The Author

As a recording artist, Singer-Songwriter and college radio D.J., author J.D.Peterson had no immediate plans for writing a novel trilogy – Especially not one that presented hours of writing and years of research.

But when the strange sight of a white swan struggling in the harsh waves off a cold Newport, Rhode Island beach appeared to the author, J.D. took notice. She began digging through historical archives and libraries, which led to the discovery of a young débutante – Sara Swan Whiting.

The more information J.D. discovered, the more she was drawn into the mystery of a tale buried by time and hidden by scandal.  . 

A series of events led Sara Swan Whiting from the fine tables of New York’s social splendor, including a Newport wedding – to social disgrace. And all within one year’s time.

History, to this day, has perpetuated much misinformation. By controlling the media spin on television shows like “American Pickers” and “Ghost Hunters” the selective facts present a positive slant to save a certain family’s honor.

But what really happened back on a Paris honeymoon in 1882?

The “American Gilt Trilogy” skillfully weaves the characters and events of the past bringing history alive.  Author J.D. Peterson draws you into a story as real and relevant today as it was over a century ago.