Writer Wednesday: Author Gail Kittleson (and a giveaway!)

I’ve had Gail Kittleson on my blog before, and I’m so happy to have her again, this time talking about her NON-fiction books!

Gail has written a set of WWII novels that celebrate “the greatest generation,” and now she and Cleo Lampos have collaborated on an upcoming set of books giving us a look into the food of the era, and how holidays were celebrated during this time of sacrifice and shortage. I’m looking forward to seeing them!

Gail is giving away the cutest apron – and if you’re like me, an apron can save your outfit when you’re having company! In the past, aprons have been a mainstay for the homemaker, and as messy as I am, I’m glad to see them make a comeback!

Now, here’s the interview!

Interview with author Gail Kittleson

Hi Gail! I’m so glad to have you back! I know my readers will love getting to know you better – and I do, too!

Do you look on writing as a “calling?”

Definitely a calling or vocation. These two definitions particularly strike me:

“a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation, and a person’s employment or main occupation, especially regarded as particularly worthy and requiring great dedication.”

Writing requires lots of effort and attention, and I feel uniquely satisfied in the process. (Although marketing, etc. can get quite frustrating and burdensome.)

I agree with you, there. There are those times when you can literally feel the words coming through your fingers, and that’s when you know God is smiling in your endeavors!

What is one story from real life that you’ve included in one of your books?

During my childhood, we lived in a huge, un-insulated stucco house that was built to impress, but needed a lot of upkeep which it did not receive. Needless to say, mice created a gargantuan problem in fall and winter.

Once, my dad saw a mouse in the living room and raced stocking-footed to get it. Without going into the gory details, consider the mouse conquered. In the first book of my Women of the Heartland series, In Times Like These, the antagonist does the same thing. I hope the novel’s rendition comes through as strongly as the image from my childhood, still vivid sixty years later.

I’m sure it does!:)

Is there someone, alive or dead, who had a major influence on your writing life, or on your life in general?

My junior high and high school English teacher, Mrs. Morford, affected me to a great extent. A hardline grammarian, she instilled the process of diagramming sentences and a perfectionism about spelling, style, and word usage in me. She also emphasized reading as essential, and I loved her challenges. This foundation has stood me in good stead all these years.

The downside, if there is one—and there always seems to be—is that I’m very hard on myself in edits, and when I’m editing for others, I have to be careful. Sometimes people take an editor’s comments too personally, which defeats the purpose of making the writing better.

My love for all things grammar makes it tough to accept the FACT that there WILL be errors, even after a book is published. After so many of my own edits, plus those of my publisher and several other readers, why, why, why … or how, how, how, can errors still stand out?

That’ll be one of my questions in eternity, lol.

Me? I have a list I’m keeping for eternity . . . Let me know what you find out! LOL

If you were on a deserted island with a laptop and no wifi, what are two programs or apps you would have to have on your computer?

I would need Microsoft Word. That would take care of my writing requirements, I think. But my laptop would still need an electrical connection, which I doubt a deserted island would provide. (:  I might just have to resort to paper and pencil, or tree bark and a sharp stone, and it would be tough to co-write a book with another author. I say this because that’s what I did with Cleo Lampos on our new release, scheduled for early September. After writing so many novels, it was fun to delve back into nonfiction in our companion books that research FOOD in WWII and how HOLIDAYS were celebrated, even though people were far apart from their loved ones. These “coffee-table” books will release early in September—everything’s slowed down these days, so I’m sorry not to have them in hand to give one away.

During our separations due to the COVID crisis, it may be heartening to read about the ingenuity of celebrations and cooks during the WWII era. And in honor of those make-do Greatest Generation folks, I’m happy to give away a hand-made apron to one commenter here. I’d also love it if you’d follow me, subscribe, or LIKE my online sites. Thank you!

Thank you so much, Gail! You’ve been a delight, and I can’t wait to see these new books!

About Gail

Writing historical fiction enlivens Gail Kittleson, since getting to know people is so delightful. Her World War II Women of the Heartland face the trials of wartime with a make-do attitude, and she’s all about honoring their sacrifices. She and her husband enjoy reading books and watching documentaries that highlight ordinary people contributing to the war effort in extraordinary ways. After teaching ESL and college expository writing, Gail enjoys grandchildren, gardening, walking, traveling, and living under the beautiful Mogollon Rim in the winter.

Connect with Gail!

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