Bestselling historical fiction author Janis Robinson Daley joins Jane Healey to discuss her latest novel, Under Two Flags, inspired by a little-known 1918 memoir ghostwritten by Daley’s grandfather. The novel follows Josephine, a young American Jewish opera student who travels to Berlin during World War I to pursue her musical dreams amid growing political tension and hardship. Janice shares the remarkable true story behind the book, her research into wartime Berlin and opera training, and how she brought Josephine’s voice and resilience to life for modern readers. She also discusses writing found family dynamics, balancing historical fact with fiction, and why World War I remains such a compelling and underexplored era for historical fiction readers.

Jane Healey welcomes debut author Kayla Hardy to The Jane Healey Happy Hour to discuss The Quarter Queen, a historical fantasy set in 1840s New Orleans. Drawing on her background in Black folklore and Louisiana Creole history, Hardy explores the life and legend of Marie Laveau through a layered mother-daughter story that blends magic with real historical tensions. The conversation highlights how voodoo, Catholicism, and the realities of slavery intersect in the novel, as well as Hardy’s path from TV pilot to published book. Hardy also shares how she approached Marie as both a powerful figure and a flawed, human mother navigating a dangerous world.

Jane Healey welcomes back New York Times bestselling author Allison Pataki to discuss her new novel It Girl, inspired by the real-life story of Evelyn Nesbitt. From her rise out of poverty to becoming one of America’s first celebrities, Nesbitt’s life unfolds against the backdrop of the Gilded Age and the birth of modern fame. Pataki shares how she blended history with fiction to reclaim Evelyn’s voice, explores the darker side of early celebrity culture, and reflects on the enduring parallels between Nesbitt’s story and the treatment of women in the spotlight today.