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Welcome to our group Natalie Writes Group! A space for us to connect and share with each other. Start by posting your thoughts, sharing media, or creating a poll.

On May 30, 2024, I participated in a panel discussion on writing historical fiction at the Doylestown Historical Society. The session was hosted by Bill Donahue and fellow participants were authors LCW Allingham and Melissa Sullivan. Had a full house and lots of interesting questions.

I was thrilled to be selected to participate in Chester County Library’s annual author showcase on May 19, 2024. Lots of fun meeting book lovers and other authors. Sold a few books, too!

In this Spotlight Interview, you'll learn why Locked In Silence was written, why it was set in pre-Civil War Philadelphia, what made the main character, Lizzy, so appealing, and much more.

A number of my writer friends and colleagues joined me at Maxwells on Main, a casual restaurant and bar in the heart of Doylestown, to celebrate the release of Locked in Silence. No book talk, just  eating, drinking, and schmoozing with some of my favorite people, and signing a few books. It’s wonderful to be embraced by the local writing community. 

It might have been raining outside, but inside the historic Jenkintown Library, it was warm and cozy. Thirty-five people attended, and I enjoyed talking about Locked in Silence and engaging in a lively Q & A. Afterwards, the guests munched on lots of goodies including a “book cake” and a tray of homemade cherry tarts (which figured in the novel), while I signed books and sold a bunch as well. 

Charles Dickens visited Eastern State Penitentiary in the 1840s during a tour of the U.S. and wrote about it in American Notes, condemning the practice of solitary confinement. Dickens makes an appearance in Locked in Silence. "The Solitary Man" is an engraving from American Notes, the book Dickens wrote about his visit to America.

Illustration of a Race Riot in 1849. Racial tension frequently boiled over into full-scale riots. This riot and several others comprise scenes in Locked in Silence.

Eastern State is considered to be the world's first true penitentiary, capable of holding 500 convicts in isolation.