America Untold:
Forgotten heroes, Forgotten Stories
Scarlet Ingstad
Christian, Independent Author, Historian
Christian, Independent Author, Historian
Allow me to introduce you to an incredible woman. She is not only the artist of all my American Revolution projects, she is also an amazing friend, and a historian in her own right. Meet Zsofia "Zowie" Papp - Hungarian American Revolution artist. So what drew Zowie into the world of the American Revolution? Believe it or not, it was actually the video game Assassin's Creed and a certain historical figure featured in the game - Benjamin Tallmadge (see this month's post on Tallmadge to learn more about Washington's spymaster). Shortly after learning about Tallmadge through the game, Zowie discovered the television show TURN: Washington's Spies. Through these two historical-fiction-esque avenues, the world of the American Revolution quickly took hold in Zowie's mind--and in her artwork. Zowie's favorite historical figure from this era is Nathan Hale, the spy who was caught by Robert Rogers and subsequently hanged. Hale was also Benjamin Tallmadge's best friend and dorm-mate at Yale University. Zowie has collected every piece of information available about Hale's life and his short, but impactful career as a spy for George Washington. Our mutual passion for 18th century espionage would later assist in helping us become the best of friends. Thanks to the world of history-twitter, Zowie and I crossed paths. I saw one of our mutual followers retweet some of her artwork and I was enamored. I started ordering some of her prints from her redbubble shop and soon after, requested some custom artwork. As I began to work on my book about James Armistead Lafayette, I realized I needed a cover artist. There was no doubt in my mind exactly who I wanted to do the artwork for this project. The rest? Well, it's history. Our first collaboration project sold incredibly well and the reception was wonderful. There was no doubt in our minds that this was something we needed to continue--so we are. Currently, Zowie and I are working on a children's book series called "Revolutionary Voices," also the title of my monthly article series I share on this blog. This series is aimed at introducing children and adults alike to stories of American Revolution heroes and heroines they may never have heard of before. In addition to this series, we are working hard to complete the first book of a young adult historical fiction duology, starring Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Tallmadge, and the Marquis de Lafayette. The first book is scheduled to be released this December and is full of original sketches done by Zowie herself. Down the road, we will be working on a new project we just started coming up with--a standalone historical fiction novel about a woman who chooses to dress like a man in order to join in the American Revolution--but as a Loyalist. We'll share more as the project develops further. Zowie's concept artwork for my main character, Charlotte (see below) is incredible. Want to follow along with us and our projects? Follow Zowie and/or me on twitter! We post sneak peeks and updates regularly. Also be sure to visit Zowie's redbubble page and purchase some of her prints to support her work!
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Scarlet Ingstad
I am an independent author and historian seeking to uplift the stories of the lesser-known heroes and heroines of the American Revolution, alongside modern-day heroes and heroines who have served in the U.S. military and continue their service through their historical work. Archives
March 2022
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