#bookdescriptions – Page 2 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Evelyn Redfern Series by Julia Kelly

A Traitor in Whitehall, Evelyne Redfern Book 1

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park, Evelyne Redfern Book 2

A Dark and Deadly Journal, Evelyne Redfern Book 3

Julia Kelly

Minotaur Books

Julia Kelly’s new series introduces a new heroine, Evelyne Redfern. She is intelligent, logical, and resilient with a love of reading detective stories. Readers are plunged into WWII where Evelyne ends up as a spy. These novels have secrets and friendships.

All three books are very interesting reads with characters that are well developed. The historical insight only adds to the books’ suspense.

Book Description

1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.

However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.

With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?

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Elise’s Thoughts

A Traitor in Whitehall introduces Evelyne by going into her backstory. She was known as the Parisian Orphan after her mother died, and her father was in name only. Now many years later, she is approached by Mr. Fletcher, a family friend who offers her a secretarial job in an underground bunker where the Churchill cabinet war rooms are located. Shortly after she settles into the job, one of her fellow workers is murdered. She uses her amateur detective skills to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies. The pair begrudgingly team up since it becomes obvious Evelyne can get people to speak to her.

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Book Description

Freshly graduated from a rigorous training program in all things spy craft, former typist Evelyne Redfern is eager for her first assignment as a field agent helping Britain win the war. However, when she learns her first task is performing a simple security test at Blackthorn Park, a requisitioned manor house in the sleepy Sussex countryside, she can’t help her initial disappointment. Making matters worse, her handler is to be David Poole, a fellow agent who manages to be both strait-laced and dashing in annoyingly equal measure. However, Evelyne soon realizes that Blackthorn Park is more than meets the eye, and an upcoming visit from Winston Churchill means that security at the secret weapons research and development facility is of the utmost importance.

When Evelyne discovers Blackthorn Park’s chief engineer dead in his office, her simple assignment becomes more complicated. Evelyne must use all of her—and David’s—detection skills to root out who is responsible and uncover layers of deception that could change the course of the war.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park has Evelyne going from a secretary to a covert spy. Now, fresh out of training, Evelyne is sent, with David as her handler, to infiltrate Blackthorn Park, a secret government installation developing clandestine weapons. They must figure out why some materials have gone missing. They are on a time limit since Prime Minister Winston Churchill is due to arrive there in a few days for a demonstration. Unfortunately, while making sure the facility is secure, Evelyne stumbles upon a dead body, that of Sir Nigel Balram, a brilliant but unpopular engineer who heads the project. Despite David and Evelyne’s slightly prickly relationship they function efficiently and intelligently together and now must quickly find the killer.

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Book Description

After being sidelined for a pesky gunshot wound, typist-turned-field agent Evelyne Redfern is ready for her next assignment with Britain’s secretive Special Investigations Unit. When a British Intelligence informant in Portugal mysteriously disappears just after hinting that he has vital information about German plans that could tip the balance of World War Two, Evelyne and her dashingly irksome partner, David Poole, are sent headed to Lisbon to find him.

Once they land, Evelyne and David aren’t even able to leave the airport, before she discovers one of their fellow aeroplane passengers murdered and uncovers a diary with a clear link between the victim and their missing informant. With their mission in jeopardy before it can truly begin, Evelyne and David fight to keep their cover intact as they descend deeper into the shadows that surround Lisbon’s glittering collection of wealthy expats and dangerous spies. This case will test Evelyne and David’s training, charm, and wit—and their growing attraction for one another.

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Elise’s Thoughts

A Dark and Deadly Journal is a cliff hanger. While the other two books are more of a mystery this book combines a mystery within a thriller making for a riveting and gripping novel. When a British Intelligence informant in Portugal mysteriously disappears just after hinting that he has vital information about German plans that could tip the balance of World War Two, Evelyne and her partner, David Poole, are sent to Lisbon to find him. Before she even leaves the plane, she discovers one of their fellow passengers murdered and uncovers a diary with a clear link between the victim and their missing informant. Unfortunately, Evelyn finds herself the main suspect in a murder before she even leaves the airport, but she is eventually released, although still considered a person of interest. As she and David try to find the informant, Evelyne feels guilty because she is hiding the other reason she is in Portugal, to locate her estranged father.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Is the theme for all the Evelyne Redfern books having her find a dead body?

Julia Kelly: I like a classic murder mystery with the set up and who done it. I always enjoyed the puzzle and figuring out what will happen. For the foreseeable future I anticipate focusing on the murder mystery side of things.

EC: How did you get the idea for the series?

JK: I was at the Imperial War Museums in London with a friend. It is interesting where they have the underground bunkers for the cabinet war rooms used during WWII. I thought this would be a good place to set a murder mystery because it is a closed room so to speak. It is a bit of a lock room mystery in a way. I wrote this into my first book, A Traitor in Whitehall.

EC: In the first book Evelyne mother’s death was highlighted. Why?

JK: It is one of Evelyne’s big motivations. Her mother died when she was twelve and she always felt that the death was not investigated properly. She has this lingering feeling that something does not add up. She sees it again when a murder happens at Whitehall, believing that the military police are not taking the death seriously. Her motivation was the feeling of mirrors and parallel to the investigation of her mother.

EC: The victims in the books seem to be unlikeable. Do you agree?

JK: Yes, in the first book the victim, Jean Plinkton, is not sympathetic. She is catty, likes to collect and use information on people to blackmail them, unpopular, a bully, and a snitch. Evelyne believes that she still deserves justice. In the second and third books the victims were ladies’ men who had affairs. I wanted to write about elements of their characters that were possible red herrings.

EC: What was the idea for the second book, Betrayal at Blackthorn Park?

JK: I wanted to write a country house murder mystery. During the war there was a huge number of stately homes, requestioned, including a SOE research and development facility for the creation of weapons. Evelyne was sent to investigate the security there because of breeches.

EC: Is the SOE real?

JK: It stands for Special Operations Executive, a branch of the British government that was clandestine. They are covert. Their agents use surveillance, have weapons training, use explosives, and have combat and parachute training. They blow up strategic targets, run secret missions, conduct assassinations, and extract people out of a country. They were controversial because some felt war should be fought out in the open and not in secret. Churchill believed the war would be won with not only conventional forces but also secret combat missions. It was nicknamed the Department of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

EC: The idea for the third book, A Dark and Deadly Journal?

JK: I wanted to get Evelyne and her partner David out of their comfort zone. I decided to send them to Portugal, a neutral country during WWII. It is an interesting space because there was a huge amount of espionage activity there. They were sent to Portugal to investigate the disappearance of a missing vital informant run by British intelligence. Evelyne is now growing as a field agent.

