I’m chatting today with Libby McNamee, an author, speaker, lawyer, and veteran. When a descendant told her of Susanna Bolling’s heroism during the Revolutionary War, Libby was captivated. Susanna’s Midnight Ride: The Girl Who Won the Revolutionary War is her first published novel and was named #1 in Juvenile Fiction by the 2020 Independent Publisher Book “IPPY” Awards. Libby will release Dolley Madison & the War of 1812: America’s First Lady on May 20, 2021, Dolley’s birthday 252nd birthday. Libby served as a US Army JAG Officer in Korea, Bosnia, Germany, and Washington State. A native of Boston, Libby graduated from Georgetown University cum laude and Catholic University Law School. She lives in Richmond, VA.
SS: Can you share a bit about your background, Libby?
LM: I’m the middle of five chidden from an Irish Catholic family in Boston. After spending my junior year abroad in Paris, I graduated from Georgetown University with a double major in International Relations and French. I received my law degree from Catholic University and then served five years in the US Army JAG Corps in Korea, Germany, Bosnia, and Washington State. I practiced law a t numerous places in Richmond, Virginia, before becoming a writer.
SS: What are you working on at the moment?
LM: I’m finishing up my second novel, Dolley Madison & the War of 1812: America’s First Lady, also geared to middle grade readers through old age. Much more than just a wonderful hostess, she was a true pioneer in the formation of many cherished American traditions and the bipartisan spirit in our political system. The more I learn about her, the more she inspires me. I am excited to release it on her 252nd birthday, which falls on May 20, 2021. Like Susanna’s Midnight Ride, this story includes vibrant characters as well as lots of action and suspense from the surprisingly turbulent times during the War of 1812.
SS: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
LM: Here in Richmond, Virginia, we have a wonderful network of writers, which makes everything better. My friend Karen Chase’s novel,
Carrying Independence, is also set during the American Revolution, so we support each other in many ways which has been a joy. We’ve presented on panels together and taken several road trips, which has been fabulous fun. We joke that we need each other. After all, no one else wants to gossip about people from the late 1700’s.
Just a few weeks ago, my friends Mary Helen Raper, Julie Valerie, Melissa Face, and I launched a Facebook Group called the “Bookish Road Trip.” It’s an upbeat community of people who love books and traveling. We’re having a blast meeting many interesting people from all over the world. It’s so refreshing to bring people together during isolation to discuss favorite books and share travel stories when no one can travel much. An added bonus is that my TBR list is exploding with fabulous recommendations. Please come join us on FB and ride shotgun on “Bookish Road Trip.” Come get lost with us! We promise to ask for directions!
SS: Do you believe you write the kind of book you’d want to read?
LM: Yes, I firmly believe that! As an author, you need to have a genuine interest in your topic. After all, you will spend countless hours working on it, perhaps years on end. Without a real spark, it would be very difficult to see it through the long slog to the end. When Susanna Bolling’s descendant told me of her heroism during the Revolutionary War, I was shocked and skeptical. After all, none of the history books include her. After years of research, though, I was able to corroborate her story as true, but the information was quite limited. Ultimately, I ended up writing the book that I was searching for when I first heard her story.
SS: Do you write with an imaginary reader in mind? If so, tell as a little about that person.
LM: In many way books, I hope to fill my readers with patriotism and appreciation for our forefathers (and foremothers) who sacrificed everything to establish this country and shape our nation into the democratic republic we have today.
SS: Who is the protagonist in your most recent work? Describe him/her in ten words or less.
LM: Dolley Madison! Hundreds of adjectives describe her, but here are my favorites: Kind, Thoughtful, Animated, Cheerful, Stylish, Glamorous, Extroverted, Gregarious, Intelligent, and Shrewd
SS:How did you make the decision regarding point(s) of view?
LM: What a great question! For my first draft of Susanna’s Midnight Ride, I wrote in third person. I really didn’t even consider doing it any other way. Then my editor strongly recommended that I rewrite it in first person. I was extremely reluctant to do it. However, once I started, I could tell right away that she was right. I’m so thankful for her advice and stood her ground when I balked. Switching to first person viewpoint made it a much stronger story.
SS:One of the interesting things about writing historical fiction is that the reader has the benefit of hindsight, while the characters in the book do not. How do you use this to your advantage in your book?
LM: In order to bring history to life, I like to write in the present tense. Then the reader can experience the events as they happen in “real time” along with the characters, instead of reflecting back from the safe ground of 20/20 hindsight. It makes the story more exciting because it feels more immediate and so raises the stakes.
SS: What prompted you to write for a younger audience?
LM: I only discovered my keen interest in history in my forties. How I wish I’d realized it much sooner! That’s why I write for a middle grade audience, hoping to spark their interest at a young age so they can enjoy learning for the rest of their lives.
SS: Which books in your childhood and teen years most inspired you?
LM: I read voraciously as a child. Every week my older sister and I would walk to the library and check out a stack of books. Then we would read and return them the following week in exchange for a new stack. I especially loved Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Judy Blume.
SS: If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
LM: I wish I’d developed my creative writing skills much earlier in life, but I had no where to start. I always loved writing, though, especially English papers and articles for the town newspaper.
Susanna’s Midnight Ride: The Girl Who Won the Revolutionary War is available through:
An excerpt from Susanna’s Midnight Ride:
I release a deep exhale. At long last, I’m back in my familiar canoe again. “Almost home, almost home,” I whisper, pushing the paddle against the riverbed with all the feeble strength I can muster. After several thrusts, I enter into the current, and my spirits rise. Soon my strokes create a soothing rhythm. Despite my overwhelming fatigue, I welcome the delicate breeze on my warm cheeks as I drink in the river’s musky scent. I savor my tranquil surroundings, knowing it won’t last much longer. As I expected, though, making my way against the swift current is torture for my sapped muscles. With patience I didn’t know I possessed, I gently slide my paddle into the river and pull it through the water over and over again, alternating sides.
Thanks be to God, I was able to warn General Lafayette, but my neck remains at stake, not to mention that of Mother, our slaves, and Bollingbrook itself. That durn Cornwallis! If he hadn’t burned the tents, then I’d have more cover making my way back home. If just one Regular observes me, the consequences will be horrific.
As I pass the neighboring plantations, I hope they are enduring this lobsterback invasion as well as can be expected, even Betsy. As much as she sets my every last nerve on edge, I certainly don’t wish ill upon her. Finally, after a long stretch of quiet exertion comes a most delightful sound, water sloshing up against something hard. Huzzah! I must be approaching the dock! All of a sudden my home casts a dark shadow on the already blackened river. I take a few more strokes and pause to assess the distance. I can’t afford to miss it; I have to make it on my first try. No matter how careful I am, turning the canoe for a second attempt would cause splashing. Of course, I mustn’t ram into the dock with a horrific boom either.
After a last tentative stroke, I scramble to the bow, keeping my weight low. Then I lean forward with my arms outstretched. If I’ve judged it right, I should be able to grab hold of the dock in seconds. At long last I’ll be back home! The thought makes me want to weep, but I must focus.
But no, no! With my mouth hanging ajar, I realize my canoe will miss the dock, a few inches beyond my extended reach. Desperate to bridge the gap, I lean even further out; now only my knees remain in the canoe. As adrenaline pulsates through my tingling body, I’m resigned to plunging into the river if I must. Much to my surprise, though, two hands reach out from the dock and grab mine in a rough grip. With a gasp, I lock eyes with the crouching figure pulling me in. It’s all over now; I’ve been discovered.
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You can follow Libby on social media here:
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