Coming August 20th, 2024…

Follow the Stars Home

A captivating reimagining of the intrepid woman who – 8 months pregnant and with a toddler in tow – braved violent earthquakes and treacherous waters on the first steamboat voyage to conquer the Mississippi River and redefine America.

The acclaimed author of The Seamstress of New Orleans brings to life Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt’s defiant journey of 1811 in this lush, evocative biographical novel for fans of Paula McLain, Gill Paul, Allison Pataki, and stories about extraordinary yet little-known female adventurers…

The Seamstress of New Orleans

With the year 1900 ushering in a century of unprecedented change and female empowerment, two women separated by geography and circumstance are fated to meet in the jasmine scented humidity of New Orleans, a city of decadence and danger. As their paths intertwine amidst preparations for Mardi Gras and its first all-female krewe, unthinkable secrets and the vicious Black Hand of Storyville threaten to tear their lives apart…

Coming May 2022!

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The Abolitionist’s Daughter

Based on true events and rooted in family history, Diane C. McPhail’s debut novel upends stereotypes of the Civil War South with a rare depiction of Southern Abolitionism and the experiences of three astonishing women.

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Follow the Stars Home

It’s a journey that most deem an insane impossibility. Yet on October 20th, 1811, Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt—daughter of one of the architects of the United States Capitol—fearlessly boards the steamship New Orleans in Pittsburgh. Eight months pregnant and with a toddler in tow, Lydia is fiercely independent despite her youth. She’s also accustomed to defying convention. Against her father’s wishes, she married his much older business colleague, inventor Nicholas Roosevelt—builder of the New Orleans—and spent her honeymoon on a primitive flatboat. But the stakes for this trip are infinitely higher.

If Nicholas’s untried steamboat reaches New Orleans, it will serve as a profitable packet ship between that city and Natchez, proving the power of steam as it travels up and down the Mississippi. Success in this venture would revolutionize travel and trade, open the west to expansion, and secure the Roosevelts’ future.

Lydia had used her own architectural training to design the flatboat’s interior, including a bedroom, sitting area, and fireplace. The steamship, however, dwarfs the canoes and flatboats on the river. And no amount of power or comfort could shield its passengers from risk. Lydia believes herself ready for all the dangers ahead—growing unrest among native people, disease or injury, and the turbulent Falls of the Ohio, a sixty-foot drop long believed impassable in such a large boat.

But there are other challenges in store, impossible to predict as Lydia boards that fall day. Challenges which—if survived—will haunt and transform her, as surely as the journey will alter the course of a nation . .

Early Praise for Follow the Stars Home. . .

Love It

Follow the Stars Home by D C McPhail, published by Kensington Books, is a historical romance stand-alone novel.

Set in 1811, traveling to New Orleans, Lydia is the mother of a toddler and soon to be a new mother again. Confronted with trouble while traveling on a journey to find herself, a new life for herself and her loved ones, she just has to be strong, and she is a strong heroine who knows what she wants and how to get it in a complex, action-packed, mixed-with-tender scenes book.

An inspiring read, 4,5 stars.

Click here to Pre Order Your Copy today!

The Seamstress of New Orleans

1900 and the dawn of a new century carries with it a sense of change, possibility, and female empowerment. As the Suffrage Movement gathers steam across the country, society women in New Orleans prepare behind parlor doors to take the reins as the only all-female krewe, Les Mysterieuses, at the leap year’s Mardi Gras celebrations. For Constance Halstead—a young, wealthy widow whose husband’s suspicious death leaves her vulnerable to the vicious Black Hand gang of Storyville—Les Mysterieuses is a rare opportunity to take control of her life and upend social convention. It’s also a fleeting escape from her grief over the death of her infant son. While for Alice Butterworth, broke, pregnant, abandoned by her husband, newly arrived from Chicago, sewing Constance’s Krewe gown means survival and an opportunity to be a part of the historic event.
Piece by piece, the breathtaking gown takes shape, becoming a symbol of strength and a path towards greater independence. But as the Mardi Gras festivities reach their fruition, a secret emerges that will cement the bond between Alice and Constance even as it threatens the lives they’re building