EC: Do readers get to know her father in this book?

JK: Yes. He never calls himself dad to her. He is not cautious, not meticulous, uncaring, aloof, selfish, arrogant, unfaithful, a bad father/husband, and is content that he had years of no contact with his daughter, Evelyne. To others he can be glamorous, charming and gracious. He made his living by going off on adventures and writing about them.

EC: How would you describe Evelyne?

JK: She is perceptive, insightful, curious, independent, personable, aggressive, sarcastic, likes to disarm people, and tends to sulk at times.

EC: How would you describe her partner, David?

JK: He is calm, trusting, and a rule follower. He is the straight man to Evelyne. He has a past that has not been dealt with yet.

EC: There is a debate between Evelyne and David about detective novels. Why?

JK: She likes English detective stories, and he likes American detective stories. Part of it is my enjoyment of reading them and a nod to the golden age of novels. Evelyne’s ambitions to become a detective intrigues her because of her reading of those stories. I have personally read many more British detective novels than American.

EC: What was the role of Evelyne’s Aunt Amelia?

JK: She is probably my favorite character to write. She is very bold. She came about because Evelyne is estranged from her father, her mother has died, and I wanted Evelyne to have a connection with a family member. Aunt Amelia is a strong presence but not always a welcome presence in Evelyne’s life. She is bossy, difficult, and pushy but loves her niece very much.

EC: What about Mrs. White and Mr. Fletcher?

JK: They are Evelyne’s bosses who will push her. Fletcher recruits her, a family friend. He very much believes in her. Mrs. White is much more by the book who is sharp, efficient, serious, and shrewd. She wants to make sure Evelyne is trained and knows what she is doing. They have Evelyne investigate moles and breeches of security. Mrs. White does not feel Evelyne has earned her trust yet and they have a tense relationship. Fletcher runs the department while Mrs. White runs the field agents.

EC: In the books you play on women’s issues?

JK: There were men who did not want women to be in a certain role. Especially with the first book I wanted to play up the fact how Evelyne is underestimated at every turn because she is a woman in the typing pool. She was not valued. She was able to speak to people who would otherwise not speak to an investigator and is able to fly under the radar. Women’s roles were opening during the war. The perception that women were not capable of doing certain jobs for the war effort was still part of the thinking of the time. She used that expectation to her own advantage.

EC: What about the relationship between David and Evelyne?

JK: He has high regard for her. At first, he does not look on her as an equal partner but comes around. They can read each other. They do not necessarily trust each other. It is a relationship that is still growing. In the last book I do not leave them in a very good place.

EC: Next book?

JK: I want to not focus not only on the murder mystery themselves, but the development of the characters. Going forward I will have some changes and tension between them. I wanted to put their relationship on some strain and pressure. The next book is in the making.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Last Seen and The Wolves Come Out at Night by J.T. Ellison

Both books are riveting and gripping novels. The twists and turns will keep readers guessing to the very end.

Book Description

Come here. Come closer.

Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too.

No one can hear you. No one can help you.

She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered—and her father lied about it all these years.

I have nothing to hide from you. Are you hiding something from me?

Since she was six years old, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Last Seen by J. T. Ellison is a standalone novel. Her protagonist, Halley James, is not having a good year. She is getting divorced, has lost her job at the forensics lab, and her dad needs emergency surgery after a fall. But the biggest blow is when she discovers her mother died, not in a car accident, but was murdered by her sister. Since she was six years old her dad had lied to her, refusing to tell her the truth about her mother’s death. Halley is now looking for answers and knows she must find her missing sister to get to the bottom of what happened to her mom. Luckily, her soon to be ex-husband is willing to help her and protect her.

***

Book Description

A detective on the brink.
An assassin out for revenge.
A desperate mother racing against the clock.

While the high-profile murder of a young country singer turns Nashville inside out, danger lurks in the woods beyond the city’s border. There was a witness to the terrible crime, a college student who stumbled onto the scene. When the girl goes missing, the police don’t know if she’s run for cover or been taken…or if something more sinister is happening.

The truth will shatter Taylor’s career and bring her face to face with a deadly assassin who wants nothing more than to finish what they started.

Taylor Jackson is back. And you’ve never seen her quite like this.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Wolves Come at Night has two storylines that come together at the end. It may at first seem like each storyline is not related but they turn out to be connected in the end. One story has the murder of a country music singer by a supposed serial killer. The other story has Taylor making some big changes plus must team up with assassin Angelie Delacroiz. Taylor, now a Captain, is frustrated at having basically a desk job and during an impulsive moment she quits over a disagreement on how to pursue another case assigned to her, the disappearance of a murder witness.

It seems that Carson, the witness to the murder of country singer Georgia Wray, has disappeared. Worse, her mom, Dr. Avery Conway receives a ransom note. Through the course of the investigation, it is discovered that the same people who kidnapped Carson, also killed, her dad, Richard. Taylor suspects that the murder of Georgia Wray relate to Carson Conway’s disappearance. Along with Angelie’s help they pursue the kidnappers before they have a chance to do harm to Carson.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story in Last Seen?

J. T. Ellison: I dreamed this one. It happens sometimes. I had this wild dream about a romance in this town. I found a way to darken it up. I decided to use the same town of Brockville. I was with my sweet little cat Jamison. It was her last night, and we knew we would have to put her down the next day because she was sick. This was the original title for this story, ‘Her Last Night.’ She sat in my lap while I wrote the story. I swear she gave me the story. The main character, Halley James, finds out everything she knew about her life is a lie including the death of her mother by her sister.

EC: How would you describe Halley?

JT: I moved the entire story up ten years, so she is now 34. She is a trained forensic scientist. Her whole life is falling apart with a failed job, a failed marriage, not having a child she desires, her mother dead, her dad is in the hospital because of a fall, and her sister disappeared. She is still having grief. I wrote the book from a place of bereavement, having lost one of my furry muses. I was so sad and unhappy that I channeled that grief into the story. Halley is curious, suspicious, has a moral compass, and is damaged. She had a head injury and continues to have memory issues, blackouts, that make her feel panicky, fearful, and anxious.

EC: How would you describe Cat, the sister?

JT: She is a highly functioning well adjusted sociopath. She is jealous, mean, cruel, smart, stubborn, aggressive, has an impulse disorder, and is full of rage. Although things might not be as they seem.

EC: What is the relationship between Halley and Cat?

JT: Halley is obsessed with finding her because she wanted to know why she killed her mother. They have a very complicated relationship. Cat exists and functions in the darkness that is represented by Ian, while Halley is lightness. Cat is Ian’s servant.

EC: How would you describe the antagonist, Ian?

JT: He is a monster. He is evil. He is immoral. One of the darkest characters I have ever written.

