Author Jessica Brockmole & Letters From Skye

I’m so excited to welcome friend and talented author Jessica Brockmole to Between the Sheets today. Her novel LETTERS FROM SKYE releases to much acclaim. Jessica has appeared on USA Today’s list of bookseller’s picks for the summer, her novel has already sold to over twenty foreign markets, and it has earned starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly.

 

What inspired you to write this novel set on a remote Scottish Island?

The Isle of Skye. After spending a week tucked away in a whitewashed cottage, listening to the rain and sipping whiskey by a peat coal fire, I knew I had to write something set on Skye. My characters helped me fill in the rest.

 

Is there a juicy tidbit from your research that didn’t make it into the book?

I researched a lot about Edinburgh during WW2, history that was cut short when my characters decided to spend much of 1940 not in Edinburgh. The city has the somewhat dubious distinction of being the site of the very first and the very last enemy attack on mainland Britain during WW2, the first in October 1939 and the last just one hour before Germany’s formal surrender in 1945. I thought that was a fascinating tidbit when I learned that, and it always seemed to surprise people, even people who’d lived in Edinburgh their whole lives, that there had been so many air raids in the city.

If made into a movie, which actors would you like to play your characters?

I always find this question difficult. In my head, Elspeth and Davey are just themselves, and I can’t picture other actors bringing bits of their own personalities and mannerisms into my characters. Regardless of who plays the roles, though, the movie would absolutely have to be filmed on Skye!

 

Can you share anything with us about your next novel?

My new project, coming out with Ballantine next summer, is also set before and during WWI, in Scotland and France. It’s a story about friendship, love, war, art, and recapturing a summer of childhood innocence.

 

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Don’t dismiss your critics. “Writing for me” only applies if you intend an audience of one (which, for some things I write, is all I ever intend). If you want your writing to go out there into the world, listen to what others have to say; they represent your readers.

SPEED ROUND

Best Place on Earth:  Scotland, of course!

Hidden Talent:  I make a killer risotto.

Favorite Dish:  Pretty much anything involving the word “nacho”.

Yoga, running, or gym:  Lawn chair?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Brockmole spent several years living in Scotland, where she knew too well the challenges in maintaining relations Edinburgh. She now lives in Indiana with her husband and two children.

Find Jessica on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.