Ken Czech Interview Published on: 03, Apr 2026

The first “history” book that I can remember reading was a picture book on Ancient Egypt complete with diagrams of the pyramids and photos of mummies. That book stirred my imagination and led me to investigate other events in history. All too often, I heard adults say how they hated history class in school, that the teacher only wanted facts and dates memorized. I wanted to present stories to my students in a way that utilized different learning styles and teaching techniques. I definitely did not want students to say history is boring.

As I matured as a teacher, I wanted to share the human element in my presentations: why did historical actors make choices; why did some of those choices succeed or fail. I preferred focusing on the people rather than the events, per se. There is always a story behind the story in history, and I liked presenting that story in a narrative approach.

I like to quip that it is delusions of godhood where I can create or destroy characters with the flick of a laptop key. I think the real issue for me goes back to my interest in the human elements that for me are often overlooked in non-fiction.

When I wrote non-fiction, I was always checking my sources for accuracy. While research continues to be extremely important in historical fiction, there is more leeway in bending historical facts to better fit the fictional narrative. I use the word ‘bending’ carefully. I believe major details (battles, historical personalities, fashions, etc.) should be accurately portrayed and I try to ensure that accuracy by reading a variety of books on the subject. In particular, I study art depicting some of the scenes I capture in my books. Paintings showing the Russian court of Ivan the Terrible, the treacherous mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, and the attack of Cossacks against indigenous Siberians caught my attention.

It’s a feather in the cap to win awards. It means critics and reviewers have seen something in your work that would be of interest to readers.

I think my biggest challenge was to create characters that readers would latch onto. For me, character-driven stories hold a greater interest than event-driven stories. I believe it is critically important that fictional characters face difficult choices, that they make mistakes but learn from those mistakes to overcome them. That being said, I didn’t start writing historical fiction until after I retired from teaching. There is that old adage “publish or perish” that drives academic historians to research and publish. Interestingly, an article I wrote for a history magazine about the 16th century Cossack invasion of Siberia became the basis for my historical novel Kiss of Frost and Flame.

I begin by researching the time period using books, artwork, maps, etc. The setting should be both vivid and accurate. It’s vitally important to sell the setting to your readers. It’s also important that the story align with historical facts. I also try not to worry about small historical details like how food is prepared or the proper name for clothing. That kind of accuracy can enhance the story but not be a make-or-break issue. The same goes for incorporating historical characters. While real personalities are important, it is the fictional characters that should dominate the story. Historical details should complement the plots and themes, not dominate them.

I am drawn to pre-20th Century history set in more exotic locales. So far, I’ve penned novels set in Victorian-era Africa, 1840s Afghanistan, Elizabethan-era England and Russia in The Tsar’s Locket, and 16th century Siberia. All of these stories blend conflict, survival, and romantic elements as driving themes.

There has been a far greater emphasis placed on why or how things happened in the past rather that when and where it happened.

Primary sources, I feel, are more important when writing about more modern events. I based Beyond the River of Shame on the books written by British explorer Samuel Baker in the 1860s. On the other hand, primary sources for Kiss of Frost and Flame are almost non-existent; histories of the 16th century invasion of Cossacks into Siberia were written nearly a century after the fact. I think the further you go back in history as a novelist, the greater freedom of interpretation and creativity you have.

Conflict arises in every story. It’s how the fictional characters react to conflict that entices the reader. Human emotions, I believe, have not changed. Honor, love, sacrifice, fear, anger and a host of other feelings are still the drivers in creating the fictional historical world.

I started writing Last Dance in Kabul when we still had troops in Afghanistan. I recall that some of my students were astounded by the deaths of 15,000 British soldiers and camp followers during a desperate retreat through Afghan mountains in the winter of 1842. It brought up questions regarding what it must have been like/is to be part of an occupying force. I incorporated some of their observations into my story.

Historical fiction allows the writer to create a human element that non-fiction may not.

Write about a time period that beckons you. I’ve been told by other writers that I should be writing about the World Wars One and Two eras since those are currently in vogue among readers. Sorry, the Twentieth Century has no great appeal for me. I enjoy the more obscure vignettes from earlier histories.

I’ve enjoyed working with AllAuthor, although I’m still relatively new. The mock-up banners have been exciting, and the book cover competition has been very cool. And, obviously, this Q and A has been great.