Early Praise for The Seamstress of New Orleans

“From the captivating first line, The Seamstress of New Orleans transports the reader to the mystery and sultry magic of New Orleans. With McPhail’s acclaimed and atmospheric prose, The Seamstress of New Orleans is a tale of well-guarded secrets, societal bonds that must be broken, and women’s powerful resilience. A powerful and fascinating story." —Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah

“The intrigue surrounding these two young widows will draw you in then you'll be rooted into the story by the historical detail of New Orleans at the turn of the century and the first female Mardi Gras Krewe. But what you will take away from the novel is the sheer power of female friendship. An exhilarating historical romp of found family and abiding friendship.”—Michelle Cavalier, Cavalier House Books (Denham Springs, LA)

“Reading this novel is like dining on a creole dish: rich, mysterious, and oh so satisfying.”—Fran Ziegler, Titcomb’s Bookshop (East Sandwich, MA)

“In a time and place when women were relegated to the home, these New Orleans ladies set about crafting their own future. Threads of missing husbands, menacing gamblers, and society on the cusp of changing women's rights weave together to form a riveting tale. The history of the first all-female Krewe was so captivating it sent me to do some googling for extra information. It was also an education about women's rights and the Napoleonic Code. Fascinating. McPhail has stitched an impressive work of historical fiction that will fuel plenty of book club discussions.”—Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller (Stillwater, MN)

“A riveting story of two women whose lives are woven together by chance at a time before women could vote, before the streets are paved, before women had the freedom to take jobs beyond the kind carried out by “domestics.” But fate has more in store for these two and when they get together, well, anything can happen. What a story!” — Linda Bond, Auntie’s Bookstore (Spokane, WA)

“A stunning novel that immersed me in the sultry, dangerous and beautiful world of New Orleans in 1900…richly rewarding, with the twists and turns through the genteel world of upper-class New Orleans and the harsh dangers of Storyville constantly surprising and keeping my heart racing, and each page turned faster than the last. Brilliant.” – Kim Taylor Blakemore, bestselling author of After Alice Fell

The Abolitionist’s Daughter

Based on true events and rooted in family history, Diane C. McPhail’s debut novel upends stereotypes of the Civil War South with a rare depiction of Southern Abolitionism and the experiences of three astonishing women.

The Abolitionist’s Daughter Audiobook

In the tradition of Cold Mountain, The Abolitionist's Daughter eschews stereotypes of the Civil War South, instead weaving an intricate and unforgettable story of survival, loyalty, hope, and redemption.

The Abolitionist’s Daughter

On a Mississippi morning in 1859, Emily Matthews begs her father to save a slave, Nathan, about to be auctioned away from his family. Judge Matthews is an abolitionist who runs an illegal school for his slaves, hoping to eventually set them free. One, a woman named Ginny, has become Emily’s companion and often her conscience—and understands all too well the hazards an educated slave must face. Yet even Ginny could not predict the tangled, tragic string of events set in motion as Nathan’s family arrives at the Matthews farm.

A young doctor, Charles Slate, tends to injured Nathan and begins to court Emily, finally persuading her to become his wife. But their union is disrupted by a fatal clash and a lie that will tear two families apart. As Civil War erupts, Emily, Ginny, and Emily’s stoic mother-in-law, Adeline, each face devastating losses. Emily—sheltered all her life—is especially unprepared for the hardships to come. Struggling to survive in this raw, shifting new world, Emily will discover untapped inner strength, an unlikely love, and the courage to confront deep, painful truths.

In the tradition of Cold Mountain, The Abolitionist’s Daughter eschews stereotypes of the Civil War South, instead weaving an intricate and unforgettable story of survival, loyalty, hope, and redemption.

