I had an opportunity to chat with Michael Beschloss, historian and commentator on PBS News Hour and NBC News. Beschloss made a speech at a work convention I’m attending in Las Vegas. After his talk, I purchased a copy of his book, Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, and got him to autograph it.

I told him about the novel I’m writing. He seemed intrigued by the topic and was encouraging. Every so often it’s good for an aspiring author to have a conversation with someone like Beschloss. It gives us hope while we’re toiling away at our manuscripts, wondering if they’ll ever get published.