History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

The Mechanical Garden in C. & M. Marsh, Girl Detectives

| July 29, 2025

When I wrote my first Marsh sister’s story, it was with the idea of the mechanical garden in mind. That phrase was actually a child’s mishearing of “botanical garden,” which I loved so much that I wrote a story about such a place and the people who lived there. From there, I wrote several other […]

My Recent Publications for Young Readers

| February 25, 2025

I’ve published a few new pieces for young readers in the months since my last post on the subject. The main one is “The Storyteller,” which appeared in Bikes, The Universe, and Everything from Microcosm Press. Though the protagonist is a young adult, the story is appropriate for kids as well. “The Storyteller” is also in […]

Have You Checked Out Weathering Youth?

| December 26, 2024

Have you checked out my latest collection, Weathering Youth? It’s got a bunch of stories and poetry featuring younger characters and other characters with a more youthful outlook, regardless of age. In worlds with dragons, starships, and monsters, adults aren’t the only people. Children, teenagers, and young adults are sometimes the heroes of the story […]

“Easy as a Bag of Cookies” in The Sidewalk Diverges

| December 17, 2024

“Easy as a Bag of Cookies” in The Sidewalk Diverges was inspired by a meme about Greek gods in the modern day. While I can’t remember the entirety of the meme, it involved Cerberus in some way. So I combined Cerberus, Hades, and Persephone into a contemporary story where Cerberus escaped his leash and found a […]

Eight Plus Years of The Trouble with the Tick-Tock Tabby

| November 26, 2024

The Trouble with the Tick-Tock Tabby was one of the first things I self-published, back in 2016. At that point, I’d been writing for publication for more than seven years. And since 2016 was eight years ago (!), that means I’ve been writing for fifteen years, which is a wild thing to think about. But […]

Weathering Youth Out Today!

| November 12, 2024

Today’s the day! My latest collection, Weathering Youth, is out today! Within its pages, you’ll find younger protagonists and protagonists with a more youthful outlook, regardless of age. The stories range from humorous to dark, within the realms of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror! This is my largest collection to date, with almost fifty stories and poems! […]

Coming in November: Weathering Youth!

| October 10, 2024

My next collection, Weathering Youth, will be out on November 12, and it’s a collection of stories and poetry featuring younger protagonists and others with a youthful outlook on the world! In worlds with dragons, starships, and monsters, adults aren’t the only people. Children, teenagers, and young adults are sometimes the heroes of the story … […]

Books and Stories for Younger Readers

| May 16, 2024

I’ve got some recent story publications that are suitable for younger readers, along with several books, including steampunk and fantasy titles! My flash fiction story “Dinosaur Seeds” is written for an adult audience, but kids would very likely enjoy this story, which involves a child planting “dinosaur” seeds and the surprising results! This story can […]

Books for Kids

| September 19, 2023

I’ve got several books for kids, including steampunk and fantasy! The Trouble with the Tick-Tock Tabby is a middle grade book featuring girl detectives Chrysanthemum and Marigold Marsh. The setting is a steampunk Victorian era. The characters are 9 and 12 years old, which skews toward the younger end of middle grade, but the reading level […]

Review of The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

| May 3, 2023

Years ago, when I was a kid, my grandma took me to see The Black Cauldron in the theater. This stands out to me mainly because we were the ONLY people in the theater for a weekday matinee. But I recalled enjoying the movie, which I’ve probably seen once or twice since them. Meanwhile, my husband […]