Today I welcome Melina Druga to the blog to answer a few questions
for Author Interview³.
1) Tell us 3 fun facts about your writing history
I started writing when I was in fourth grade.
My first release was inspired by my own experiences.
Before I wanted to be a writer, I wanted to be an astronomer.
2) Describe your writing style in 3 words
Planned, thought out, concise
3) Name 3 of your literary influences
Edith Wharton
Carl Sagan (for nonfiction)
I also learn a great deal from reading other independent authors’ work.
4) Share your 3 favourite books
The Custom of the Country
Tanamera
Jurassic Park
5) What are your 3 essential writing tools?
Pen
Paper
Computer
6) Where are your 3 favourite places to write?
My dream location is to writing in an office with a gorgeous view, instead of one of the back yard.
7) Name 3 items on your writing wish list
To make my first $10,000
To get interviewed by a mainstream media outlet
To have someone famous tell me they’ve read my work
8) What are your top 3 tips for aspiring writers?
Practice
Take a grammar class
Learn about symbolism, allusion, etc.
9) Tell us 3 of your writing plans for the year ahead
My next nonfiction book, Heinous: Forgotten Murders From the 1910s, launches June 8, 2018.
The next novel in the WWI trilogy will be rewritten.
I will begin writing the rough draft of my next novel soon.
10) Tell us about your latest release
Angel of Mercy was inspired by the My Chemical Romance song “Mama.” They are my favorite band, and the song appears on my favorite album, so I listened to it frequently. The album’s liner notes remind me of an old newspaper, and the band’s photo looks like a fantasy version of WWI. The song begins with what sounds like bombardments in the distance, and the lyrics make allusions to war, medical care and mourning. From this, I created my first three characters – Hettie, Freddie and Geoffrey – and imagined who they were and what they were doing. The story kept sticking around in my head, so I decided to flesh it out and eventually it became the plot of the novel. Angels of mercy was the nickname soldiers gave nurses during WWI. Hettie is Canadian, and her uniform would have been an almost turquoise-like blue. Canadian nurses had another nickname as well, bluebird, and that nickname makes it into the dialogue.
Melina Druga
Sun Up Press
28 June 2019
317 pages
Historical Fiction
Buy From Amazon
Hettie Steward is feisty, educated, ambitious and stubborn. Hettie marries the love of her life, Geoffrey Bartlette, in spring 1914, but has difficulty accepting that marriage means sacrificing her beloved nursing career. When the Great War begins, Geoffrey enlists and Hettie eagerly accepts an opportunity to join the Canadian Army Nursing Service. Although she’s nervous about the war, returning to work was exactly what she had been craving.
The old adage “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it” proves true. Soon tragedy strikes, and Hettie’s life is steered onto a new path.
Will Hettie return home or stay in Europe and continue nursing? Will she discover the person she is meant to be?
Melina Druga is an author of historical fiction and nonfiction. She also is an avid history enthusiast. Her era of expertise--and obsession--is the 1890-1920 timeframe.
To learn more about Melina’s books, subscribe to her blog or join her mailing list.
Melina’s books are available exclusively on Amazon, and eBooks are free to Kindle Unlimited members and on KDP Select free days.
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