Thrilled to welcome Kelli Estes to the blog today for her #WomensHistoryReads Q&Q&Q&A! I recently read her lovely debut, THE GIRL WHO WROTE IN SILK, and her answers below provide a hint about her next novel, which we can expect out in 2019. Welcome, Kelli!

Greer: What do you find most challenging or most exciting about researching historical women?

Kelli: Even though I know that history was primarily recorded by men and the women were nearly completely overlooked, I still have moments during my research when I am surprised to learn that I had believed the false history. For example, when I first learned that several hundred women disguised themselves as men to fight in the U.S. Civil War I had the thought that that they probably followed their husbands there or they were prostitutes. And then I researched further. Yes, there were women who fit these two profiles, but many – possibly even the majority – served for the same reasons as the men: they needed to earn a living wage, they felt compelled to serve their nation’s cause, they wanted to prove themselves on the battlefield, they wanted an adventure, etc. Moments like these when I uncover women in history whose stories have been changed, ignored, or were twisted into something shameful are incredibly exciting to me because I can then write a novel about them and try to set the record straight. I find it equally as challenging, however, because I don’t want to unknowingly perpetuate in my writing any of the misconceptions. I make sure to be as thorough as possible in my research.

Greer: That's fabulous. What book, movie or TV show would your readers probably be surprised to find out you love?

Kelli: I think readers would be surprised to learn that I love sci-fi and fantasy movies and TV such as Star Trek, Doctor Who, Firefly, etc. These genres are so different from what I write, yet what I learn from them directly influences my writing in areas such as pacing, world-building, and conflict. What I really love about these genres, however, is that they can be set on some distant planet or dystopian future and yet be directly relatable to conflicts in today’s society. I love how, while watching these programs, we are learning lessons we can apply to our own lives on topics such as racism, immigration, segregation, equality and the environment. It feels kind of sneaky and I love that.

Greer: Ditto! So, what’s your next book about and when will we see it?

Kelli: My next book is still untitled (I am horrible at titles!) but it will be released spring 2019 from Sourcebooks Landmark. It is a dual timeline story about a former Army military police officer recently returned from Afghanistan who is struggling to find her way as a civilian. She finds help in an unlikely place – a diary written by a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Civil War.

Now, a question for you: I just finished reading The Magician’s Lie (loved it!) and I want to know if you know how to perform all of the illusions described in the story? Did you work with a magician to learn these? I know a magician never tells her secrets, but maybe just this once you’ll let slip…how does she put jewelry or a coin into an audience member’s pocket without going near him?

Greer: I love that you know about the magicians' code of secrets! Since I'm not a professional magician, I could technically give some secrets away, though I do like to maintain a sense of mystery. I understand how all the illusions in the books work, though it turns out I'm a bit of a butterfingers and cannot actually perform them myself. (I tell people that making a book out of thin air is my greatest, and only, magic!) The funny thing about magic is that the mechanics of certain illusions have changed so little over the years that you can watch classic illusions like the Dove Pan being performed and explained on YouTube! To make sure that The Amazing Arden's illusions were period-appropriate, I drew on accounts of 1890s and early 1900s magic shows to devise the illusions she performs. The usual way to pull off putting something into a place where it isn't supposed to be is that the person who discovers it is part of the show and only playing along; for the version Arden does, since the person discovering the item is genuinely surprised, someone with the show (sitting near the mark, generally one seat over) has to plant the item. Not easy but not impossible -- and surprise plus misdirection equals magic!

Learn more about Kelli and her books at these links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelliEstesAuthor

Website: http://www.kelliestes.com/