This week, we're welcoming author Sophie Schiller with her latest title, The Spy Island. The author will offer a free copy of the book to a lucky blog visitor. Here's the blurb:
At the height of the Great War, Abby Maduro is an adventurous orphan who saves the life of a stranded sailor who has washed ashore on her Caribbean island. In spite of the danger and consequences she faces, Abby shelters Erich Seibold in the basement of her house and friendship and love blossom between the unlikely pair. In time, Abby learns that the erudite stranger is a deserter from a German U-boat. When the island's German Consul, Lothar Langsdorff, also discovers Erich's true identity, he blackmails him into joining his spy ring by committing sabotage and murder. After a tumult involving the Danish governor, Erich is hunted down and thrown into prison, forcing Abigail to risk everything to save him. But with Langsdorff and his spy ring still on the loose, Abigail relies on wits, bravery and a little island magic to save her tranquil island from a dangerous German spy. Spy Island is a historical spy thriller for the adventure-lover in you. Prepare to be carried away to an exotic tropical island with its potent mixture of action, suspense, romance, and delightful island characters who will cast their spell over you.
**Q&A with Sophie Schiller**
Do you have a particular approach to
research and writing?
I've developed a
workable approach over the years. I accumulate a large amount of books and memoirs
on the topic I'm writing about. Then I systematically read them, highlighting
the parts that are relevant, or else writing notes in a legal-sized notebook,
jotting down important facts such as vocabulary, weaponry, gadgets people used,
relevant brand names, monetary value of everyday items, attitudes, how they entertained
themselves, what techniques they used to get out of difficult situations, speech
patterns, how they played jokes on each other, how they handled social snubs, what
issues were important to them. Some of the most telling details, however, are
the ones they tried to hide or gloss over.
Have other writers of historical fiction
influenced you and, if so, how have they influenced you?
My biggest
influences were Ken Follett, Leon Uris, and Jeffrey Archer. Even when they were
writing about ordinary people, they set the action against a larger historical
backdrop, putting you right in the middle of the action, so to speak. In the
sphere of non-fiction, Dava Sobel is an especially brilliant writer who is able
to humanize her characters and make the reader care about them, she does this
extraordinarily well in "Longitude" and "Galileo's
Daughter".
What ingredients do you think make for a
favorite historical fiction author? Do you deliberately plan for these
ingredients in your writing?
When a writer
can set aside his own attitudes and beliefs and let the characters be true to
themselves, then you have a chance to recreate history in an entertaining
fashion. But when a writer interjects his own cultural beliefs and attitudes
onto his characters, then he puts his audience on guard and risks making them
feel manipulated. The classic cliché in this regard is the 18th century lady
with feminist ideals, or the First Class passenger on the Titanic who wants to
experience Third Class travel because he feels more enlightened and egalitarian
than his close-minded peers. That is not to suggest that such people didn't
exist, but they would have been labeled eccentric.
Another
important ingredient for a historical fiction writer is to humanize his
characters, especially his villains. Ken Follett is particularly good at this.
Don't just show the Nazi sympathizer as a violent Sociopath; show how devoted
he is to his wife (Hornet Flight). All people are multi-dimensional. Or in the
case of a novel with no human villains, show how society's prevailing attitudes
toward class, ethnicity, or country of origin can take on the role of villain,
causing people to needlessly suffer and die. (Paths of Glory, Archer; Tales of
the South Pacific, Michener; Hawaii, Michener)
How do you select new stories to tell?
When I feel a
pressing need to tell a character's story, that's when I look into the
feasibility of writing about them. But desire is not enough. Sometimes you love
a character and desperately want to tell their story, but the details of their
life are locked up in a Royal Archives. Not every country has the "Freedom
of Information" Act and it makes you appreciate America's fairly easy
access to first-hand research material.
What techniques do you employ to write
productively?
I try to stay
focused and stay in character. Sometimes I work on a scene for months until I
get it right.
What do you do to connect with readers?
I'm on Facebook
and I have a blog. Anyone who writes to me will definitely get a response!
Sophie Schiller on Facebook: https://www.
Twitter: @SophieSchiller
