At the September 24 meeting of the Southern California Chapter of the Historical Novel Society, Topanga Canyon author Diana Mathur spoke about her journey as an indie publisher of novels set in World War II-era Latvia. Latvia is excellent fodder for a historical series due to its rich culture that is relatively unknown, the morally complex issues in its tumultuous history, and its current day relevancy. Mathur was inspired to set her series in Latvia after her family reclaimed property confiscated by Communists, and dug up treasure buried there in 1944 by a grandfather before fleeing. Her talk touched on the aspects of craft, publishing trends, and marketing strategies that
confront her as an authorpreneur.
Writers and readers of historical fiction attended the presentation, either in person or via Zoom. The Historical Novel Society is an international association of both fans and authors of historical fiction. The Southern California chapter is a vibrant community, with authors that are both indie and traditionally published. Books cover a wide range of historical periods, from the ancient world, Tudor England, and Renaissance France to the American Civil War, Old Los Angeles, and more. The chapter holds bimonthly gatherings at a variety of historical and cultural venues in the SoCal area.