EC: How would you describe Halley’s estranged husband Theo?

JT: He loves her deeply. He has his own demons. Theo supports her. He is gentle, concerned, caring, but stubborn. He is willing to lose his marriage instead of compromising his morals. Because he sees such horrible things in his job, he does not want to raise a child in this world.

EC: What role does the dad play in the story?

JT: He is Halley’s mentor. He is her savior and protector. The dad brought Halley up after her mother died and kept her safe. He had a big miscalculation in judgement in that trying to keep her safe he lied to her. He broke her heart and trust.

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for Whiteout and The Wolves Come at Night?

J. T. Ellison: It is part of an anthology I wrote, and the theme was having a white-out blizzard that crisscrossed a large portion of the county, to create isolation. The anthology written with Erica Spindler and Alex Kava features all our main characters in separate stories. Whiteout is a novella, the opening for the book, The Wolves Come at Night. Whiteout is a closed circle mystery, while Wolves is a bang-out thriller.

EC: What is the battle between the “two wolves?

JTE: It is the duality of the heroes. Both Angelie and Taylor struggle with doing immoral things for moral reasons. They both must kill, face evil, and must decide if they choose the good or choose the evil.

EC: How would you describe Angelie?

JTE: I wanted to explore how her backstory affected her and how this formative moment made her the person she is. Angelie Delacroix’s backstory is based on a real crime in France where a little girl watched her parents executed in front of her. Angelie is fearless, a predator, has a temper, can be reckless, has a darkness, unstable, ruthless, but has a sense of humor, and is a rogue assassin. I do not think she is a sociopath because she was made into someone who she is and was not born that way. She is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.

EC: How would you describe Detective Taylor Jackson?

JTE: She is an idealist, instinctive, loyal, can read people, not a rule follower, sarcastic, wants to rid the world of those who do harm, and seeks justice. She is in a place she does not want to be. In the previous books she was traumatized. She was shot in So Close the Hand of Death, and in the book Where All the Dead Lie, she could not speak, incredibly traumatized. In this story, it appears she has lost a step. The Nashville Metro Police Department did not want to lose her, so they promoted her, because they did not want her in the field due to her unpredictability. She does not want to ride a desk but wants to be on the streets with her team.

EC: Do both characters have similarities?

JTE: Yes. In many ways they are a lot alike, but also completely opposite. Taylor always wanted to be a protector. Angelie would have gone down that road, had she not experienced such trauma. She idolizes Taylor and is obsessed with her and fascinated with her. Angelie looks in the mirror and sees a very dark version of Taylor. Yet, Taylor looks in the mirror and sees her own darkness. Taylor gets annoyed by her but respects her as an intelligent operative. Taylor learns from her. Both butted heads because they do not like how each questions the others authority. Taylor is old-fashioned, more predictable, while Angelie does not worry about legality and morality. This is why Taylor is a detective and not an assassin.

EC: What role did the Macallan Group play in the story?

JTE: It is an off-book organization that works for the government. It is a private powerful organization.

EC: Next books?

JTE: Taylor Jackson will be back in some capacity as a Lieutenant or a Private Investigator, based out of Nashville.

The next book is a standalone titled You Know Why. It should be out this time next year. It is the story of two women. One woman is going on a vacation with her husband and while on a plane another woman sees the murderer of her sister. When the married couple are heading for a connecting flight, the husband disappears. It all collides.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interviews with Elise Cooper: The Guilty Sleep by Jeremy D. Baker and Nothing But Courage by James Donovan

Below is an interview with two authors who served in the military. They discussed their books, one a novel, The Guilty Sleep by Baker, and the other a non-fiction, Nothing But Courage by Donovan, as well as what Memorial Day means to them and how they incorporated their experiences into their books.

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Book Description

Afghanistan vet Dexter Grant is broke, reeling from PTSD, and on the verge of divorce when he’s approached by his old Army buddies to help rescue their former interpreter, the man who once saved Dex’s life. It means ripping off a vicious queenpin’s drug proceeds—but not to worry, they have it all worked out. And if anyone can pull it off, it’s Dex’s former team lead, Staff Sergeant Saenz.

Tempted by an easy score that could make his own problems disappear and imbued with new purpose, Dex agrees to play his part in the scheme. But just as in combat, the best-laid plans don’t survive first contact with the enemy. When the heist goes off the rails, his wife and daughter become targets for bloody revenge. Dex must face down his spiraling inner darkness and call on all his strength and training to save his girls. In his quest, he’ll learn there was much more to this heist than he ever imagined.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Guilty Sleep by Jeremy D. Baker is a riveting novel. Although this book reflects on Baker’s past experiences, both professional, militarily, and personally, the story itself is a suspenseful mystery. The plot has the hero, Dexter, asked by his old army buddies to commit a crime to save the life of their former interpreter. Also, as part of the story, Dexter’s daughter has the same eye disease Strabismus, as the author’s daughter (essentially Lazy Eye), which costs tens of thousands of dollars to fix. He has no health insurance because he was kicked out of the military. He decides to go along with the heist to get the money for his daughter’s surgery. Dex is not a Rambo-type but is trying to do the right thing to make himself better to overcome PTSD. The book is about Dex coming back from war with his life falling apart and he decides to do something to make his life relevant again. After the heist goes off the rails, his wife and daughter become targets for bloody revenge, in which Dexter is determined to save.

***

Book Description

In June 1944, German and American forces converged on an insignificant bridge a few miles inland from the invasion beaches. If taken by the Nazis, the bridge might have gone down in history as the reason the Allies failed on D-Day.

The narrow road over it was each side’s conduit to victory. Continued Nazi control over the bridge near an old manoir known as La Fière—one of only two bridges in the region capable of supporting tanks and other heavy armor—would allow the Germans to reinforce their defenses at Utah Beach, one of the five landing areas chosen for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi-held Europe. But because control of the bridge was also essential to moving U.S. troops inland and off the beach, it could not simply be destroyed: it had to be taken—and held—by the Allies.

This was part of the formidable mission of the 82nd Airborne, whose lightly armed but superbly trained troopers had dropped behind—and into—German lines five hours before the seaborne assault on Utah. While blocking enemy reinforcements, they had to seize and secure avenues of approach from the beaches to the interior of Normandy, including two bridges over the modest Merderet River and the key crossroads village of Sainte Mère Église. Failure would give Hitler enough time, and the opportunity, to build up the resources necessary to defeat the invasion and turn the tide for the Nazis. The village was taken early on D-Day, and the 82nd endured repeated attacks by much larger German forces. But the bridge at La Fière became a bloody three-day standoff against tanks and artillery that culminated in a near-suicidal charge across it and the narrow 500-yard causeway beyond—straight into the teeth of a fierce German defense ordered to hold it to the last man.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Nothing But Courage by James Donovan tells the dramatic story of the courageous paratroopers and glidermen of the 82nd Airborne. They risked their lives to seize and secure a small, centuries-old bridge in France that played a pivotal role in the success of D-Day.

