University which was one of the best professional decisions she ever made. She is currently working on a trilogy of historical romance novels set in the Northwest Territory of the late 1700’s before Ohio became a state. Liz is a member of Romance Writers of America, Northeast Ohio RWA, RWA Online, and teaches English part-time online. She is a frequent guest speaker for writers’ groups and loves yoga, meditation, and herb gardening. Liz’s motto: Live today. Laugh at yesterday. Love the promise of tomorrow.
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tured by a Shawnee Indian clan who happen to be suffering from an epidemic of smallpox. Regardless of the condition, Molly Hilliard selflessly tends to those who need help because it’s her calling to be a healer. Her steadfast dedication to being a physician is challenged by the existence of a man she meets on her way to the frontier. Romney Applewood. He’s got his own demons to overcome and find the right doctor to help his fourteen-year-old sister who he rescued from an abusive situation. She’s mute but otherwise seems healthy. Dr. Molly wants Romney to help get her down the Ohio River to a town called Marietta, but he is going the opposite direction. There is a bounty on his head because he is suspected of being a traitor. Molly and Romney discover that it takes love and respect for all people to blaze a trail together on the frontier. What inspires you to write in the historical genre? Do you have a lot of research?
Uncaged welcomes Liz Arnold Welcome to Uncaged! A Healing Touch released in August and is a historical western romance featuring a medicine woman. Can you tell readers more about this book? Hello and thank you for this opportunity to talk to Uncaged Book Reviews! A Healing Touch started out as my second historical novel project. The first one (Message to Love) was inspired by a dream and ended up being set in a difficult place (Cuba!) for me to reach as far as research, but I did my best. I wanted to write something closer to home. I love the Ohio Valley and its rich history and superb resources. The story is about a young female herbal healer in 1796 Baltimore with a desire to be doctor, but women aren’t offered that kind of education or opportunity at the time. Her family has previously moved to the Northwest Territory (now the state of Ohio) so she decides to join them and start her own practice there. It turns out to be an arduous journey. She encounters everything from a near-drowning in the Ohio River to being cap-
I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction because I have this continuous curiosity that makes me ask a lot of questions. One of my favorites is how did someone do something yesterday that I’m doing today? As far as research, I love that part and can be my own worst enemy by going way too far down rabbit holes. However, that tendency always leads me to some interesting facts that I sprinkle throughout my books. I also get a major thrill out of finding and working with primary sources like actual letters and journals from a time period. They provide my stories with authentic tone and allow me to include snippets of things that readers of historical fiction appreciate. For instance, the character Romney wears a crescent-shaped “earbob” made from silver which is something I came across in my research. What are you working on next that you can tell us about? I saw an intriguing request by an agent on Twitter asking for a story based on a historical event that took place in Charleston, South Carolina during the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. Because it involves a mermaid, I’m writing a young adult Issue 57 | April 2021 |
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