Sep 8

INTERVIEW: Deborah Swift

It's said that the folks who lived through WWII were "the Greatest Generation". I may be a little biased, since my parents were part of that population, but I do tend to agree. There was a simplicity--a respect for God and Country that sadly, we lack today. There was a maturity in the people who lived back then. They were not afraid to work hard. In fact, I recall my parents telling me that when working, "You're to work hard, always doing your best, and never quitting."

WWII had a major impact on my parents and the people of their age. I'd stay up late at night with my Dad, listening as he told stories of his experiences in the South Pacific. Brook Allen almost wasn't born, because one day, a Japanese soldier fired at Dad, fortunately missing. However, Dad said he felt the breeze of that bullet literally whiz past his head. Whew. Talk about a close call.

This week's guest post is by a prolific and experienced writer: Deborah Swift. Deborah's current series on WWII spies is full of close calls and daring escapes. You'll enjoy her candid answers and insights in what makes WWII such a fascinating period for literature these days. So, welcome Deborah!

And READ ON!

AN INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH SWIFT

BROOK: Deborah, you’ve made quite a switch in the past year or two, from writing about

Renaissance women to WWII stories. Was that a difficult transition? And how did you

mentally prepare yourself to time-warp hundreds of years into the future?

DEBORAH: I’ve actually written six novels set in WW2, three before the Renaisssance series and three after. I love writing about different periods – history is endlessly fascinating and I can’t hold myself to only one era! What inspires me to write is often particular characters – and one of the things that inspired me to write a series about secret agents sent to Holland was that I realised that everyone thinks of the French Resistance in WW2, but there were other Resistance movements, and the female secret agents in Holland were under much more pressure than those in France.

BROOK: As authors, we’re both aware of the tremendous push there has been over the past seven or eight years by publishers for novels concerning WWII. What do you think it is about that period that has drawn so much interest in the past decade?

DEBORAH: It is an era almost in living memory – now just fading out of it – that exemplifies courage and sacrifice. In fact we probably only hear those dramatic stories, as history tends not to record the mundane. So it appears to us as our most recent example of heroism and also of the fight for right. I think too that there is a deep sense of nostalgia in people for a past that was more stable, less technologically slippery, and where things moved at a slower pace. Relationships were allowed more time to develop, and jobs were often for life. It’s a far cry from our disposable culture, and I think people hanker after that in fiction.

BROOK: Your heroine, Nancy Callaghan faces a real challenge in Operation Tulip. She is

undercover in Nazi Germany. Are there any records to suggest how many women may

have been involved in resistance by going undercover?

DEBORAH: I don’t know how many women worked in this way, but I do know that Kitty van der Have worked undercover as a secretary in The Hague. She used her access to official documents and meetings to gather intelligence, which she then passed on to the resistance. Sisters Truus and Freddie Oversteegen were prepared to seduce Nazis in order to lure them to their deaths.

BROOK: If caught, what punishment would Nancy have faced?

DEBORAH: Nancy would have been tortured to reveal the names of her friends in the Resistance and then more than likely sent to a Nazi death camp like other female Resistance workers. Many male Dutch Resistance workers were executed on the dunes outside The Hague, but women were usually sent to camps where they met a similar (but invisible) fate. However, Haarlem Resistance worker Hannie Schaft, was executed by Dutch Nazi sympathisers three weeks before the end of the war in the dunes of Overveen, near Bloemendaal.

BROOK: High stakes, indeed. What challenges did you face in researching Operation Tulip?

DEBORAH: My main challenge was geographical – though I visited The Hague, you never quite find out all you need to know, and when I was back at home writing the book I decided to include the accidental bombing by the Allies of Bezuidenhout, an area of The Hague. They were aiming for the German V 2 rocket launchers but missed. Discovering exactly what remained standing in the city and what had been destroyed was difficult to research (because of course it’s all changed now!) and led to me using Google Translate far too much. Also, I don’t speak Dutch, so was reliant on translations of books and papers.

BROOK: Are there more WWII stories coming from Deborah Swift, or will your next story make you time-hop some more?

DEBORAH: My next novel is another WW2 story called Last Train to Freedom, and it is set in Russia on the Trans-Siberian Express. I have just received the structural edits and I’m working away to try to polish it up. My head is halfway between Holland and Russia at the moment!

BROOK: Tell us a little of what Deborah Swift enjoys on a sunny afternoon to while away the time.

DEBORAH: Of course a good book! But I also really enjoy walking and exploring the countryside – where I live there is a beautiful canal, the sea shore and the hills. The best bit is to find a nice café at the end for tea and cake!

ALL ABOUT THE BOOK

Holland, 1944: Undercover British agent Nancy Callaghan has been given her toughest case yet. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured, and Nancy must play the role of a wealthy Nazi to win over a notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, and gain crucial information.

England: Coding expert Tom Lockwood is devastated that the Allies have failed to push back the Nazis, leaving Northern Holland completely cut off from the rest of Europe, and him from his beloved Nancy. Desperate to rescue the love of his life, Tom devises Operation Tulip, a plan to bring Nancy home.

But as Nancy infiltrates the Dutch SS, she finds herself catching the eye of an even more senior member of the Party. Is Nancy in too deep, or can Tom reach her before she gets caught?

Inspired by the true events of occupied Holland during WW2, don't miss this utterly gripping story of love, bravery and sacrifice.

Praise for Deborah Swift:

'A well crafted tale… this book did not disappoint' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'There is action, mystery and romantic entanglements stirred into the story for a fantastically entertaining read' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Deborah Swift never disappoints' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A joy to read' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ALL ABOUT DEBORAH

Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author of twenty books who is passionate about the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the glorious Lake District. After taking a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, she enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and has an award-winning historical fiction blog at her website www.deborahswift.com.

Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today.

Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Book of the Decade Award, and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Her most recent books are The Silk Code and The Shadow Network both set in the Second World War.