Best-selling author Lee Roddy has written 50 published novels and 15 nonfiction books with sales in the millions of copies. His credits include Grizzly Adams, which became a prime-time television series; The Lincoln Conspiracy, which made the New York Times best-seller list. Jesus, written by Roddy, is now a film in more than 500 languages; Lee Roddy has also written 4 series of character-development novels for young adults and readers “ages 8-12.” from Lee Roddy’s website where you can order books and read more. http://www.leeroddybooks.com/index.html

The Interview

Lee Roddy: Hi, RD: I appreciate your doing this interview.

RD Larson: Thank you, my dear friend and mentor, for taking time to answer a few questions. Readers want to know about your work. How old were you when you started to write?

Lee Roddy: My first short stories were published when I was 14, so I had been trying for a year or so before then. However, it was too many years before I could make a full-time living off my writing.

RD Larson: Did you always like history? And how did you to start writing historical fiction? Have you always had a great love for history?

Lee Roddy: Some of my adult novels and three of my series for juvenile readers had contemporary settings, but my love of history moved me to write about that for both young readers and grown-ups.

I was very fortunate to have a high school teacher who taught me that history is not dates and events, but people reacting to their times. I really loved history from that time on.

RD Larson: Where did the inspiration for The Lady Pinkerton Chronicles come from? Was there something specific in the time after the Civil War that you wanted to explore?

Lee Roddy: I always try t write about something not well-known in history so I knew the Civil war has been the subject of more books than for any other period, but there was little on Reconstruction and building of the transcontinental railroad. I wondered what would happen if a female, that was a former Union spy and ex-Confederate cavalryman were involved with the railroad leading up to bridging the nation with iron rails. It took three books to tell this romantic suspense story.

RD Larson: Do you have a schedule that you follow when you are writing a novel? Do you work a certain number of hours a day; write a certain number of pages a day, etc.?

Lee Roddy: I arise daily at 5 a.m. and am at the computer by 8 a.m. I work until 5 p.m.; five and a half-days a week. I do not try for a certain number of pages each day, but do write each one as best I can.

RD Larson: Do you always conceive the novels as part of a series, or did the idea for the series grow out of one book?

Lee Roddy: I usually think of characters or subject that is too big for one book although I have written several stand-alone novels. I prefer series or trilogies. That's because they give me the space to explore the period, the characters and the stories in greater depth. If readers become intrigued with the characters, it's natural for them to want to read more about them and their situations.

RD Larson: What are you working on now? What areas of history would you like to visit in your writing in the future?

Lee Roddy: I have two works-in-progress: one has a different slant about the California Gold rush of 1849. The other takes a unique angle about the Pony Express. As for the area of history, I would like to write about in the future - well, for years, I've thought about how I could help people rediscover their true American heritage. I see so much deviation from the historic facts that I’d like to tell stories that recapture what it was really like and not slanted as much of our heritage is today.

RD Larson: Your wonderful exciting novels come to life through your use of history. How does your research process work? Is it time consuming? Do you have any research tips for writers of historical fiction?

Lee Roddy: I prefer working with original resources, etc. I work by getting an idea of what I think would be interesting to readers and also keep me enjoying the search. Usually I read an hour each night on various subjects that interest me. I travel to the historic sites where possible taking my video camera and tape recorder. Yes, it is very time consuming, but it's a pleasure, not work. My interest stays high because I have a strong desire to pass on what I've learned through researching history.
As for tips: You've got to love what you do or your manuscript won't have the spark and glow that should show in the finished story. Of course, all well-told stories have about the same structure and contents, so it's how you tell the story that makes it appeal to readers.

RD Larson: Some writers believe that every fact must be true, while other writers wish to take some dramatic license with their works of fiction? What do you think? A novel has to be exciting, to take the reader into it. What do you think about this subject?

Lee Roddy: I believe a fact is always true, but I also believe it's okay to "write from the silences," as an author friend expresses it. That is, I sometimes take historic characters, described as they were and shown in a factual setting, and have them inter-act with my fictious character or the locale in which he encounters my made-up person (s). Often I can find what the historic characters said or wrote, and use those words in a scene. I never change any historic character for the sake of my story. I want that character to be true to self just as my imaginary characters are true to themselves as I envision them.

RD Larson: What is your advice to aspiring writers of historical fiction?

Lee Roddy: First, learn the craft of writing a solid story. At the same time, begin or continue the unending search for both the historic facts to be melded with characters that only exist in the mind. The challenge comes in trying to write an exciting, page-turning story set against a historically accurate setting. The goal is to entertain while painlessly feeding in bits of heritage that make the readers understand the times, and glad they read the work so they are eager to buy your next book.

Thank you so much, Lee. I have enjoyed this interview and I hope that others enjoy reading it. I hope others read your books with just as much pleasure much as I do. There's a good deal of information about your work and ordering information on your website at

Mr. Roddy's books are available at: http://www.leeroddybooks.com/index.html