Writing the Historical Novel with Vanessa Riley

In this episode, host Landis Wade has a conversation with Vanessa Riley, author of a novel based on the true-life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the most successful and powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies, about writing the historical novel.

Access the episode HERE

In addition to being a novelist, Vanessa Riley holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a master’s in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. She also earned BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. She currently juggles mothering a teen, cooking for her military-man husband, and speaking at women’s and STEM events. She loves baking her Trinidadian grandma’s cake recipes and collecting Irish crochet lace. You can catch her writing from the comfort of her porch in Atlanta, Georgia, with a cup of Earl Grey tea.