This week's guest is Cindy Maynard (Esperanza's Way, Historium Press, June 2023). The inspiration for Maynard's book came from her 500-mile trek of the Camino de Santiago in Spain at the age of 67 and her curiosity about what it would have been like for a woman making the same journey in the 13th century. Combining her love of history with her avid interest in the natural world, she fashioned a story that included the "physicians of the day" who dealt primarily in herbal medicine. She brings out a book every two years, spending one year in deep research, the other in the writing itself and also shares how a small winter festival in the Colorado mountains has been her best sales venue.

Cindy Burkart Maynard is passionate about history, and the natural world, a passion that adds rich detail and context to her historical fiction novels. Her characters come to life on the page as they portray what it was like to live in another time and place. She weaves compelling, dramatic stories based on strong characters facing daunting challenges. In addition to her works of historical fiction, she has co-authored two nonfiction works about the Colorado Plateau and the Desert Southwest and contributed articles to Images and Colorado Life and Utah Life Magazines. She has been active in many environmental and professional organizations.

To learn more about Cindy, click here.