The battle for La Fiere was crucial in the Normandy invasion and afterward was led by Matthew Ridgway and James Gavin, two of the most outstanding commanders in American military history. In June 1944, German and American forces converged on an insignificant bridge a few miles inland from the invasion beaches. If taken by the Nazis, the bridge might have gone down in history as the reason the Allies failed on D-Day. Continued Nazi control over the bridge would allow the Germans to reinforce their defenses at Utah Beach, with supporting tanks and other heavy armor. But the 82nd Airborne’s success helped the allies in defeating the Germans on the Normandy beach.

This is a riveting, brilliantly researched account of one of the most overlooked yet heroic actions of WWII.

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Jeremy D. Baker ————————— James Donovan

Author Interviews

Elise Cooper: Since Memorial Day is coming up what does it mean to you?

Jeremy Baker: Memorial Day, to me, means Remember. Remember the lives given in service of our nation. Remember those who sacrificed their all, who gave their last full measure of devotion, to something greater than themselves. Remember not only those who died in conflict, but those who died during times of peace, and those who died because of injuries–physical, psychological, emotional–that were received in times of war months or years before they died. Memorial Day, to me, means taking the time to honor all those we remember in these ways. It does not necessarily mean the day must be one of total, quiet, somber reflection. I’ve seen some people out there scolding their neighbors for having fun on the day, but in my mind, what could be a better remembrance and reflection of our values than using this sacred, special day for periods of enjoyment, family, community, and yes, even parties to kick off the summer season. Anyone who’s ever served will tell you that there are few things we service members enjoyed more than a good time with friends, a cold drink, and good food. I take absolutely no issue with anyone celebrating Memorial Day in the way they see fit, but I do hope everyone on the day will take at least a quick moment to think about those who gave their all for the rest of us. Every Memorial Day, I take a moment of reflection to think about those I served with who died, whether in combat, peacetime, or after leaving the military. I think about Carrie Ann, Josh, Dave, Brian, and Lee. The list grows over time, and even one name makes the list too long. I guarantee every veteran keeps a list like this in their mind. I’m honored to have served with these people, and their sacrifice, their battles, will not be forgotten.

James Donovan: Memorial Day is a time to reflect on those Americans who gave their lives to keep our country free. In writing this book I interviewed twelve men from the 82nd and thought what a great honor. By the time they made it back to England, after D-Day, they had 50% casualties: injured, missing, and dead. One company that originally had about 175 men returned with only 16 men. Memorial Day is not about the most recent war but about the past wars as well.

EC: Why the 82nd Airborne in the non-fiction book Nothing But Courage?

JD: It was a dream of mine to write a WWII book. The Airborne troops were considered elite Special Forces. Back then they did not really have Special Forces but had two elite parts of the Army, the Rangers and the Airborne. They were trained to a tee. They were given an assignment that lasted a week at the most and were sent back to regroup.

EC: What can you say about this mission?

JD: They were kept in the field for about 32 days. It was to seize and secure strategically important towns and bridges to keep German reinforcements out. Americans dropped two divisions of paratroopers behind the lines on Utah Beach on the French Coast. They were asked to take strategic towns, one of which was Ste-Mere-Eglise, that was controlled by the Germans. They also had to take two bridges to seal the Germans off from getting more men.

EC: Why were the gliders called in?

JD: They were sent in to take the La Fiere bridgehead on June 6th, 1944. They had to deal with the Germans who had machine guns, mortars, and anti-tank guns, basically well dug in. The paratrooper regiments were dropped all over because they lost their bearings. The

idea with glider troops of 20 to 30 men per glider was that they could jump out as a unit. For the most part it worked. After WWII they were not used because they used helicopters.

EC: Describe the leaders Ridgway and Gavin?

JD: General Matthew Ridgway was raised army, went to West Point. He was very inspiring and looked like a Roman Emperor. His deputy commander, Lt. General James Gavin, never went to high school, joined the army when he was 17, and went to West Point with an 8th grade education. He knew a lot about paratroopers. He led by example, very soft spoken. Ridgway was respected but Gavin was loved. These commanders were the first to jump out of the planes to lead their men, instead of how most generals acted, miles from the front. There was an extraordinary collection of men.

EC: Was it a success?

JD: Germans had flooded all these fields. They had to jump in the Swamp Land where dozens of men drowned. Yet, they got the job done because of the leadership, extraordinary training, and courage. After this, Airborne men proved that they could do an astonishing job.

EC: Does this story, The Guilty Sleep, have any reflection on your past service?

JB: I have been writing off and on for about twenty years. There is an awful lot of me and my military experience in this story. What I really wanted to do with this story is talk about the cost of fighting wars. I thought about this story in August of 2021 when the US was pulling out of Afghanistan. It was immediately overrun by the Taliban. As a military veteran who had served there, I had a lot of thoughts and feelings about it. I had a lot of conversations with other veterans about it. It made all the sense in the world to take all my thoughts and feelings about what happened there and put it all together in a novel that also dealt with family, camaraderie, and the cost of fighting wars on those who have fought.

EC: How did your military experience help you to write this?

JB: I was a counterintelligence agent in the army from 2000-2005, serving in Afghanistan. My team was assigned to support the Special Forces team, so we spent a lot of time chasing down the Taliban and Al Qaeda. In many ways there are elements in this story based on my personal experiences. The main character, Dex, is also a counterintelligence agent who was deployed there. He had the same training I did with many of the same experiences. He was impacted with combat induced PTSD that he developed during his deployment.

EC: Why the book quote, “The draw down in Afghanistan and the Taliban coming back is like nothing that happened even mattered. Like they died for nothing.” Please explain.

JB: I started writing this book in October 2021 and we pulled out of Afghanistan in August of 2021. I was watching it as a civilian and saw how our Afghan allies fled, and the Taliban took over our equipment. We were there for almost twenty years and so much of the blood and treasures died. I was struggling with what was it all for. There was a scene in the book where there was a veteran support group from Vietnam to Afghanistan. They talked about the Afghan pullout.

EC: How would you describe Dex, the hero?

JB: He is unraveling, a lost soul, sarcastic, a stand-up person, and a loving husband/father.

EC: Why give him PTSD?

JB: Some people who had one deployment like me struggle with PTSD and some people have many multiple deployments and do not seem to struggle with PTSD. Fighting wars and being in combat does have an impact on the human psyche. I found writing was my therapy.

