Jacquie Bloese answers #13Questions (14! 🏳️‍🌈) in OA's Debut Author Spotlight

13 Questions shine Operation Awesome's Spotlight
on this
2022 Debut Author

The French House by Jacquie Bloese

1- What is your most important tip about fictionalising a real person from history?

Use biographical details to inspire and imagine, rather than restrain

2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Have a clear sense of the general direction of your novel.

3- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?

Curiosity & empathy.

4- Why did you pick Guernsey for your setting?

I grew up on Guernsey & both my grandparents lived through the German Occupation.

5- Would you share a picture with us of your book?



6- How do you support your fellow debut authors and have any of them supported you?

I buy & recommend their books & RT praise so they don't have to!

7- Time to double-down on social media! What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
Also, can you please recommend a favorite #bookstagram account profile?

@novelthesecond Shout outs to @BraunGabriella @kristenloesch & @novelisttim
Bookstagram - dems_book_den

8- What is your favorite creative non-writing activity to do?

Writing takes up a lot of my time but I'd love to learn to play the piano!

9- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Without giving too much away, one of my characters is forced to hide their sexuality.

10- What's the biggest writing goal you hope to accomplish in your lifetime? #WriteGoal #BucketList #WriterBucketList

I'd love to see one of my books made into a film or TV series.

11- What was the query process like for you?

Fairly swift for this book, more perseverance required for my first (unpublished!) novel!

12! 🏳️‍🌈June Bonus Question: Rainbow Book Month™ is a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, genderqueer, queer, intersex, agender, and asexual community. 🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQIA+ literature What author might you suggest reading to celebrate this month?

The unparalleled Sarah Waters!

13- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

Which 'real life' person, past or present, would you most like to fictionalise & why?

14- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

Blurb -

In Nazi-occupied Guernsey, the consequences of making the wrong decision can be deadly. And when the lives of estranged lovers Émile and Isabelle become entwined with Schreiber, an enigmatic German officer, loyalties are blurred, and dangerous secrets are forged.

Bio:

Jacquie grew up on the island of Guernsey. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Good Housekeeping First Novel Award, Caledonia Novel Award, and the Mslexia Novel Award. She lives in Brighton, where she combines writing with her job as a freelance ELT consultant, editor & author.
https://www.jacquiebloese.com/
@novelthesecond


The French House by Jacquie Bloese