Welcome to Stitches Thru Time, J'nell! We're all excited to see your second book that released this week, Songbird and the Spy.
What is it about the WWII era that inspired you to write about it?
I’ve always loved the WWII, mainly for the clothes and music. It was the perfect expression for both (in fact I’m listening to some WWII tunes as I type this). The U.S. was heavily involved in this war and its history surrounds us. I was completely drawn to the way citizens pulled together in the name patriotism to overcome horrific circumstances. The idea for Songbird came to me after watching a movie with a British soldier who posed as a Nazi to spy for the Allies. One of his rendezvous happened in this little French bar, and I thought aha! Now that would be interesting. Could a woman fall in love with the enemy and what would that look like? The story would be ripe for drama!
Why will readers love your hero?
Captain Michael Reiner is a man of principle. He’s loyal, courageous, disciplined within an inch of his life, yet incredibly passionate when it’s a cause that speaks to his heart. In this case, Claire. Michael is the man you want when everything goes wrong because he won’t let you down. No matter what, this man persists and will face evil itself to protect those he loves.
Why will readers sympathize with your heroine?
Claire is an ordinary woman from an ordinary family, and of all my heroines I think she’s most like me. She’s not overly daring, but there’s courage when the time calls for it. She may not have all the answers, but she doesn’t give up. At the end of the day, she wants a small home with the man she loves and the two of them can listen to records as the sun sets. What could be better than that?
What did you learn while writing this book that surprised you?
I learned that I could never be a spy. I mean, I wouldn’t make it past the first day because my face gives away absolutely everything. Secretly, I’ve held dreams of doing and being something daring, but in reality, I’d be the worst. The lies would get mixed up, the anxiety would explode under pressure, and I’d sing like a canary.
On a more serious note, the men and women who signed up for spying often didn’t last very long in the field. Spying was incredibly dangerous work and if you made it past a year, you were considered beyond lucky. To this day, many of these brave souls’ files are still under top-secret classification because of the amount of danger they discovered.
Your first book, Among the Poppies, was set during WWI. Songbird and the Spy is set during WWII. Where is your next book taking you?
My favorite place in the whole wide world! Scotland! Night Fox takes readers to 1716 at the end of the Jacobite rebellion, where the weary hero is returning home from war only to discover a thief creating chaos on his lands. But this thief isn’t like any others. When she set out to steal jewels to repay her family debts, never did our heroine imagine snagging the laird’s heart.
This novella will be coming out later this year in a Smitten collection with three other authors, so be on the lookout!
