Author Posts

Monthly writing on craft, history, geopolitics, and the research behind the AMERICA Series.

Published

Writing Time Travel

Why time travel is one of fiction's most successful yet niche genres — and what it demands of authors who dare attempt it. From NYT bestsellers to Emmy winners, the case for the genre no one can categorize.

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What Makes a Thriller a Thriller?

Five essential elements that define the genre — from gripping openings and daunting consequences to the plot twist that sold 80 million books.

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Writing African American Characters with Honesty and Depth

What it took — personally and as a writer — to portray Kenneth Robinson authentically in What Must Be Stopped, and the tropes every author must understand and avoid.

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Conflict in the Middle East is Predictable

Why the region's instability is structural, not accidental — and what the conditions for escalation tell us about the world What Must Be Stopped is set in.

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July 2026
Spain & Portugal Research Trip
August 2026
The Appalachian Trail & the Eastern Woodlands
September 2026
The Value of Book Awards to Authors and Readers