1--What is the title of your latest release?
ACE, MARVEL, SPY
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
ACE, MARVEL, SPY about a real-life woman named Alice Marble, who was a tennis champion, editor for Wonder Woman, and an American spy during WWII. Billie Jean King calls the novel "a smashing success" and who am I to argue with a sports icon.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
With ACE, MARVEL, SPY being inspired by real life, I’ve put Alice in various places she’s been—Wimbledon, Zurich, New York, San Francisco, military bases, Hearst Castle, and many, many tennis courts.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely. Alice seems like one of those people who could get along with just about anybody. I may not join her on the courts, though. She’d whoop me.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Determined, Driven, Dominant
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I’ve learned about Alice Marble, in general. I was surprised to find that even some tennis enthusiasts have never heard of Alice and that she’s been largely lost to history. It’s been incredible to bring her story to a wider audience!
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit as I go, meticulously slow. It makes writing a slow process, but it works best for me.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
French fries, give them to me steak cut, curly, as sweet potatoes, waffled, crinkled, truffled… just give them to me!
9--Describe your writing space/office!
We turned our formal living room into my office, complete with a wall of bookshelves, an oversized egg chair that my golden retriever has claimed for himself, and an old Cunard Line trunk that’s been through Ellis Island.
10--Who is an author you admire?
So many! Being I write a lot of biographical historical fiction I’ll say Marie Bendict, who I feel has been a trailblazer in this sub-genre.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Not a book specifically, but when the vampire craze struck in the 2000s it turned me into a voracious reader.
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.
Funny story, I got the call when I was nine months pregnant with my son. I immediately called my husband but was so emotional that he assumed something was wrong with the baby. I quickly told him that our baby was fine, but I also have a book baby.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I’m pretty eclectic: historical fiction, thrillers, mysteries, fantasy romance. For me, the concept is king, and the genre is less important.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Serendipity
15--What is your favorite season?
Late summer
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I’m an introvert so one of the greatest gifts I can receive is peace and quiet while snuggling with my kids.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
My husband and I are currently watching Yellowstone and loving it!
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Mexican
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Read, hike, binge watch tv. Little laziness and a little movement.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I’m working on another biographical fiction book, this one about Sonora Carver, who was one of the first women to dive on horseback and who was the inspiration behind the 90s film Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken.
Trailblazer, superstar, activist, and spy: Alice Marble is a true American icon.
Alice strives to have it all.
At seventeen, Alice Marble has no formal tennis skills and no coach. What she does have is an ability to hit the ball as hard as she can and a strong desire to prove herself. With steadfast determination and one sacrifice after another, Alice plays her heart out on the courts of the rich and famous, at national tournaments, and—the greatest of them all—at Wimbledon, rising to be one of the top-ranked players in the world.
But then her world falls apart.
With the outbreak of war with Germany, Alice’s tennis career and life come to a screeching halt, and for the first time, she is forced to confront who she is without tennis. As she seeks to understand her new place in the world and how she can aid in the war efforts, a telegram arrives with devastating news from overseas. Heartbroken and lost, she feels like she can only watch as the war wreaks havoc in every area of her life.
Until an unexpected invitation arrives.
Alice is given the chance to fight back when the US Army sends her a request: Under the guise of playing in tennis exhibition games in Switzerland, she would be a spy for them. Alice aches for nothing more than to avenge what the war has taken from her and to prove herself against this new opponent. But what awaits her might be her greatest challenge yet.
From her start as a promising athlete with worn-out shoes to her status as a glamorous international star, Alice Marble’s determination to control her own life and destiny fuels a story of achievement, discipline, loss, and love.
Jenni L. Walsh’s Ace, Marvel, Spy brilliantly showcases the life of Alice Marble, a real-life tennis sensation known for her extraordinary talent and indomitable spirit. This fast-paced and action-packed historical novel spans multiple international settings and is enhanced by discussion questions that prompt readers to reflect on Alice’s challenges and triumphs, making it an ideal choice for book clubs.
Suspense Historical [Harper Muse, On Sale: January 14, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9781400246748 / ]
Jenni L. Walsh worked for a decade enticing readers as an award-winning advertising copywriter before becoming an author. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and various pets.
Jenni is the USA Today bestselling author of historical novels Becoming Bonnie, Side by Side, A Betting Woman, The Call of the Wrens, and Unsinkable. She also writes books for children, including the nonfiction She Dared series and historical novels Hettie and the London Blitz, I Am Defiance, By the Light of Fireflies, Over and Out, and Operation: Happy.
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