Atomic Secrets and Fictional Spies: Leslie Schover on Turning Family History into a Novel

Let help uncork your memoir through a 12 week memoir mentorship program: https://mikecarlon.com/memoir-cohorts/

"I took my parents’ stories from the Manhattan Project and wove them into a fictional spy subplot—because I’ll never know the real truth." — Leslie Schover

What happens when a clinical psychologist with decades of experience decides to write her first novel in her seventies? In this episode of Uncorking a Story, Leslie Schover shares how curiosity and family history inspired her debut novel, Fission: A Novel of Atomic Heartbreak. From Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project to love triangles and espionage, Leslie reveals the fascinating journey of transforming real-life stories into compelling historical fiction.

Key Themes:

1. Curiosity as a Superpower: How a news article about Soviet atomic spies sparked Leslie’s fiction journey.
2. Family Ties to History: Discover the real-life connection between Leslie’s parents and the Manhattan Project.
3. From Psychology to Fiction: Why Leslie shifted from publishing academic and self-help books to writing a novel.
4. Challenges of Historical Accuracy: The research behind recreating Oak Ridge during WWII.
5. Hybrid Publishing Insights: Why Leslie chose She Writes Press and what authors should know about hybrid models.
6. Imposter Syndrome is Universal: Even seasoned professionals feel the doubt when starting something new.
7. Awards and Validation: How Fission earned recognition as a historical novel and what that meant for Leslie.

Buy Fission: A Novel of Atomic Heartbreak

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Mqk1Rd

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9798896360568

Connect with Leslie

Website: https://www.leslieschoverauthor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslieschover/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslie.schover.9/

Substack: https://leslierschoverphd147820.substack.com/nuclear-fiction-newsletter

Connect with Mike

Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uncorkingastory

Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/

If you like this episode, please share it with a friend. If you have not done so already, please rate and review Uncorking a Story on Apple Podcasts, or wherever yo