“The Abolitionist’s Daughter brings to light the tragic yet inevitable entanglements of slavery, as ultimately manifested in the Civil War. The complications of race, division, and hate in this epic novel are still with us today and necessary to contemplate; The Abolitionist’s Daughter is Gone With the Wind for the 21st Century. ”

— Brian Railsback, Author of The Darkest Clearing

The Abolitionist’s Daughter Reviews

Reviews

“What an impressive book this is! Diane McPhail works a spell on the reader, transporting us to Mississippi in the 19th century, introducing us to a family torn apart by the time and place in which they live. She tells a dark tale, yet it’s laced with lyricism and compassion. This is a powerful, imaginative, captivating book—I’d say, even urgent, considering the time we find ourselves in now.”

— Judy Goldman, author of Together: Memoir of a Marriage and a Medical Mishap

“A tender, sparkling debut that bears gentle witness to the abominations of slavery and oppression while heralding the grace, power and necessity of righting wrongs and choosing love. McPhail is full of talent and heart.”

— Ethel Rohan, author of The Weight of Him

“Diane McPhail excavates a nearly forgotten corner of American history and brings it to full, beating life. This is a fascinating and heartfelt look at the kinds of stories that don’t always make it into the history books.”

— Louis. Bayard, Author of Courting Mr. Lincoln

“ A contender, a deeply felt, thoroughly researched story . . . as good as it deserves to be.”

— Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author

“Complex, vivid, and emotionally engaging. This is a story of harsh realities written with a tenderness that shines through and honors the account of one woman’s struggle to overcome her society’s rules and her circumstances in the face of inconceivable devastation. I couldn’t put it down.”

— Carol E. Anderson, author of You Can’t Buy Love Like That

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The Seamstress of New Orleans Reviews

Reviews

“From the captivating first line, The Seamstress of New Orleans transports the reader to the mystery and sultry magic of New Orleans. With McPhail’s acclaimed and atmospheric prose, The Seamstress of New Orleans is a tale of well-guarded secrets, societal bonds that must be broken, and women’s powerful resilience. A powerful and fascinating story.”

— Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah

“The intrigue surrounding these two young widows will draw you in then you’ll be rooted into the story by the historical detail of New Orleans at the turn of the century and the first female Mardi Gras Krewe. But what you will take away from the novel is the sheer power of female friendship. An exhilarating historical romp of found family and abiding friendship.”

— Michelle Cavalier, Cavalier House Books (Denham Springs, LA)

“Reading this novel is like dining on a creole dish: rich, mysterious, and oh so satisfying.”

— Fran Ziegler, Titcomb’s Bookshop (East Sandwich, MA

“In a time and place when women were relegated to the home, these New Orleans ladies set about crafting their own future. Threads of missing husbands, menacing gamblers, and society on the cusp of changing women’s rights weave together to form a riveting tale. The history of the first all-female Krewe was so captivating it sent me to do some googling for extra information. It was also an education about women’s rights and the Napoleonic Code. Fascinating. McPhail has stitched an impressive work of historical fiction that will fuel plenty of book club discussions.”

— Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller (Stillwater, MN)

“A riveting story of two women whose lives are woven together by chance at a time before women could vote, before the streets are paved, before women had the freedom to take jobs beyond the kind carried out by “domestics.” But fate has more in store for these two and when they get together, well, anything can happen. What a story!”

— Linda Bond, Auntie’s Bookstore (Spokane, WA)

“A stunning novel that immersed me in the sultry, dangerous and beautiful world of New Orleans in 1900…richly rewarding, with the twists and turns through the genteel world of upper-class New Orleans and the harsh dangers of Storyville constantly surprising and keeping my heart racing, and each page turned faster than the last. Brilliant.”

— Kim Taylor Blakemore, bestselling author of After Alice Fell

Bio

Diane C. McPhail is an artist, therapist, minister, and acclaimed author of Follow the Stars Home, The Abolitionist’s Daughter, and The Seamstress of New Orleans, which was a finalist for the Thomas Wolf Fiction Award and the Mississippi Institute of Arts & Letters Award. A graduate of Ole Miss, Duke Writers, University of Iowa Distance, and the Yale Writers' Conference, she is a member of NC Writers Network and the Historical Novel Society. She was born and raised in MS only miles from the Mississippi River and now lives in Highlands, North Carolina with her husband, Ray, and dog, Pepper. For more information, please visit Diane online at DianeMcPhailAuthor.com.

