 22, 20233 min read
Cats Find Peace, if not Love
An update on the evolving relationship among the author's cats as they prepare to spend their second Christmas together.
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cplesley
Dec 8, 20233 min read
Adjusting to Co-Writing
Thoughts on the pluses and minuses of co-writing and what it adds to a novel project
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cplesley
Nov 22, 20233 min read
A Deeper Look at The Merchant’s Tale
Deeper look at The Merchant's Tale, a historical novel co-written by P.K. Adams and C.P. Lesley and released in mid-November 2023
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cplesley
Sep 29, 20236 min read
Interview with Heather Redmond
Interview with Heather Redmond, author of numerous mystery novels, most recently "Death of the Sisters"
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cplesley
Aug 11, 20236 min read
Connecting with My Characters
Discussion of how I connect with my characters at the start of a new novel
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cplesley
Jul 28, 20233 min read
Historical Invention Redux
Revisiting the question of historical invention with a specific example from my own work in progress, Song of the Steadfast
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cplesley
Jun 16, 20233 min read
Historical Invention
On the challenges of telling a story when real life offers more drama than making stuff up
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