I love mysteries and always wanted to write them. When my husband and I became involved in 18th century “living history,” I realized that the late 1790’s was a fascinating time.
At the time I was a lawyer and diplomat at the United States Department of State, which gave me a close-up view of government and politics. It was amazing to me how little some things had changed! So I decided to set my mysteries in that early time period, when John Adams was President, his chief opponent Thomas Jefferson was Vice-President, and our current political system really began – and with a vengeance!
My job left little time for writing, however, until I retired. Then “Patriots & Poisons” really began to take shape. This lead to the next in the series, “Secrets Worth Killing For,” and I’m currently working on the third.
(If you’re interested in the historical background of these books, check out my Historical Notes and Selected Booklist! There’s also more information about the 18th century generally on my website, eighteenthcentury.net.)
The Colonial Girl Series (published under my nickname “Jami”) now includes four stories – “Amanda’s Secret,” “Amelia’s Dream,” “Mystery at the Raleigh Tavern,” and the most recent, “The Servant Girl’s Secret.” 
The series started when I got two handmade “18th century style” dolls. I used them to demonstrate 18th century clothing and to entertain children at various events. I named one Amanda after a friend’s daughter and the other Amelia, and then I started to make up a story for them. These stories were the result.
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