Special guest post by Samantha Wilcoxson

 

Tell us about your latest book.

Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl is an intimate retelling of Catherine Donohue’s experience as a dial painter who suffered from radium poisoning due to her work with radium infused paint. Catherine and several of her co-workers suffered tragically as corporate corruption and efforts to cover up the truth about radium delayed treatment of their failing health. Yet, theirs is also a story of inspiring friendship and strength as they fight the legal battle against Radium Dial, even as their health declines and their families struggle financially with medical expenses in the midst of the Great Depression. It is an emotive tale of justice in the time between World Wars.

What is your preferred writing routine? 

I prefer to write early in the day and without distractions, although I have had to get used to writing with a houseful of people over the past two years as school and work for my family went online. It has taken some adjustment to stick to my schedule when I’m not home alone.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers? 

Keep writing, accept constructive criticism, and try not to be distracted by all the other things writers are told they should be doing. I could spend all day marketing, updating my blog, and interacting on social media, but what I really need to be doing most is writing my next book.

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books? 

My blog has been a great way of raising awareness of my books and sharing the history included in my novels, especially when those articles are shared in Facebook groups. Interacting in those groups and on Goodreads has helped create connections with readers beyond pure promotion. I also enjoy Instagram where I share pictures of my travel and research. My current focus is on determining what types of paid advertising can help me reach new circles of readers.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research.

I was shocked to discover how long radium remained in use, though safety protocols were slowly put in place. For decades after countless dial painters died of radium poisoning, corporations were still using radium infused paint. Towns like Ottawa, Illinois, where Radium Dial operated, continue to cope with radioactivity and EPA superfund site clean-up due to the carelessness with which this dangerous element was handled through the 1970s.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing? 

A scene that was both challenging and compelling to write in Luminous was Catherine’s collapse in the courtroom during her hearing with the Illinois Industrial Commission. Catherine’s doctor was asked to testify regarding her prognosis, and when Catherine realized that he was attempting to not state in her presence that she had little time to live, she had an outburst and collapsed. I tend to be an emotional writer in any circumstance, but the agony and poignancy of this scene really spoke to me. However, since this was something that Catherine really experienced, it was also very important for me to write it with accuracy and sensitivity.

What are you planning to write next?

My next book comes out on 6 June 2022. But One Life is the story of Nathan Hale. He is remembered as a courageous patriot, but failed spy, during the American Revolution. Most people only recall how he died – hanged for treason by the British. I wanted to explore his life and what made a young man willing to sacrifice his life for his country.

Link to book:

mybook.to/luminous