EC: What was the character Dex struggling with?

JB: He had PTSD and struggled with depression, alcoholism, loss, and possibly losing his family. He screams, curses, has fury, some uncontrollable behavior, and sleep deprivation. I drew a lot of his PTSD experience from my own, especially the unexplainable flashes of rage along with the tossing and turning and unable to sleep. But like Dex I was a devoted husband and father. I put in this quote, “anger, booze, nightmares, symptoms, must be cut out like a tumor. And do it by helping people who need help.”

EC: Next book?

JB: I am working on sequel to the book. There will be some characters back. The working title is The Guilty Burn. There is no release date. Dex helps someone who gets into trouble and will do problem solving together.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Three WWII Novels and Their Author Interviews

In these three novels WWII plays an intricate role. Each delves with a different setting and emphasizes a different part of the war. The Umbrella Maker’s Son by Tod Lending shows the devastation brought upon to the Jewish community in Krakow after the Nazis invaded Poland. Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin takes reader on a journey with an emphasis on the MI5’s Double Cross Program that had German spies becoming double agents. The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson takes place in neutral Portugal having the allied spies trying to gain the upper hand on their German counterparts.

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Book Description

Born to a secure, middle-class Polish Jewish family, seventeen-year-old Reuven works alongside his father, an artisan businessman whose shop creates the finest handmade umbrellas in Poland. But the family’s peaceful life shatters when the Nazis invade their homeland, igniting World War II. With terrifying brutality, the Nazis confiscate their business, evict them from their home, and strip away their rights, threatening the lives of the city’s Jewish population, including Reuven and Zelda, the girl he loves.

Shortly after the Nazi occupation, Zelda and her family disappear, and Reuven and his father are forced into backbreaking physical labor that nearly kills them. For the young man and his family, the only chance to survive is escape—and some of them will die trying.

Fleeing a Nazi ambush through the surrounding forest, shot and wounded, Reuven is found by a local farmer who has never met a Jew—and agrees to help because he needs the boy to work the farm with him. The farmer’s wife, however, is not as kind. Her betrayal forces a desperate Reuven to escape. He embarks on a perilous journey through the Polish countryside, determined to reach the Kraków ghetto where he hopes to reunite with Zelda, whose life has also been forever changed by the horrors of occupation and war.

Elise’s Thoughts

The Umbrella Maker’s Son by Tod Lending has Reuven Berkovitz at the center of the story. Through his eyes, readers can see the brutality of the Nazis, as well as a local Polish farmer who has never met a Jew yet agrees to hide him because he needs help to work the farm. Unfortunately, the farmer’s wife is not as kind. Eventually Reuven must leave, embarking on a perilous journey through the Polish countryside, determined to reach the Kraków ghetto where he hopes to reunite with Zelda, whose life has also been forever changed by the horrors of the Nazi occupation and war.

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Book Description

In a time of war, danger lurks beneath the water–and in the depths of the human heart

As the German war machine devours the Netherlands, the only way Cilla van der Zee can survive the occupation is to do the unthinkable–train to become a spy for the Nazis. Once dispatched to Britain, she plans to abandon her mission and instead aid the Allies. But her scheme is thwarted when naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie finds her along the Scottish shore and turns her in to be executed.

Yet perhaps she is more useful alive than dead. British intelligence employs her to radio misleading messages to Germany from the lighthouse at Dunnet Head in Scotland–messages filled with naval intelligence Lachlan must provide. If the war is to be won, Lachlan and Cilla must work together. But how can he trust a woman who arrived on his shores as a tool of the enemy–a woman certain to betray both him and the Allied cause?

Elise’s Thoughts

Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin has a plot as a member of the Dutch resistance who infiltrates the local Nazi Party to gather intel. Because it is becoming more dangerous for her, she decides to escape the country by coming up with a plan. She agrees to be trained as a Nazi spy and sent to the U.K. Once dispatched to Britain, she plans to abandon her mission and instead aid the Allies. But her scheme is thwarted when naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie finds her along the Scottish shore and turns her in to be executed except that British intelligence decides she is more valuable as a double agent.

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Book Description

Lisbon 1943. As two American librarians are drawn into a city of dangerous subterfuge and unexpected love affairs, they are forced to choose between their missions and the men they love. Inspired by real historical figures, award-winning author Suzanne Nelson pens a captivating story of two remarkable women, their bravery and heartache, and a friendship that withstands the ravages of war.

WWII rages Europe. Lisbon stands alone as a glamorous city on the brink of chaos, harboring spies trading double-edged secrets. Among them are Selene Delmont and Beatrice Sullivan, Boston librarians turned Allied operatives. Officially enlisted to collect banned books, both women are undercover agents tasked with infiltrating the Axis spy network.

Victory is not guaranteed.

Soon, they’re caught up in games of deception with two of Lisbon’s most notorious men—the outcast Portuguese baron, Luca Caldeira, and the lethal spy, code name Gable. As Selene charms her way through lavish ballrooms with Luca, the more bookish Bea is plunged into Gable’s shadowy world of informants. But when a betrayal unravels a carefully spun web of lies, everything they’ve fought for is thrown into jeopardy. As Selene and Bea are pushed to their breaking points can their friendship, and their hearts, survive the cost of war?

Elise’s Thoughts

The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson is a fast-paced roller-coaster ride of deceit, espionage, and danger inspired by real historical figures. The setting of Lisbon plays a significant role because Portugal was a neutral country filled with espionage, romance, and friendship. The main characters are two Boston librarians, Selene Delmont and Beatrice Sullivan, who are trained by the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (precursor to CIA) and assigned to work in Lisbon. Their day jobs are librarians, but they are also assigned missions for which they are sworn to secrecy, unable to reveal even to each other.

***

Author Interviews

Elise Cooper: Does the setting play a role in the story?

Sarah Sundin: My husband and I are part Scottish. He has been bugging me to write a book set here for years. As I explored it more, I found things that fascinated me. Then my youngest son, a mythology buff, gave me some suggestions, the Scottish legends, especially the story of the Selkie. It has a woman who lives as a seal at sea, but as soon as she comes to shore, she sheds her seal skin, turning into a beautiful woman. I started to imagine a German female spy landing in Scotland and being captured by this Scottish man who traps her on land by hiding her seal skin. In this case the skin was her rubber raft.

Tod Lending: there were numerous ghettos all over Poland, not just in Warsaw. In this book the setting was in Krakow. I talked about how the Germans cut off the Jews’ beards and took over ownership of Jewish businesses and belongings. They beat them, abused them, humiliated them, and hunted them as animals. What happened is beyond horrific and is unimaginable. I did do a lot of research. What Reuven and the other characters had gone through really happened. I did take a little writers’ poetic license with Reuven’s emotional and psychological reactions. I also had a Jewish historian review the book facts.

