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Hello from the Deep South

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lauradupre
Scribbler
Posts: 12
Joined: April 2017
Currently reading: Tudor Bride
Interest in HF: Historical fiction was my guilty pleasure when I was in grad school, getting my Master's in History. Back then, I read everything I could about the American Revolution and early republic. Now, as I'm researching my ancestors, I'm obsessed with French history. I've stuck in the Renaissance era.
Favourite HF book: Minette by Melanie Clegg
Preferred HF: How many can I have? WWI, American Revolution, Renaissance, 18th Century,
Location: USA

Hello from the Deep South

Post by lauradupre » Tue April 18th, 2017, 4:49 am

Hi, everyone! I've been looking for a forum dedicated to Historical Fiction, and finally, I've found it. I'm Laura, the product for generations of inbreeding of Huguenots and Puritans (I'm not proud of that fact, but might as well be honest from the get-go). I live in the South, have almost my entire life. I started reading HF beginning with Gone With the Wind and LOTS of historical romance books. I moved onto Jean Plaidy as soon as my friend introduced me to her Victorian Holt books.

I'm in love with almost all of Jean's books, and my favorite is her book about Henrietta Maria, which I have as Loyal in Love. I think it's had at least two titles over the years. My favorite recent book is Melanie Clegg's, Minette. I'm on tenterhooks waiting for her to write the sequel.

I read HF all of the time. I'm currently 4/8 through the Outlander series. Last week, I finished Sally Christie's Sisters of Versailles. I tend to prefer biographical fiction, with a subgenre that I lovingly refer to as "unrepentant wh**e" fiction, or "Mistress fiction."

I think the reason why I prefer biographical fiction is that I'm trained as a historian. I have a Master's Degree in History from Middle Tennessee State University. (any Blue Raiders out there?) Our program focused on "practical history," outside of the academic setting. I've used my degree since I graduated, working full time as an archivist in Texas.

Now I work as a freelance writer and gobble up HF in my spare time. My favorite eras are WWI, the Gilded Age, the American Revolution, and the Renaissance. I'm in the middle of researching my ancestors, and since they were Huguenots, I'm starting back in the French Renaissance with my research. I'm a huge fan of Robert J. Knecht, Mack P. Holt and Stewart Carroll (who wrote a great study of the Guise family).

I'm excited to be here. 1776 was on AMC tonight, so I'm in a historical mood.

User avatar
Misfit
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 9581
Joined: August 2008
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Hello from the Deep South

Post by Misfit » Wed April 19th, 2017, 1:51 am

Hi Laura and welcome aboard.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

User avatar
Madeleine
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 5860
Joined: August 2008
Currently reading: "Mania" by L J Ross
Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
Location: Essex/London

Re: Hello from the Deep South

Post by Madeleine » Wed April 19th, 2017, 8:20 am

Hi Laura, good luck with your family research, it sounds fascinating.
Currently reading "Mania" by L J Ross

User avatar
lauradupre
Scribbler
Posts: 12
Joined: April 2017
Currently reading: Tudor Bride
Interest in HF: Historical fiction was my guilty pleasure when I was in grad school, getting my Master's in History. Back then, I read everything I could about the American Revolution and early republic. Now, as I'm researching my ancestors, I'm obsessed with French history. I've stuck in the Renaissance era.
Favourite HF book: Minette by Melanie Clegg
Preferred HF: How many can I have? WWI, American Revolution, Renaissance, 18th Century,
Location: USA

Re: Hello from the Deep South

Post by lauradupre » Wed April 19th, 2017, 4:14 pm

Thanks and hi right back.

User avatar
MLE (Emily Cotton)
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3566
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
Favourite HF book: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger
Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
Location: California Bay Area

Re: Hello from the Deep South

Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Wed April 19th, 2017, 7:25 pm

Hi Laura!
You'll find plenty of suggestions here to build that to-be-read pile higher.

User avatar
lauradupre
Scribbler
Posts: 12
Joined: April 2017
Currently reading: Tudor Bride
Interest in HF: Historical fiction was my guilty pleasure when I was in grad school, getting my Master's in History. Back then, I read everything I could about the American Revolution and early republic. Now, as I'm researching my ancestors, I'm obsessed with French history. I've stuck in the Renaissance era.
Favourite HF book: Minette by Melanie Clegg
Preferred HF: How many can I have? WWI, American Revolution, Renaissance, 18th Century,
Location: USA

Re: Hello from the Deep South

Post by lauradupre » Wed April 26th, 2017, 5:46 pm

MLE (Emily Cotton) wrote:Hi Laura!
You'll find plenty of suggestions here to build that to-be-read pile higher.
Oh, no you don't! Don't you DARE! :lol:

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