History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

My Steampunk Books

| November 15, 2022

If you enjoy reading steampunk, I’ve got five books, for both adult readers and younger readers! First off, I have the Brass and Glass trilogy: Brass and Glass: The Cask of Cranglimmering is the first in the series, followed by Brass and Glass 2: The Long-Cursed Map and Brass and Glass 3: The Boiling Sea. These […]

Kickstarter Recommendation: Paradoxical Pets

| October 19, 2022

I’m super excited about the Kickstarter for Paradoxical Pets because I’ve got a story in this anthology! The anthology is, as expected, about unusual pets and other animals, but it’s also specifically for younger readers! For me, this meant I got to write a cute little story about a girl and her dog … which might […]

“The Recondite Riddle of the Rose Rogue” in C. & M. Marsh, Girl Detectives

| October 18, 2022

“The Recondite Riddle of the Rose Rogue” was the first story I had published, so it’s got a very warm place in my heart. It’s the first story of Chrysanthemum and Marigold Marsh and the mechanical garden they live in. The mechanical garden was inspired by a friend’s child mishearing “botanical garden” as “mechanical garden,” […]

Have You Checked Out C. and M. Marsh, Girl Detectives?

| June 16, 2022

Have you checked out C. and M. Marsh, Girl Detectives yet? Chrysanthemum and Marigold Marsh live in a mechanical garden with their family. But when strange things happen, these two girl detectives are on the case! Follow them through their adventures with rose thieves, a misbehaving monkey, and someone sneaking around the garden at night! C. […]

C. and M. Marsh, Girl Detectives Out Today!

| May 31, 2022

Today, the follow up to my middle grade book, The Trouble with the Tick-Tock Tabby, is out! It’s called C. and M. Marsh, Girl Detectives, and it’s jam packed with short story adventures of Chrysanthemum and Marigold Marsh, inhabitants of the mechanical garden! This includes the first story I wrote for publication, “The Recondite Riddle […]

C. and M. Marsh, Girl Detectives Coming Soon!

| May 12, 2022

The very first story I wrote as an adult, with an intent of publication was a sweet little story about two young girls living in a mechanical garden. Because I was very lucky, I sold that story, and then sold it several more times as reprint. It wound up inspiring me to write more, and […]

The Owls are Gonna Get You in Intercity Illusions

| April 21, 2022

My story, “The Owls are Gonna Get You,” was a Drawlloween-prompted story, joined by my general dislike of owls. (They do some creepy things with their bodies that I am not fond of, in addition to my fear of birds.) And while the owl in this story is not really all that scary, the title […]

Review of Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria by George Jreije

| March 30, 2022

Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria by George Jreije (Harper Collins, 2022) is an exciting and fast-paced book for kids of all ages who love magic, baking, and suspense! Shad Hadid and his Teta are the remaining members of their family in Portland, Maine, having immigrated from Lebanon. While Shad goes to school and […]

Review of The Case of the Missing Marquess (Enola Holmes Book 1) by Nancy Springer

| January 19, 2022

The Case of the Missing Marquess is the first book in the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer (Penguin Young Readers Group, 2007), which was the inspiration for the Enola Holmes movie on Netflix in 2020. And while the basic premise between this middle grade book and the movie is similar, there are also distinct differences […]

“Far from Home” in New Moons Under Which to Sleep

| November 11, 2021

“Far from Home” is an “inspired by real life” story twisted into a sci-fi story. Much like the characters in my story, I live in an apartment building, and I have heard people dragging things down the hallway. Some authors might take that and go with a horror twist. But I took that and wrote […]