Suzanne Nelson: Lisbon Portugal had bothAllied and Axis spies operating in the city simultaneously, plus, the city was a huge refuge for people fleeing occupied Europe. Unfortunately, they were stalled for weeks, months, and sometimes years because they did not have the correct exit papers. The refugees included exiled Royals who fled Europe, and famous writers and artists, including the Jewish co-authors Margaret and H. A. Rey, of the “Curious George series.” It was a surreal environment where refugees were gambling side by side with the Gestapo. Many times, no one knew who a friend or foe was. There was a real sense of loneliness, desperation, and danger among a lot of people.

Elise: Did you explore some historical significance in the book?

Tod: Reuven ponders the question of why some Jews survived. This thought came from the last documentary I made about two Holocaust survivors. They answered this question 1000 times and they always answered, ‘it was a miracle.’ I asked them was it luck, smarts, and willpower? One story after another was told how if they had crossed the street at a different moment, they would have been dead. There is a quote by Reuven, ‘Without rhyme or reason, chance had saved me once again.’

Sarah: The Double Cross Program was established in September 1940. The German military intelligence sent out spies to the United Kingdom. MI5, Britian’s intelligence group, caught every single one of the German agents. Germany never had an effective agent during the war. Of the Abwehr (German) Agents caught, sixteen were executed, but about three dozen were turned into double agents. Some were extremely effective including one agent that convinced the Germans that the D-day invasion was not going to Normandy but Pas de Calais. Regarding Cilla, I knew there were Dutch women agents who landed in Scotland, so I created my own character. She is much milder than the real spies.

Suzanne: In the book I explain about wolfram. It is a mineral that contains a metal, Tungsten. It is used in artillery manufacturing, creating impenetrable armor. Salazar, the Portuguese Prime Minister, allowed the trade to be with both the Axis and Allied countries until a few months prior to D-Day and suspended the trade for both. There was black marketing dealings and smuggling going on with the Portugal PM looking the other way. In the story Bea and Gable must discover who was selling large amounts of wolfram to the Nazis.

Elise: How would describe your main character(s)?

Suzanne: Selene ischarming, a thrill seeker, enthusiastic, brazen, estranged from her family, impatient, affluent upbringing, determined, and impetuous. She is also a reluctant seductress because she does not want to be known as a spy who only uses her looks and beauty to get information, but someone who can use her mind. Bea is reserved, quiet, has lost her parents, has a photographic memory, wants to be challenged, good instincts, and motivated. They were good friends, loyal, and Bea was Selene’s lifeline. Selene wanted adventure, to take the world by storm, and dragged Bea along for the ride. But at the end of the book Bea was the one who has found her bravery, while Selene went home wounded.

Sarah: Cilla is the double agent. She is fun loving, free spirited, and wants her freedom. She is confident, kind, respectful, lonely, isolated, determined, courageous, loyal, witty, and headstrong. She is trustworthy but no one sees her that way, so she needs to prove herself to them. Lachlan is the British naval officer who captures Cilla. He is determined, frustrated, honorable, ingenious, passionate, honest, vulnerable, dedicated, and protective. They are opposites that attract. At first, he only saw her as a German spy. They are forced to work together and the more they spend time together they see each other’s true character, willing to trust each other.

Tod: Reuven is a young Jewish man who persevered. Resilient with a spirit that carried on. He had an inner drive to live. He was protective, grief-stricken, terrified, fearful, lonely, felt hopeless and guilty. But he also was brave. At the beginning of the book, he was well adjusted and was trying to fulfill his dreams. As things fell apart as the Nazis took over, he became shameful and humiliated. Feelings like fear, grief, guilt, and insecurity began to emerge as a reaction to the traumas he suffered. There were times he was fearful, but also times where he was fearless, times he felt completely numb, and for a moment he felt suicidal. Zelda is the girl he wanted to marry and whom he searched for throughout the book. When he is reunited with her, he realizes she has built a wall and tried to avoid him even though she was lonely. She is very traumatized having feared her brothers dead and she was sexually abused. Zelda felt she was not worthy because of her shame. She crawls into her shell to protect herself. But as time goes by, she does show him how much she cares for him, yet he sees her as quiet, withdrawn, and distant.

Elise: Is there a secondary character(s) that is important to the story?

Tod: Kaja, the Polish farmer’s wife. At first, he was shocked and scared of her because she was profoundly antisemitic. What they both shared is loneliness. She did not want to be on the farm and fantasized in living in the city. She controlled him with Reuven terrified of her and feeling overpowered by her, while at the same time there were tender gentle moments because of the loneliness. He saw her as suspicious, unpredictable, angry, moody, distant, and seductive. The Polish farmer, Stanislaw saw Reuven as a son to him, while at other times he treated him like one of the farm animals. He was illiterate but had farm knowledge. They respected and trusted each other including giving Reuven a sense of pride. At times Stanislaw could be determined and reckless. Reuven saw him as a model of manhood because of his strength.

Sarah: Neil, Lachlan’s brother. Their backstory emphasizes a house divided with a long history of betrayal. Neil has hurt Lachlan deeply and Neil was hurt by Lachlan even though he did his duty. They hate each other. Neil was rude, unkind, treacherous, angry, and resentful. Lachlan is fighting for the allies while Neil has fallen in with a group of Scottish separatists. The real separatists were a fringe group before the war that continued during the early years of the war. They did not want to be a part of the allied war effort because they saw it as the “English War.” Neil was involved with this group and was imprisoned because he refused to register for conscription. He feels that Lachlan has portrayed Scotland by wearing an English uniform. I put in this book quote, ‘The Germans love to divide. That is how they conquer.’ If they saw a separatist group, they supported it.

Suzanne: Agent Gable was loosely based on Agent Garbo, a famous double agent with MI5 who had operated in Lisbon for about a year. I wanted to include a version of him in the story. He appears to be a narcissist. He is charming, a charlatan, double agent, has a temper, volatile, and blunt, with a lot of confidence. He is attracted to Bea but wants to control his feelings and wants to be the one in control. She enjoys putting him in his place. Luca was inspired by a historical figure, Aristides de Sousa Mendes. His nickname was the Oskar Schindler of Portugal. He was the consul general who worked in France and signed 1000s of visas to allow people into Portugal even though the Portuguese PM, Salazar, forbid it. He ignored the rule and disobeyed the orders. He was blacklisted in Portugal with a tragic ending. I wrote Luca with a conscience, someone vulnerable, has built walls, moody, determined, bitter, wounded, heroic, an outcast, and gruff. Selene gave him hope, redemption, and love.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: B Is for Bonnet and Unforgotten by Shelley Shepard Gray

B is for Bonnet and Unforgotten by Shelley Shephard Gray are both riveting stories.