Praise for Diane McPhail

“McPhail entices with the story of two women from different backgrounds who discover common ground in turn of the 20th-century New Orleans…An undercurrent of New Orleans’s dark side propels the story, heightening the tension and supplying McPhail with a wealth of evocative details. Historical fiction fans will be drawn to this.” —Publishers Weekly on The Seamstress of New Orleans

“From the captivating first line, The Seamstress of New Orleans transports the reader to the mystery and sultry magic of New Orleans. With McPhail’s acclaimed and atmospheric prose, The Seamstress of New Orleans is a tale of well-guarded secrets, societal bonds that must be broken, and women’s powerful resilience. A powerful and fascinating story." —Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah on The Seamstress of New Orleans

“In a time and place when women were relegated to the home, these New Orleans ladies set about crafting their own future. Story threads of missing husbands, menacing gamblers, and a society on the cusp of changing women's rights weave together to form a riveting tale. The history of the first all female krewe was so captivating that it sent me to do some googling for extra information. McPhail has stitched an impressive work of historical fiction that will fuel plenty of book club discussions.” —Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller (Stillwater, MN) on The Seamstress of New Orleans

“Reading this novel is like dining on a creole dish: rich, mysterious and oh so satisfying.” —Fran Ziegler, Titcomb’s Bookshop (East Sandwich, MA) on The Seamstress of New Orleans

“McPhail has created a novel that is at once a mystery and a novel of feminine friendship and empowerment. She reminds the reader of how constricted life for women at the turn of the century was, and she illustrates this with two very different characters…The Seamstress of New Orleans leaves you wanting more of New Orleans, a place that is saturated with history. It is a perfect summer book to sit back with a glass of sweet tea and enjoy.” —New York Journal of Books on The Seamstress of New Orleans

"Inspired by a real-life feud between two Mississippi families, McPhail's first novel sheds light on an often unrecognized part of Civil War history, the Southern abolitionist movement...For fans of Charles Frazier's enduring Cold Mountain.” —Booklist on The Abolitionist’s Daughter

"McPhail is great at showing differences, but also frightening similarities, in the attitudes about slaves between Union versus Confederate soldiers. A well-researched story into the lives of Southern Abolitionists." —The Historical Novels Review on The Abolitionist’s Daughter

"The dialogue, scenery, and daily routines of the characters in McPhail's novel as well as the state of mind of the country during one of the most turbulent times in history is quickly brought to life. This is an absorbing story sure to capture the hearts of historical fiction fans who appreciate a uniquely told tale of those willing to defy the status quo with bravery and steadfastness." —The New York Journal of Books on The Abolitionist’s Daughter

"McPhail's...debut centers on a land dispute in the antebellum South...Many intriguing threads." —Publishers Weeklyon The Abolitionist’s Daughter

"Diane McPhail excavates a nearly forgotten corner of American history and brings it to full, beating life. This is a fascinating and heartfelt look at the kinds of stories that don't always make it into the history books." —Louis Bayard, author of Courting Mr. Lincoln on The Abolitionist’s Daughter

"A contender, a deeply felt, thoroughly researched story...as good as it deserves to be." —Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author on The Abolitionist’s Daughter

Press

June 10th, 2022 “Five questions with Diane C. McPhail”

The Dispatch

March 2022, “A Conversation with Diane McPhail”

Plateau Magazine

May 2018, “An Abundance Of Talent”

The Laurel Magazine

June 11, 2019

Diane C. McPhail in conversation with Jane Smiley discussing the writing life and her novel, The Abolitionist’s Daughter.

Live Talks - Los Angeles

February 2018, Yale Interview

Yale Writer’s Workshop

April, 2019 Iowa Writers'/Yale Writers' Grad & Author of Historical Fiction Diane C. McPhail

View Interview with Mark Gottlieb, Trident Media Agency

“It is through story that we understand the conflicts and progressions of the past. And it has often been said that fiction may well be more truthful than fact.”

April, 2019, “A Tale Destined To Be Told”

The Laurel Magazine