In this episode of The Jane Healey Happy Hour, Jane Healey welcomes bestselling author Jennifer Ryan back to discuss The Queen’s Coronation, a historical novel inspired by her mother’s memories of Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation. Ryan explains how she tells the story through three women working around the palace—including an assistant dresser, a laundry maid, and an ambitious American journalist—to explore the opportunities and restrictions women faced in 1950s Britain. She also shares fascinating details from her research into Buckingham Palace life, royal wardrobes, and the young Queen’s early years on the throne.

In this episode of The Jane Healey Happy Hour, Jane Healey talks with debut novelist Kevin C. Morris about Untamed Coast, an atmospheric mystery inspired by a real 1930s radio outpost he discovered while boating along the remote coast of Southeast Alaska. Morris shares the remarkable story behind Radioville, where a lone radio operator once carried messages by rowboat between isolated gold mines and the outside world, and explains how that mystery grew into a novel spanning three timelines. He also discusses weaving Alaska’s fishing history and wilderness into the story, his commitment to historical accuracy, and the unexpected transition from engineering and journalism to fiction.

In this episode of The Jane Healey Happy Hour, Jane Healey welcomes author Kitty Zeldis to discuss her historical novel One of Them, a story of friendship, identity, and belonging at Vassar College in the years following World War II. Kitty shares how Vassar's history of antisemitism inspired her to explore two Jewish women who make very different choices about revealing their identities, and recalls a troubling experience from her own college years. They also discuss the challenges of writing about Palestine in the 1940s, balancing historical accuracy with fiction, and how unexpected turns can shape a novel. Plus, Kitty offers practical advice for aspiring authors, including why persistence, a trusted writing community, and faith in your own work matter so much.