Author: Rebecca Royer

• Tavern Life in 1801

  Sometimes, the most important insights for writing historical fiction come from immersing yourself in the places and spaces of the past. Last year, I visited the Rising Sun Tavern in… .

• Character Spotlight: Addie Myers

  Today’s spotlight shines on Addie Myers, a young woman whose quiet strength and tender heart anchor some of the most emotional moments in Chasing Freedom. Addie’s story begins in loss.… .

• A Methodist Woman I Never Heard Of—But Who Made History

  Dorothy Ripley’s journey from England to Washington reshaped my understanding of early American Methodism. Through her narratives, I discovered a movement that was far more radical, mobile, and socially disruptive… .

• Meet Lucy

  She begins her life in Georgetown, surrounded by people who love her, until her mistress marries and forces her to travel south to a rice plantation in South Carolina. What… .

• Historical Fact: Elite Women in Late 18th Century London Used Anonymous Writing to Influence the Abolition Movement

  In the late 1700s, London’s abolitionist movement wasn’t driven only by men. Elite women who were wealthy, educated, and socially connected played a quiet but powerful role, often behind the… .

• Introducing Jane Myers: The Heart of Chasing Freedom

  Jane Myers is the anchor of my novel Chasing Freedom– a widowed tavern keeper and single mother whose life is reshaped by profound loss, resilience, and the quiet courage she… .

• Thank you

  Thank you to everyone who has reached out with kind words about Chasing Freedom. It means more than I can say. If you’ve had the opportunity to read the book,… .

• What I’m Learning

  Last night I attended a talk and book signing at the Birchtree Bookstore by Jeffrey Bennett, author of The Black Belt of Virginia. His discussion of Black history in the… .

• Why I Wrote Chasing Freedom

  In college, my journalism classes were where I first felt truly inspired. I loved the discipline of keeping daily journals, the challenge of research assignments, and the energy that came… .

• With Thanks

  As I celebrate the publication of Chasing Freedom, I’ve been thinking about the people who helped me reach this moment — especially during the years when writing and caregiving were… .