Author Chat with J'nell Ciesielski about Songbird and the Spy

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!

Follow J'nell on her Amazon author page!

Parachuting in France as a Spy

Lise Marie Jenette de Baissac and Andree Borrel had the distinction of being the first two SOE women agents parachuted into France during WWII. Their experiences differed tremendously, and only Lise lived to tell the tale.

Born on May 11, 1905 in Mauritius, British citizen Lise was of French descent. The third of three children who were taught French by their parents, she moved with her family to Paris in 1919. Eleven years later, Paris was occupied by the Germans, and the de Baissacs escaped. Lise and her brother, Claude, received help from the American Consulate and were able to make it to London where she secured a job with The Daily Sketch. Soon thereafter she was recruited by the Special Operations Executive. After extensive training, she began her first mission on September 24, 1942 – go to France to set up her own circuit and establish a safe house for new agents.

Settling in the Loire Valley area, she claimed to be a destitute Parisian widow who was an amateur archaeologist. This cover allowed her to cycle around the area to find potential parachute drop zones and landing sites for RAF squadrons. Bold as brass, she moved into the house next door to the Gestapo headquarters. Nine months later, her network collapsed, and she was flown back to England. However, Andree Borrel was not so lucky. She was one of several members arrested.

Born in 1919, Andree dropped out of school and moved to Paris to learn the dressmaking trade. She worked for several shops through the years, but when the war begin in 1939, she knew she had to do her part. She and her mother moved to Toulon and trained with the Red Cross. On a fateful day in July 1941, Andree met Maurice Dufour, a resistance fighter. They became lovers and partners. She helped him set up a safe house near the Pyrenees Mountains.

Five months later, the network was betrayed, and Andree and Maurice fled for their lives. Arriving in London in April 1942, she joined the SOE in May, never to see Maurice again. At the conclusion of her training, she parachuted into France near the village of Boisrenard with Lise. Code named Denise, Andree’s mission was to be a courier for a new circuit in Paris. Operations went well until June 24, 1943 when double agent Henri Dericourt betrayed the group.

Andree was initially incarcerated in Fresnes prison, notorious for its horrific conditions and brutal treatment of its prisoners. The following years she was moved to the extermination camp at Natzweiler-Struthof. One of four agents classified under the “Nacht and Nable” directive (night and fog) which meant they were to disappear without a trace, She was executed and her body cremated in one of the ovens.

Two women of valor. Two different outcomes. Both to be remembered.

A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Shenton Matchett is the author of Love's Harvest, Love Found in Sherwood Forest, and On the Rails. Under Fire, the first book in her trilogy about WWII war correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown is now available at eLectio Publishing , Amazon, or your favorite independent bookstore. Visit Linda at www.LindaShentonMatchett.com.