Your new historical novel, GIRLS OF FLIGHT CITY, is set in the 1940s. What inspired you to write a story set in this time and this particular place?
My mom grew up outside of London when the bombs were falling. Listening to her tales growing up, I’ve always been fascinated by this time period. When I read an article about a woman tending to the British cemetery in Terrell, TX - the town where my dad graduated from high school - I became intrigued by the history of British pilots coming to Terrell to learn how to fly. It was one of 6 schools across the south that trained pilots for Britain. When I discovered women played a large role in training the pilots, I saw the potential for sharing this remarkable part of our history.
How much research went into this book?
Extensive research went into writing this book. In addition to brushing up on my WWII history, I read books about the history of the schools and how the U.S. got involved in training British pilots. I researched the history of women pilots and the bias they faced. Then I needed a general understanding of aircraft used during that time period. Fortunately, a writer friend, Barbara Dunlop, loaned me her bush pilot husband who’d actually flown a 1941 Stearman used in training, so he was able to guide me when it came to the scenes that involved flight. I read about the American pilots who joined the RAF before Dec. 7 and the risks they took, which became a subplot of the story. I researched life in Texas during the 30’s and 40’s, contacted Janna Nedderman, assistant archivist for the city of Dallas, to get some details on the State Fair of Texas in 1941, interviewed my in-laws who attended Texas schools in the 1940’s. There were so many small details I needed to know: how many grades were there in 1941; did you have to have a driver’s license; did you need a pilot’s license. I watched navy pilot training films and a fun promotional video from the 1941 State Fair. I also visited the British Flying Training School Museum in Terrell as well as the British cemetery. I found it all incredibly fascinating.
Do you alternate perspectives in this story? And is there any clear resolution for the various female protagonists in this story, or are things left more open-ended?
I alternate perspectives between Jessie, who is a flight instructor, and her 16-going-on-17-year-old sister, Kitty, who works at the soda fountain in the drug store, where the cadets spent their Saturday afternoon free time. Most of the lads were only a little older than Kitty. While I don’t write any scenes from her point of view, Rhonda, Jessie’s best friend, operates the flight simulator and has a role in the story. There are clear resolutions for each of these three female protagonists. I wanted to show the lasting effects the war had on their lives.
How would you describe this story for readers more familiar with your Victorian-set romance novels?
GIRLS OF FLIGHT CITY is the story of how the lives of three women in a small Texas town are affected when they are called upon to train British pilots for the Royal Air Force during World War II. Lives on both sides of the Atlantic will be forever changed by love and loss…
While this is not a romance, per se, the tale has love stories within it, but they don’t all have happy endings because it is war. However, I do hope it’s a satisfying read.
If you could recommend only one of your books to a reader unfamiliar with your work, which would you pick? And why?
This is a tough question, like choosing one of my children. However, I would recommend IN BED WITH THE DEVIL. I feel like with that book, I settled into my voice for writing stories set in England during the Victorian era, and it’s the first book in the Scoundrels of St. James series, one of my most beloved series. Readers often write me asking that I write more stories about their children. It’s also a fun series because five of the characters were child pickpockets raised on the streets and the premise of the series is that they are the children upon whom Charles Dickens based Oliver Twist.
A few authors I’ve interviewed in the past have told me that the kind of book they enjoy writing is not the same kind of book they enjoy reading. What do you like to read? Favorite books? Authors?
Historical romance is my first love. When I need a comfort read, I turn to Julie Anne Long, Sarah MacLean, Vivienne Lorret, and so many others. But I read widely—contemporary, suspense, paranormal. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of WWII set fiction: Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson, The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn, The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen. Right now, I’m reading Angels of the Pacific by Elise Hooper.
Is there any other time period that you haven’t set a story that you might like to write about one day?
Perhaps time periods in the 20th century before or after WWII.
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on THE LADY TAKES ALL, the first book in The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction series. If people read any book in the Once Upon a Dukedom series, they will have met the Chessmen, so called because of their ruthless strategy when it comes to investing. Marguerite is an inquiry agent (detective) hired to gather evidence of Bishop’s scandalous behavior. To do so she takes a position as a maid in his household but finds herself drawn to the charming rogue, even as she knows she must eventually betray him.
Inspired by true events, a breathtaking WWII historical novel about the brave American women who trained the British Royal Air Force, by New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath.
1941. A talented flier, Jessie Lovelace yearns for a career in aviation. When the civilian flight school in her small Texas town begins to clandestinely train British pilots for the RAF, she fights to become an instructor. But the task isn’t without its perils of near-misses and death. Faced with the weight of her responsibilities, she finds solace with a British officer who knows firsthand the heavy price paid in war . . . until he returns to the battles he never truly left behind.
Rhonda Monroe might not be skilled in the air but can give a trainee a wild ride in a flight simulator. Fearing little, she dares to jeopardize everything for a forbidden relationship with a charismatic airman…
Innocent and fun-loving Kitty Lovelace, Jessie's younger sister, adores dancing with these charming newcomers, realizing too late the risks they pose to her heart.
As the war intensifies and America becomes involved, the Girls of Flight City do their part to bring a victorious end to the conflict, pouring all their energy into preparing the young cadets to take to the skies and defeat the dangers that await. And lives from both sides of the Atlantic will be forever changed by love and loss…
Women's Fiction Historical [William Morrow Paperbacks, On Sale: April 5, 2022, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063078536 / eISBN: 9780063078574]
Lorraine Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA’s prestigious RITA®. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists.
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