Interview with Eileen Enwright Hodgetts, author of Air Raid

What can you tell us about your new release, Air Raid?

Air Raid is the first in a series of historical mystery novels set during and after World War 2. Vera is a village girl who made a hasty war time marriage to a soldier and sailed away with her new baby to be with her husband in America. Sylvia is the Lady of the Manor who claims that she also married an American who was stationed in the village. Now, six years after the end of the war, aristocratic Sylvia claims that her child was in fact stolen by Vera and taken to America. Now Sylvia wants to have her child returned to her so that she can inherit the estate and a title. Toby Whitby, a young lawyer, is given the task of finding the child and returning her to Sylvia, but the more he investigates, the more he doubts that Sylvia is the mother. The mystery builds as villagers tell what they know of Vera and Sylvia and the American soldiers who were waiting in the village for D-Day. Many of the incidents in the book are based on interviews that I conducted with War Brides now living in the United States.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve always known I would be a writer. I was about twelve years old when I wrote my first “book” and I am still writing, many, many years later. I took a sideways step into writing plays, and I have a screenplay that is currently in production; filming is almost complete, but my first love is fiction.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

I’ve always known I would be a writer. I was about twelve years old when I wrote my first “book” and I am still writing, many, many years later. I took a sideways step into writing plays, and I have a screenplay that is currently in production; filming is almost complete, but my first love is fiction.

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

That’s a difficult one because authors are not necessarily talkers. I think I’d like to talk to Brandon Sanderson who writes epic fantasy sagas. I am in awe of his world building abilities. I would like to ask him how he manages to be so prolific. His books are long and detailed and he seems to produce two or three books a year so I would like to know how he does that and how he keeps track of all the wonderful nuances of the worlds he builds.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

When I am writing, I am not me. In my daily life I do not rule the world, but when it’s just me and the screen I can do more or less what I like. I can make people fall in love, I can kill off enemies, I can have a talking dog, or an extra-terrestrial with five legs. Most of all I hope that I am writing something that will keep a reader engrossed for hours or days or weeks. I like to think that I am helping them to relax and enjoy their time away from reality.

What is a typical day like for you?

I am fortunate enough to be part of a great Mindful Writing Community here in Pittsburgh. We are a group of writers who are serious about our craft and we meet three mornings a week in a local coffee shop. We meditate for ten minutes and then we write (without talking) for 3 to 4 hours. I have been part of this group for about five years now. We write in many genres and represent varied levels of publishing success but no one in the group is defined by their success or lack of success. Even without speaking, just being in the room sparks creativity. We also meet with a larger group for writer retreats three times a year. This is what has made me a serious writer

What scene in Air Raid was your favorite to write?

My favorite is near the beginning of the book when the villagers of Rose Hill are trapped in their bomb shelter because an unexploded bomb has come to rest outside.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

I have always taken comfort in Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” Although I think of myself as queen of my own little fiction world, I am so glad that this real world rests safely in the hands of God.

Eileen Enwright Hodgetts is the author of the new book Air Raid

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