I’m thrilled to share that I’ve won 2nd place in the Historical Romance category at the The BookFest Fall 2025 Awards for my novel The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress Dances in the Dark. This is a wonderful achievement and a moment to celebrate not just winning awards, but what it signifies for indie authors […more…]
The Synopsis The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (Tor.com, February 16, 2016) is the cat’s pajamas when it comes to Lovecraftian horror re-imagined. With grit, soul, and a touch of jazz-age flair, for this Ballad of Black Tom Review, we swing into 1920s Harlem. Charles Thomas Tester is a street-smart hustler who plays […more…]
by Tam Francis I never used to be a fall person, but since moving to Texas, it’s the time of the year when the heat gives way to cool mornings and evening porch-sitting. Think autumn leaves, tweed coats, wood-paneled libraries, warm lighting, vintage cafes, and a sense of nostalgic comfort. So, to get you in […more…]
The Synopsis Below the Grand Hotel by Cat Scully (CLASH Books, May 6, 2025) is the cat’s pajamas and macabre historical fantasy–horror debut. For this Below the Grand Hotel: Vintage book review, we go to opulent 1920s New York, following Mabel Rose Dixon, a scrappy performer from Georgia determined to become a Ziegfeld girl. When […more…]
by Tam Francis What do moonlit swing dances and desolate dystopian cities have in common? More than you’d think. If you’ve read my vintage fiction, you know I’m obsessed with the rhythm of swing music, the swish of a gored skirt, the romance of a well-dressed man, and of danger behind a flirtatious glance. But […more…]
The Synopsis Salt to the Sea Philomel Books (February 2016) by Ruta Sepetys is a gripping, heart-wrenching WWII historical fiction that sheds light on the forgotten maritime tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff. My Salt to the Sea: Vintage book review finds us amidst the brutal winter of 1945, as the Soviet army advances through East […more…]
A character’s clothing isn’t just what they wear—it’s who they are. Learn how to dress your characters in vintage style. In historical fiction, fashion can be a doorway into personality, class, culture, and conflict. With just a few well-chosen details, you can conjure a whole life in the tilt of a hat or the tug […more…]
Smells like Ink & Dust: Writing Vintage Settings by Tam Francis Writing Vintage Settings: Vibes There’s a kind of magic in a room lined with cracked bookshelves, the scent of old paper lingering in the air, a slow fan humming quietly in the corner. When you’re writing a novel with a vintage slant, setting becomes […more…]