Book Description

Raised by their divorced, lapsed-Amish father and English mother, siblings Jonny, Martin, Kelsey, and Beth can’t wait to reinvent their lives. The four don’t have much in common, but they long for the stable sense of family they felt when visiting their New Order grandparents, Josiah and Sylvia Schrock, in peaceful Holmes County, Ohio. And the Schrocks couldn’t be more surprised when the grandkids want to try living with them—and joining their faith . . .

When Jonny hears startling news about his health, he knows it’s past time to change his life. Quitting college, he unexpectedly finds the fulfilling job of his dreams. And he’s instantly smitten with cafe owner Treva Kramer, whose baked goods are as warm and delicious as her lively personality. But no matter how hard Jonny tries, he can’t seem to get past her secret sadness and distrust. Can he prove that his feelings for her are for real—and forever—in time?

A bad breakup left Treva heartbroken—and resolved to be independent without relying on anyone ever again. Exhausted from pouring everything she’s got into her cafe, she’s stunned by Jonny’s easygoing ways—and drawn to his optimistic nature. But when she thinks his real interest is in becoming Amish, she’s even more determined to stay focused—and keep her heart safe . . .

Soon, deep secrets and hidden family truths will test Jonny and Treva in unexpected ways. And with help from his warm-hearted grandparents, he and Treva might gain the happiness they secretly long for—with each other.

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Elise’s Thoughts

B is for Bonnet continues the story of four English raised siblings, Martin, Kelsey, Beth, and Johnny, who return to their grandparents Ohio community as they ponder becoming Amish. This book is Johnny’s story who becomes smitten with Amish café owner Treva Kramer. He and she must navigate the difficulties of being heartbroken, she by a former boyfriend and he by his father, Matt, who was MIA during his childhood. This book is about love, forgiveness, family and second chances where Treva is willing to take a chance on a new relationship and Matt tries to be closer to his children.

***

Book Description

Even though Bethanne Hostetler has found some peace seven years after an attempted assault and the accidental death of Peter Miller, she is still haunted by the memory. When her Englisher cousin, Candace–who has just been crowned Miss Crittenden County–reveals that she has a stalker, all of Bethanne’s old fears come rushing back.

Jay Byler had once been Peter’s best friend, and the fact that he did not protect Bethanne that fateful night has haunted him ever since. To make matters worse, she continues to avoid him–even as he continues to love her. Jay can only hope and pray that one day Bethanne will see the person he is today and not the boy he used to be.

As Candace’s stalker becomes bolder, Officer Ryan Mulany becomes her escort to various events. He knows he should only think of Candace as a job, but the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to maintain professional distance. And when everyone’s worst fears are realized, all four must work together to prevent another tragedy before time runs out and another innocent person is hurt.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Unforgotten, is Bethanne Hostetler’s story. Readers might remember her from book one, Unforgiven. This book also delves into abuse and has Bethanne’s cousin, Candace, being stalked, bringing to the surface all of Bethanne’s fears and memories. As Candace’s stalker becomes bolder, Officer Ryan Mulany becomes her escort to various events. He knows he should only think of Candace as a job, but the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to maintain a professional distance. Bethanne also wants a relationship with Jay Byler, a man feeling guilty about not helping during and after her traumatic event. She realizes she wants a relationship, but needs to move slowly, something he is willing to do. Just as it seems the four might find their happily ever after, a chilling plan hatched by Candace’s stalker puts their lives in danger. This story has romance, suspense, healing, forgiveness, plus the issues and aftermath of assault and PTSD.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How far through the alphabet do you plan on going in this series?

Shelley Shepard Gray: When I first started writing an alphabet series with my editor and we laughed about writing stories surrounding the whole alphabet. I started thinking I would write three books with the Amish ABCs. I am happy to say I just got a contract for D and E, slowly making my way through the alphabet.

EC: How did you get the idea for the story in B is for Bonnet?

SSG: This book involves Johnny, the youngest sibling. I thought that it would be nice to have the parent’s point of view, which is why Matt, the dad, and Kennedy play a role in this book. I think the story is richer because of putting them in the book.

EC: How would you describe Johnny?

SSG: He is independent, secure, confident, sensitive, sarcastic, sweet and kind. Sometimes he says things and does not think before he says them, basically impulsive. He has a little bit of growing up to do. He contrasts with Beth and Martin who are very cautious. Johnny is at a crossroads as he tries to figure out his future.

EC: How would you describe Matt, the dad?

SSG: He sometimes angry and resentful. He feels adrift. Matt regrets that he does not have a good relationship with his children. He had tunnel vision but now wants to mend bridges with his children.

EC: Matt’s relationship with Johnny?

SSG: He is an example of someone who just goes about their day until they get that phone call that something happened. The conversation with Johnny over his health was Matt’s wake-up call. Matt is trying to reinvent himself with his children. Johnny feels Matt talked down to him and did not listen. Yet, he is more open to have a give and take with his dad.

EC: How would you describe Kennedy, Matt’s lover?

SSG: She is free spirited, a pet sitter. She is nurturing and independent. Kennedy can be matter of fact. She will question Matt about his past and thinks he is charming. Kennedy is forthright.

EC: How would you describe Treva, the female lead?

SSG: Insecure, an only child, sensible, very confident with her work, and almost a workaholic. She has insecurities with relationships, including with her family. She needs to embrace her life.

EC: What about the relationship with Johnny?

SSG: She learned that a career does not make a full life. At first, he is judgmental, misconstruing her statements. They were encouraging of each other.

EC: What about the book Unforgotten?

SSG: I came up with the idea of two cousins that were close but very different. It is not the last book in this series. Bethanne needed a point of view, and I wanted her to become the heroine in this suspenseful story.

EC: How would you describe Candace?

SSG: She is not Amish and has won the beauty contest for Crittenden County. She always looks out for Bethanne. Candace’s mom has decided not to be Amish and has never been Baptized. Candace is vulnerable, sociable, caring, and is fearful because of her stalker.

EC: How would you describe Bethanne?

SSG: She is very timid in the beginning but ends up as a survivor. Her mom is Amish. She tries to overcome her fears and now has PTSD. In some sense she feels captive in her own house and is determined to break away from it. She has a mother who is overbearing and shelters her.

EC: The relationship between Bethanne and Candace?

SSG: They are like sisters and are protective of each other. They now have both been abused. They are very close.

EC: How would you describe the relationship with Jay and Bethanne?

SSG: He helps her see the world from outside her own perspective. He is caring and respectful of her. He has some guilt about being a friend of the one who tried to rape her. He is good for her because he is even-tempered and kind. He is not pushy and is willing to wait for her to come around.

