1--What is the title of your latest release?
KATE’S WAR
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
With the threat of invasion and bombing by Germany hanging heavily over England at the start of World War II, twenty-year-old Kate is devastated when she’s forced to postpone her dream of a singing career to help out at home. When she finds herself responsible for the well-being of a young Jewish girl, her priorities change in ways she never imagined.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I grew up just South of London and this seemed like the ideal setting for a historical novel about World War II, since the location was nine miles from the center of London and vulnerable to bombing.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes, especially as she appears at the end of the book.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Talented and responsible, but insecure at first. Eventually courageous.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I didn’t know much about WW II in England, so I had to inform myself. I read a lot of books!
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
All I want to do at the beginning is get the story down. The hard parts – editing and revision – come later.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chocolate
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I use an extra bedroom for my office. I have bookshelves, filing cabinets, a desk, and plenty of light. Since the room is on the second floor, my windows face treetops and sky. Good for dreaming.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Ann Patchett
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
I love Henry James’ Portrait of a Lady. I read it when I was much younger and enjoyed identifying with the protagonist Isabel. Later, when I read it from an older and different perspective, I still liked it, and related to different aspects of the character. I liked the premise of how a young woman with a fortune in the 1800s would choose to spend her life.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was thrilled when She Writes Press accepted my first novel Estelle for publication. I kept thinking they had made a mistake.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Historical fiction.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Casablanca. I can watch it time and time again. It’s perfect.
15--What is your favorite season?
Spring because it’s hopeful and the flowers come out.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
At home, hearing from my far-flung family and friends, then going out to dinner with my husband. If someone wants to make me a cake with candles, I won’t object.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
All Creatures Great and Small (book and TV shows). I like stories set in England, and the animals help, along with the appealing characters. The vet James Herriott is an excellent writer.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian. Pasta, especially.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I paint wildflowers from nature. Painting is relaxing, very different from writing.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
Fiction based on a true event with an older woman protagonist who has to start a new life.
Twenty-year-old Kate is poised to launch into a long-anticipated life of independence when Britain declares war in 1939. After that announcement, her dream of escaping the London suburb she grew up in and pursuing a singing career is quashed: she must stay put with her family and prepare for bombing and possible invasion by Germany.
Living in these anxious times, Kate strives to achieve balance in her life, though a speech disability interferes with her singing and a failed romance adds to her distress. But when a young Jewish girl whose parents have been deported comes to her for help, Kate’s goals change. Taking on a responsibility she never could have imagined, she learns that freedom and survival cannot be taken for granted—and as new responsibilities outweigh earlier goals, she learns that assisting others to escape unspeakable evil requires new perspective, as well as courage she didn’t know she had.
Women's Fiction Historical [She Writes Press, On Sale: April 9, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781647426149 / ]
Linda Stewart Henley is an English-born American. She moved to the United States with her family when she was sixteen and is a graduate of Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans. Her career in university administration took her to many parts of the country and she now lives in Washington State with her husband. She has two accomplished children. When not sitting at her computer she may be found painting wildflowers or tending her garden.
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