When I began researching modern-day slavery for Band of Sisters (1910-1911)–which RELEASES TOMORROW, I didn’t know what I’d find.  Was it as much a problem then as it is today? Stories of human trafficking–labeled “white slavery,” particularly among new immigrants, flooded the news in the first decade of the twentieth century just as they do today. But it was the …

Two weeks ago I alluded to a fork in the road while researching Band of Sisters.  I’d set my mind to write a particular story.  But, after talking with my literary agent and editor, I knew something was missing. Revelation came in NYC, after days of trekking through Ellis Island and Lower Manhattan in search of a story that would …

My mother turns 85 this year.  Tomorrow we’re gathering four generations of family from far and wide to celebrate.  We’ll laugh and light the candles, sing Mom’s favorite songs and cut the cake.  We’ll tell family stories—especially the funny ones, offer tributes, and take photos until our faces freeze.  We’ll remember and do our best to articulate (tears notwithstanding) all …

I’d planned to write a historical novel about female immigrants of the late 1800s who were hounded by traffickers lurking near Castle Garden, New York—gateway to the New World—and members of the settlement house movement who came to their aid.  I was particularly taken with a feisty little Manhattan woman who took on the rogues with her umbrella! I’d planned …