As part of the Career Diversity for Historians initiative, the AHA is producing and making available short videos of historians working in unusual places talking about what they do. The newest video features novelist Laura Kamoie.

Though we know historians do many things over the summer (from preparing for oral exams to training summer docents or visiting new museums), many will probably also plan to indulge in a summer staple: reading a new novel. But have you ever tried to write one? Laura Kamoie, who writes novels under the name Laura Kaye and is a former professor at the US Naval Academy, narrates her own transition from history professor to independent novelist in the newest addition to our series of What I Do interviews. She explains how she uses historical thinking and skills in her fiction career, shares her thoughts on the diversity of paths available to history students, and offers advice for budding novelists.

Previous videos in the What I Do series can be found here, and we will unveil more videos over the summer—check back for more!

This post first appeared on AHA Today.