EC: What about Ryan and Candace?

SSG: He is considerate of her. He is six years older than her so is more mature. He feels like an outsider of the town. They resisted the relationship at first but there were sparks between them. They were thrown into a strange situation.

EC: Next books?

SSG: C is for Courting is finishing up Martin and Patty and features Beth. The mom, Helen, of the four children will also be in scenes in this book. Matt will also be in this book. It will be out in October. Hopefully the readers will feel there is closure. In the alphabet series “D” and “E” will be with new characters and a trilogy but set in the same fictional town.

The third book in the Amish Suspense Series comes out in June and is titled, Unshaken. It does take place in the same town. The plot has an Amish girl witnessing a murder and must go into hiding. It will have new characters.

There is another book coming out in April for Harlequin, a contemporary romance series. It is set around a food bank. It is a small-town romance series, with the first book titled Their Surprise Reunion.

Another series, I am writing, will be about an Amish Widow’s Club for Revell. It is about a group of women, some English, some Mennonite, and some Amish who are widows and for various reasons do not ever intend to marry again. But of course, life takes a turn.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Murder at the Elms and Murder at Vinland by Alyssa Maxwell

Book Description

In Murder at the Elms one of the wealthy families, the Berwinds, invite those high in society to view their newly completed Bellevue Avenue estate. It is a modern mansion, that has been wired for electricity, generated by coal from Berwinds own mines. Yet, days before the party the servants go on strike, hoping to negotiate better working conditions since they work seven days a week with no time off. They are all fired and replaced with new staff. At the party there is fine dining and music but the evening ends tragically when a chambermaid is found dead in the coal tunnel and a guest’s diamond necklace is missing. Because Emma and Derrick were there, they are asked by the police to help in uncovering who is the murderer and what is the connection between the necklace and the murder.

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Book Description

Murder At Vinland is the most recent book in the series. Vinland is the Viking themed home of Florence Vanderbilt Twombly. There she is having a fundraiser for the local Audubon Society attended by the wife of Theodore Roosevelt and Harriet Hemingway. The following morning one of the guests is found to have been poisoned. However, more poisoned desserts are sent to socially prominent women who had attended the luncheon, and tension increases even as the dangerous toxin used is identified. Asked her to help to find the person sending the poisons is Emma’s good friend, police detective James Whyte. Emma and Jesse must sort through possible motives because now more than the birds are in danger.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Each of Murder at the Elms and Murder at Vinland by Alyssa Maxwell intertwines a mystery within an historical novel. The setting is the turn of the century Newport where during the Gilded Age there is vast income and a power disparity. The main character, Emma Cross, is the “poor Vanderbilt” having inherited some money from the famous family. But she is an anomaly because she is independent and a working journalist who owns the newspaper The Newport Messenger along with her wealthy husband, Derrick.

Maxwell brings turn-of-the-century Newport to life by taking readers into the mansions and how the wealthy lived. Combining mystery with real-life personalities and events from the Gilded Age makes for an entertaining and informative read.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: What about the TV series?

Alyssa Maxwell: It is not a TV series. Hallmark Mystery made the first book, Murder at the Breakers into a movie. We do not know if any new ones will be made. They do tend to move a little slowly. I have no say in anything.

EC: Why make your heroine, Emma, a woman journalist in the early 1900s?

AM: She is independent. It is unusual, not the norm, but not out of the question. There were other female journalists at that time and other women in other occupations. They did have their own business and made their own money. I always refer to Nellie Bly as the inspiration for Emma, a Gilded Age journalist who took a lot of risks. At the beginning of the series as a society journalist she was able to get into the balls and the wealthy activities in Newport. Now she is more of an investigative reporter. Jesse, her detective friend, relies on her insight because she knows the wealthy and the ordinary Newport people.

EC: Has Emma changed since she married?

AM: She has come to see there is still strength in depending on others. In the beginning she tended to be a lone wolf, that in accepting help there might be strings. With her husband, Derrick, she realizes it is possible to be a team. She is more confidant in herself and her relationships.

EC: Since Emma is pregnant will that jump the shark?

AM: Emma needed to settle into her married life and in the early 1900s that would include having a child. Nanny and Katie will help in looking after the baby as well as having her work from home. I think it is a natural progression of her life.

EC: Will Jesse ever get a love interest?

AM: I have hinted in an earlier book that Jesse and one of the maids of a mansion had met and were striking up a friendship. I need to get back to it, but have not since I have been so focused on Emma and Derrick’s relationship

EC: What would you say is the historical part of Murder at The Elms?

AM: The mystery and the historical wrap around each other in all my books. I do take some historical events and wrap them around the mystery. There was some backstabbing, with societal climbing but there was also female friendships and relationships that I explore. There is also yellow journalism with the sensationalism and embellishment. One of the journalists, Brown, uses it. He did not care how his reporting might affect someone. He did not have a lot of scruples as evidenced when he covered the striking of the servants. At that time there actually was a service strike at the Elms where everyone was fired.

EC: In Murder at Vinland how did you get the idea for the story?

AM: This house has a Nordic and Viking design, which led me into thinking of nature. The archived newspapers of the period showed how Audubon Societies were springing up.

EC: How would you describe The Ladies of the 400?

AM: Many were smart, savvy women who if allowed would have been CEOs of companies. They were frustrated in their lack of choices. This is why being on the top of society was so important to them, being like their business. They could be set in their ways because their choices were limited, so they felt other women’s choices should be limited as well. They can be good and bad. They were involved in altruistic projects and are philanthropists. They helped their communities but at the same time there was rivalry about who would be considered the most important one in society.

EC: What was the role of Jennie?

AM: She wanted to start up an Audubon Society. She was passionate about the protection of birds. At the time women were wearing hats adorned with feathers. She gets angry with these women and because of this Emma suspects her. By the 1920s, feathers on hats were out because of the efforts of the consciousness and education, but at the time of the story this was in the beginning. I put in two historical figures, Harriet Hemingway who established the Massachusetts Audubon Society and Edith Roosevelt because of her husband’s activism in preserving the environment. I thought they would be likely figures to attend a luncheon on the dangers to birds.

EC: Next books?

AM: In the book that I am finishing now, the next Newport mystery there are fewer suspects than this book. The book is titled Murder at Arleigh, coming out this time next year. A societal couple believed to be madly in love has a wrench thrown when the wife comes to Emma and tells her she thinks her husband is trying to kill her. The couple is real, Harry and Elizabeth Lehr. Two Weddings and a Murder will be my next book in the “A Lady & Lady’s Maid” series. It begins with a marriage and that same day the chief inspector is murdered, coming out in February.

THANK YOU!!

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