Patty Smith Hall has been making up stories to keep herself occupied since her parents forced her on boring Sunday drives into the Georgia countryside when she was too young to stay home by herself. Now she's happy to share her wild imagination and love of history with others, including her husband of 29 years, Danny, two smart and gorgeous daughters, and a Yorkie that she spoils like a grandbaby. She resides in North Georgia.
Hearts In Hiding - Engineer Edie Michaels loves her life—she has a good job, close friends, even a chance at romance with former soldier Beau Daniels. But she could lose everything if her secret comes out that she's the German daughter of a devoted Nazi.
And when her father sends spies to force her loyalty, everything Edie values is at risk.
Time in a Nazi POW camp changed army medic Beau Daniels. When he discovers a letter of Edie's written in German, he can't help his suspicions. Is she truly the woman he's started to love? Or has she been the enemy all along? With Nazis on Edie's trail, the pair must fight for truth, for survival—and for love.
Welcome to Ink Dots, Patty. It's great to have you visit with us this week. Where are you from and who do you live with? I’m a Southern girl, having been born and raised about fifty miles outside of Atlanta, Georgia. I live with Dan, my husband of 29 years and our youngest daughter who is attending college nearby, and feel very blessed to have my extended family--including my 91 year old grandma!--nearby.
Tell us how you came to write Hearts In Hiding. A few years ago, as I was researching my first book, my husband and I watched the WWII series, ‘Band of Brothers.’ In it, an American soldier comes across a group of German POWs and is surprised to find one from his hometown in Oregon. The whole idea of a parent sending their child to defend a country they’d left behind intrigued me, especially when I discover young women were sent to Germany too. Thus, Edwina Michaels was born.
WWII series are really popular at the moment. If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why? That’s a tough one! Being a history buff, I’d love to visit them all. But I have to say if given the choice, I’d go with the early 20th century. It still had that feel of Gilded Age civility while the world was changing, becoming smaller with the spread of telephones, transportation and such.
Have you been to Australia? No, I’ve never had the privilege of visiting Australia but if I had the opportunity, I’ve always been interested in visiting the small towns and ranches like the ones I saw in ‘McLeod’s Daughters.’ The settings remind me of some of the stories my grandmother has told me about growing up on a farm.
How has writing this book changed you? I think living out this book is what truly changed me. I had a situation in my own life where I had a choice--do I live out the love and forgiveness Christ showed me by giving love and forgiveness to someone who had done the ‘unforgivable?‘ Or do I turn my back on them and possibly lose any opportunity to witness to them through my actions? God had to work on me a while but there was reconciliation and forgiveness.
Where can we find you on the internet?
You can find me at www.pattysmithhall.com.
Thanks for being with us today, Patty. I look forward to hearing more about your future books. Thank you for having me today!
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If you'd like a peek into Hearts in Hiding, here's the link to Chapter One. Patty has generously offered an e-copy of her book to one lucky Ink Dots friend. To enter, please leave a comment below. Tell us what a Sunday afternoon looked like at your home when you were growing up. Like Patty, we often went on drives into the country, too. That, and afternoon napping filled many long Sundays. How about you? What did you get up to? I'll announce the winner in the comment thread on Friday. Good luck and happy reading.
