Sarah Masters Buckey is the author of several mysteries in the American Girl historical line, and the stand-alone History Mystery series. She graciously took the time to answer my questions about the historic fiction genre, working with the American Girl brand and what’s coming next. Enjoy!

1. What first drew you to writing? More specifically, the historic fiction genre?

I was lucky to grow up in a house with lots of old books – a Hardy Boys collection that had belonged to my father, my mother’s editions of Kidnapped and Treasure Island, and even a set of Dickens that was given to my grandfather, as a reward for rescuing a man from drowning. 

At the time, I didn’t know these stories were historical fiction– — I just loved reading them!

2.You’ve covered many different eras from the War of 1812 to Roaring 20s. Do you have a favorite era you like to revisit, or does it depend on the book?

It depends on the book. I love immersing myself in a historical period, and every time I do, I find that the history is more intriguing and full of contradictions than I could have imagined.

For example, in researching the Roaring Twenties, I learned there are still lots of hidden secrets from the Prohibition Era.  We may think of people a century ago as being more law-abiding than today. But during the 1920’s, a huge number of people were illegally importing/making/selling/ drinking alcohol – and sometimes earning vast amounts of money from it. 

3. You primarily write for American Girl. How did your partnership with well-known brand begin?

I’m working on my own projects– I’ve begun a historical mystery series for adults. But I enjoyed working with American Girl for many years. I started writing for them when my older daughter was nine years old. She was a huge fan of American Girl Magazine’s stories.

So, one Christmas, I wrote a historical fiction story as a gift for her.  Later, I sent the story to American Girl to see if they might be interested in publishing it in the magazine. They politely declined.

But AG kept my name on file, and, when an opportunity came up to write a Samantha story for the magazine, they contacted me. I had a lot of fun creating a story for Sam – and I was thrilled when they accepted it. My daughter was amazed to see my story in the magazine, too. Later, I started out by writing the first book in the American Girl History-Mystery series, The Smuggler’s Treasure.

4. What is the difference between creating a mystery story for the brand vs creating a Central series like Cecile and Marie-Grace? 

My first books for AG, were in the stand-alone History Mysteries – each set in a different historical period and each featuring a character I created. 

Next, I wrote mysteries for characters, such as Samantha, who had already been created by other authors. Each of these established characters came with her own backstory and personality.

Later, my co-author, Denise Lewis Patrick, and I created the Marie-Grace and Cécile series, and I also wrote two more mysteries for Marie-Grace.

I think the challenge of writing for a character who was initially created by another writer is to understand and empathize with that girl and her background. It’s also challenging to keep her voice while also being true to your own narrative. 

Luckily, with each girl I found something I could relate to – whether it was living in NYC like Samantha, or having a family member serve in the military, like Molly. 

5. What was the collaboration like for Marie-Grace and Cecile? 

It was great to work with Denise on the Marie-Grace and Cécile books. It was the first time I’d ever worked with a co-creator, and I loved bouncing ideas off each other and imagining, “What if?” I think the books were stronger because we worked well together.

6. Is there a specific American Girl you find easier to write or your favorite?

That’s a hard pick! I really like them all. But I guess I find Samantha the most fun to write for because I’ve done four mysteries for her. Over time, I feel like I’ve gotten to know her well, and I love the historical period. Also, because Sam’s family is well-to-do, I’ve had the opportunity to set her mysteries in exciting places, including a trans-Atlantic cruise, a visit to a castle, and a tour of Paris.

7. How do you choose which historic event to center a story on with over a thousand years to choose from?

Lots of my stories are inspired by visits to places. For example, I toured The Fort at Number 4 here in New Hampshire during a reenactment weekend, and I was fascinated. I knew immediately that I wanted to write about the French and Indian Wars – and how they affected both the Native Americans and the colonists. That’s how I came to write Enemy in the Fort.

Similarly, when I first toured the Paris Catacombs, I was both scared and intrigued. I decided that, if I ever got the chance, I’d write about the long dark tunnels filled with skulls. And I got that chance when I wrote Danger in Paris.

8. Many of your protagonists face an underlying struggle about the rift between what society tells them to believe and learning different views (Samantha vs her grandmother, Rebecca vs Isaac, Marie-Grace and Cecilia). How did you manage to explore these nuanced situations for lower-middle schoolers?

Learning to think for yourself is one of the biggest challenges of growing up. 

In my stories, I first try to show the rules and prejudices that a girl of the time probably would have learned from family and friends. To be historically accurate, I try to acknowledge the prevailing social attitudes of the time – but, in the case of prejudice – also show how new friends and experiences can help teach people to think for themselves. 

For example, at the beginning of Enemy in the Fort, Rebecca, a child of English colonists, is deeply prejudiced against Native Americans; she considers them “savages.” She fights bitterly with a boy, Isaac, who despises the colonists and yearns to return to his Native American family. After being forced to spend time with Isaac, Rebecca starts to question the prejudices that she’d previously accepted.

9. Another prevailing theme is classism and money (Elisabeth in Smuggler’s, the motive in Gangsters, etc.), what draws you to this theme? 

That’s a good question. I remember reading Nancy Drew books as a child and envying Nancy’s beautiful clothes, her cool convertible, and her carefree travels. Only later did I realize that the fictional Nancy’s adventures were made possible because her father was wealthy.

Money and class are critical factors in the daily lives of children, as well as adults, and I think it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone has the same experiences and opportunities. For example, the Samantha mysteries explored how, even though they were good friends, Samantha and Nellie often had different perspectives because Samantha had grown up rich and privileged, and Nellie had struggled to survive. 

10. Several of your books focus on New Orleans albeit in time periods including your upcoming one. What is it about the city that makes it so rich in stories? 

I love New Orleans. When I first visited it many years ago, I wanted to move there immediately. I never did, but since then I’ve visited often and written six books set there.

It’s a diverse and fascinating city, with people from all over the world. In the pre-Civil War period, it was second only to New York in the number of newcomers arriving. 

During the 1850’s, when the Marie-Grace and Cécile stories take place, more than half of the city’s population were foreign-born. Someone strolling on the streets might have heard passersby speaking German, or perhaps Haitian French, or a Native American language, or one of many other languages. Each group brought its own traditions to the city, too.

This richness of culture makes New Orleans a unique American city – and a fun place to write about.

11. Any upcoming news or books you’d like to share?

Currently, I’m really enjoying writing a historical mystery set here in New Hampshire where I live, not far from the Connecticut River. If you visit a small town in New Hampshire, you’re likely to find a statue commemorating Civil War soldiers in the center of the town green. These statues are reminders not only of the soldiers, but also of the huge sacrifices that many New England families made to win the Civil War.

My story looks at what happened in a New Hampshire small town while the soldiers were off at war. For updates, check out my website: https://www.sarahmastersbuckey.com/