I have an affinity for Historical Biographical Fiction & this is why:
I have had a keen eye for finding Historical Biographical Fiction stories ever since I first started to become a book blogger. Mostly as, try as I had to get into reading Biographical &/or Autobiographical Non-Fiction – I found myself pulling away from the stories. I just couldn’t connect to the narratives as much as I had hoped I’d might as I knew this was a particular interest of my Mum. I did a bit better with Memoirs but only just. I was craving to find connection to the *story!* and to the *person(s)* involved.
For whichever reason, I found that lightbulb moment for me when I started carving out a new niche of appreciation for Biographical Historical Fiction!! So much so, there were a lot of months in those early years as a book blogger wherein I was reading these kinds of story with a heap of frequency! You can find them in my original archives for book reviews.
I jumped through time and eras – seeking out the stories which interested me the most to read at those moments of discovery. Those readings led me into seeking out select Non-Fiction – including Biographies, Autobiographies & Memoir. As well as select works of Poetry. Still, my favourite stories rooted in the real-life stories of persons who once lived are within the chronicles of Biographical Historical Fiction.
For me personally, I believe what draws my eye into these stories the most is how captivating the authors are in presenting the lives being re-told. You get this lovely interpersonal interpretation of their lives. You get to step into their shoes and into their heart & minds – finding traction with how they could have lived and experienced everything in their lives or at least in the duration of the timeline the author chose to encompass.
This is why when I saw the premise for this particular story – I was keenly intrigued. I knew I wanted to help spotlight it and help get the word out about the release. There is something wicked intriguing about being able to peel back the veils of time & History and peer back into a periscope of insight into how someone lived their life. Especially someone as interesting as Hazel Lavery!
The Many Lives and Loves of Hazel Lavery
by Lois Cahall
Source: Chapter Sampler
In the heart of tumultuous times, amidst the grandeur of Victorian opulence, there existed an American socialite whose influence altered the course of the Anglo-Irish treaty: Lady Hazel Lavery
Boston-born Hazel ascended from her Irish roots to become the quintessential Society Queen of Chicago, and later London, where she lived a delicate dance between two worlds: one with her esteemed husband, Sir John Lavery, a portrait artist to royalty, and the other with Michael Collins, the daring Irish rebel whose fiery spirit ignited her heart. Together, they formed a love triangle that echoed through the corridors of power at 10 Downing Street, London.
Hazel's wit and charm touched on the lives of the who's-who of England, including Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw and Evelyn Waugh. The image of her memorable face graced the Irish note for close to half-a-century.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-1962465632
Published by Historium Press
on 14th January, 2025
Format: Chapter Sampler | Online
Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback & Ebook
Converse via: #CoffeePotBookClub, #HazelLavery, #HistFic and #HistoricalFiction
About Lois Cahall
Lois Cahall began her writing career as a columnist for Cape Cod newspapers and local periodicals, including Cape Cod Life. She spent a decade writing for national magazines (Conde Nast/Hearst). Her articles have been published in Cosmo Girl, Seventeen, SELF, Marie Claire, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, Reader’s Digest, Men’s Journal, and Bon Appetit. In the UK she wrote for RED, GQ, Psychologies, and for The Times. In addition, Lois wrote profiles for The Palm Beach Post.
Lois’s first novel, Plan C: Just in Case, was a #1 bestseller in the UK, where it remained in the top three fiction for the year before selling into foreign translation markets. In July of 2014, her novel hit #1 on the Nook “Daily Deal” in America. Her second novel, Court of the Myrtles, was hailed as “Tuesdays with Morrie on estrogen” by the Ladies Home Journal. Her newest book, The Many Lives of Hazel Lavery, is a work of Historical Fiction and will be published in 2025.
Lois is the former Creative Director of Development for James Patterson Entertainment. She credits her friend, Jim Patterson, the world’s most successful bestselling author, with teaching her about the importance of children’s reading and literacy. As a result, she founded the Palm Beach Book Festival in 2015, an annual event bringing in NYT bestselling and celebrity authors. The event is for book lovers, nurturing the written word for the children and adults of southern Florida.
In 2024 Lois also founded The Cape Cod Book Festival, an annual autumn event that promises to be a new cultural footprint in Massachusetts. It will be for locals and ‘washashores’ alike – a magical place where charitably minded readers can rub elbows with great writers and thinkers.
Lois divides her life between New York and Cape Cod, although her spiritual home is London. But most importantly, Lois can do the Hula Hoop for an hour non-stop and clear a Thanksgiving table in just under ten minutes.
