Doug Peterson

Doug Peterson is the award-winning author of 74 books, including six historical novels and over 40 children's books for VeggieTales. Doug's Amazon best-selling Underground Railroad series includes three novels based on real people and true stories--"The Vanishing Woman," "The Disappearing Man," and "The Tubman Train." His newest series, the Civil War series, features two books--"The Lincoln League" and "The Dixie Devil." In addition to his novels, Doug authored 42 books in the popular VeggieTales series."The Slobfather" won the 2004 Gold Medallion Award for preschool books, and he was co-storywriter for the best-selling video, "Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed." He also has co-written several books, including "Of Moose and Men" and "The Call of the Mild" with Torry Martin. Most recently, he collaborated with Zach and Alison Zehnder on "The Red Letter Challenge Kids," Being Challenge Kids," and "Forgiving Challenge Kids." He was also head writer for the team that produced six comic books in the Legends of Lightfall series. In 2019, Doug wrote his first full-length play, "Friends Indeed!," which is about the improbable friendship between Benjamin Franklin and the evangelist George Whitefield. It had two well-received performances before Covid struck. Doug has also written for the University of Illinois for over 40 years, covering everything from engineering and agriculture to chemistry and history. His popular short story, "The Career of Horville Sash," was made into a music video featuring Grammy-winner Jennifer Warnes, and he even co-wrote "Roman Ruins," an episode in the bestselling line of How to Host a Murder party games. Here are details about his novels: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD SERIES--3 Books BOOK 1--"The Vanishing Woman" is based on the incredible true escape from slavery by Ellen and William Craft. In 1848, Ellen escaped by posing as a white man, while her husband pretended to be her slave. Ellen and William Craft put the Fugitive Slave Law to the test, changing our country forever. BOOK 2--"The Disappearing Man" tells one of the most amazing escapes in American history. In 1849, Henry Brown, a slave, was sealed inside a wooden box and mailed from Richmond to Philadelphia--a 27-hour ordeal. "The Disappearing Man" was selected by Canton, Ohio, as its featured book for its annual One Book, One Community program in 2011. It has also been optioned for film. BOOK 3--Most people know Harriet Tubman's legendary name, but most do not know the details of her amazing life. "The Tubman Train" starts with her dramatic early years, including the pivotal day when she began having visions from God--visions of flying North. The story follows Harriet through her own escape in 1849 and the beginning of her work as the "She-Moses," culminating in the dramatic attempt to rescue her brothers. THE CIVIL WAR SERIES--2 books Doug takes readers into the next stage of the freedom quest with his Civil War series, highlighting little-known black heroes. Currently, there are two novels in this series--"The Lincoln League" and "The Dixie Devil." BOOK 1--"The Lincoln League" is based on the true story of John Scobell, the first African-American spy in the U.S. intelligence service. Scobell and his wife, Peg, operate deep behind Confederate lines during the first year of the Civil War. This thrilling novel also tells the little-known story of the Lincoln League, an extensive network of African-American spies operating right under the noses of Southern masters. BOOK 2--"The Dixie Devil" begins with the second year of the war, as the Union takes control of New Orleans. It tells the story of André and Felicie Cailloux, who are coping with the tumult in New Orleans. André is the hero of the first black unit to see major action in the Civil War, while Felicie must cope with the strange things happening in New Orleans. In 1862, nothing is normal in New Orleans. It’s a powderkeg…about to explode. Doug's sixth novel is "The Puzzle People," a murder/suspense tale based on events surrounding the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. "The Puzzle People" follows the lives of two couples who were split apart when the Wall went up.