Heritage Fiction

Memorial Statue of Pocahontas in Jamestown

What was The Peace of Pocahontas?

Ora Smith | October 13, 2023

When the English first established Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples (sometimes called ‘the Powhatans’ after Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas’s father) was precarious. Powhatan and the English settlers regarded each other with suspicion. Eventually, the two groups…..

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Thomas Savage

Did My English Ancestor Marry a Native American in the 1600s?

Ora Smith | January 29, 2023

Have you ever had a coincidence happen where you wondered if it were more than mere chance? Was the event a happy accident or did God have a hand in it? I’ve decided to write about a recent “coincidence” even…..

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How Many Ethnicities Do You Think You Have in your DNA?

Ora Smith | September 29, 2022

I’ve been to 48 states and always find that North Carolina has the friendliest people. A recent visit was no exception when I met many members of who I think are my African-American side of the family. White Oak River…..

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Was Howard Hughes Jr.’s eccentricity born of one woman’s checkered youth?

Ora Smith | November 30, 2021

I didn’t expect to consider that possibility when I set out to write Unacknowledged: The Possible Biological Mother of Howard Hughes. But as I researched, I had to wonder. Hughes was a household name for decades, but was his oddball…..

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The Pulse of His Soul novel reviewed by the Historical Novel Society

Ora Smith | May 28, 2021

The Historical Novel Society (HNS) is well known amongst historical fiction writers, but perhaps you’ve never heard of them. They are a great resource if you love historical fiction and want to read reviews for what’s out there before buying……

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