Christine, welcome to my blog! Can you tell us what is your latest book about?
ONE WOMAN’S WAR is about Victoire “Paddy” Bennett, the woman who is said to have inspired the character of Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond novels and her involvement in Operation Mincemeat, one of the most eccentric and effective intelligence deceptions of all time.
How did you get the first idea for it?
I’ve always been interested in spies—I saw my first James Bond movie at age seven—and have recently written several novels about female intelligence operatives during the Second World War. I was reading about James Bond creator Ian Fleming’s real experience in Naval Intelligence during World War II and came across a newspaper article about the women that were said to have inspired his characters. Upon researching further, I discovered that Paddy Bennett was a redoubtable woman—clever, brave, and resourceful. The perfect protagonist for a story!
What do you love most about writing?
I love when I’m deep into a novel and the words flow and the world falls away, and hours pass without my noticing. I also love the wonderful people I’ve met through writing—readers and other writers, as well.
What are the best 5 books you've read recently?
I don’t rank books I read but here are some fabulous ones I’ve read lately:
The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth — and I am not just saying that because I’m on your blog! You know how much I loved that book.
The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer
The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
What lies ahead of you in the next year?
I’m currently working on a book about a girl who grows up at the luxurious Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo and comes to believe she is the illegitimate daughter of Edward VIII, later Duke of Windsor and a scandalous French courtesan, Princess Marguerite Fahmy. It’s been fascinating to research this one! Hopefully it will be out next year.
