Tinker follows the estranged daughter of a tax collector who writes under an assumed name as she struggles with family loyalty and the desire to make herself heard. Where did the idea for this novel come from?

The Whiskey Rebellion is a particularly interesting era in American history, as it was the first domestic conflict that truly tested our young nation. France was undergoing its own revolution at the time, and there was a consciousness in American government that the world was watching how it would respond when challenged by its people. The family divisions, the voicelessness, institutional betrayals, and the seeming lack of representation within the government echo through the centuries, and carry a certain timelessness that makes the era relevant.

As an interpreter of history and a storyteller, I wanted to bring this conflict to life through an unconventional character. It enabled me to explore the human side of the conflict with more precision and clarity. Embodying Tinker’s identity within the tax collector’s estranged daughter was a very early choice, before I even compiled my primary sources. 

Did you begin with the history itself, or with Caroline’s voice as the lens into that history?

They were simultaneous ideas, but I did not flesh out Caroline’s character until after I completed my historical research on the conflict. Numerous primary sources are available, including several memoirs from participants. Leaning on those sources while building a detailed timeline of the rebellion came before any plotting of Caroline’s story.

Caroline and Tench’s relationship grows through books, argument, and political disagreement. Why was intellectual intimacy important to their connection?

For Caroline to become Tom the Tinker and play the role to the end, she needed strong socio-political values inherited from (and in reaction to) her family. Without her emphasis on justice and intellectual pursuits, she would have given up on Tinker too early for the story to unfold. Tench, as love interest, needed to act as both literary foil and friend. By embodying similar values, prioritized differently, he was free to clash with Caroline in ways that compel them both to make bad choices and face harsh consequences. But their curiosity and intellectual connection kept them coming back together, even as it magnified their flaws. It made them a fun couple to write.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

I am currently working on biographical historical fiction set in the early 19th century, telling the life of an early American woman ironmaster. No release date yet!

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