What's New with Bob Herzberg

What is your latest book about?

It’s the story of a tough mom on the Kansas/Missouri border who’s raising her four wayward boys during the Civil War, and her fight to protect them against Bushwackers, involvement with the war itself, and an equally tough Irish female reporter from New York.

What inspired the idea for this story?

The legend of Lydia Bixby, who claimed to have had four sons fighting for the Union, and even received a letter from President Lincoln. But as I was writing the book, I thought of my own mom who had survived Auschwitz, and turned Mady Bishop, the novel’s lead character, from a would-be con-woman into a tough-as-nails fighter who stands up to the terror of the “border ruffians,” as well as anyone else who endangers her sons.

Do you have a favorite scene?

There are many scenes that I like and which I’m proud of, but what comes to mind is the climax in the burning saloon as she’s battling a mob of southern guerrillas. I wanted to match, in its own way, the climactic shootout and carnage of Peckinpah’s Battle of Bloody Porch in The Wild Bunch.

What inspired you to start writing?

I guess the need to come up with my own take of what I’ve already seen and read, and try to be as original as I can.

Where do you get ideas for your stories?

By reading extensively the history of my country. American history, and especially the West, is full of the most colorful characters seen anywhere. And its history, from the Presidents on down, is a magnet for stories and novels. I’ve also learned from Hollywood westerns, but I try to avoid clichés if I can.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read, read, and read yet again. Learn about history, especially about your country. It inspires me all the time.