Who is your favorite character in the book?
Carlton. I know I created him, but I found him to be incredibly sensitive and charming. Flaws and all.
What makes your protagonist an interesting character?
Readers will watch a 16-year-old at the start of WWII who is all stars-in-the-eyes misty in love (or so she thinks) grow and mature to a 19-year-old who sees life differently. The war changes her, but not in a negative way. She grabs all the responsibility by the horns and pulls herself up.
But Alice-Ann is not a physically beautiful girl. She lets you know that right up front. Still, by the end of the book, you’ll see the same beauty Carlton sees in her, from deep inside, from a heart that’s wide open and full of gold.
Where will your writing take you next?
I recently finished a biography of Eric Liddell (written with Rev. Eric Eichinger) and am now working on another novel, currently titled Beth Bettencourt, which is set in 1962. I’m very excited about both!
What’s the most shocking thing about you?
I’ve been struck by lightning.