Today I welcome author Cindy Stewart as she shares about her latest release, along with her journey to writing and publishing a book set during the Second World War.

History Comes to Life in WWII Christian Romance

Do you enjoy reading about real-life events through the lens of historical fiction? I do. After reading historical Christian fiction for many years, I had no choice but to take up my pen (aka personal computer) and begin creating stories for others to enjoy. For me, the most fascinating to read were the ones about climactic events from the past. I read Brock and Bodie Thoene’s WWII novels (Zion Covenant) and fell in love with the era—a tragic but miraculous time period.

Warsaw Requiem, the sixth book in the Thoene’s WWII series, ended shortly after the Germans invaded Poland. The characters escaped Warsaw in a boat, and that made me curious. Where did they sail to? How did they escape? Thus began a long and fruitful period of research. 

Did you know that over a hundred thousand Polish citizens, soldiers, and government officials escaped into Hungary and Romania at the beginning of the war? Most continued on to France and later England. The Polish Army and Air Force played an important part in helping the Allies win the war.

Did you know that American citizens in Poland escaped along with the Poles? I was inspired by reading their fascinating stories.

And equally intriguing, I discovered that the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, which stunned the world nine days before the start of WWII, included a secret protocol. Hitler and Stalin had agreed to divide Poland between themselves, leading to the Soviet Union invasion of Poland on the seventeenth day of the war. After shaking hands with the Soviet soldiers they met on the field, the German soldiers retreated behind a demarcation line agreed upon by the two countries. For the time being, they were allies.

Did you know that Lvov, Poland, was the third largest city in the country between the wars (Lviv, Ukraine today)? This cultured and cosmopolitan city of 300,000 people had been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire before WWI and was a coveted possession.

Enter characters from my imagination who lived and traveled in this time and place, and my story, Abounding Hope, was born.

1939. Lvov, Poland. After the Germans invade, American teacher Irena Simmons must leave her family behind and flee with German children wanted by the Nazis. American shipping magnet Jonathan Huntwell returns to Eastern Europe to meet Irena, but she and the little ones are missing.

 Getting to know Cindy:

• What fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?

I’m a busy body—but in a good way. Teaching high schoolers, running a local Christian writers group, playing the piano and singing in the church choir, and driving an hour-and-a-half round trip to school are all activities that keep me hopping. Oh, did I mention blogging and researching and writing historical romance on the side?

• What can your readers expect from you next?

As I await publication of Abounding Hope, I’ve researched and written a prequel novella set in Germany in 1938, started a sequel set in Norway and France in 1940, and started the first book in a spinoff series set in Belgium and France in 1943.

• Where is your favorite vacation spot?

My husband and I enjoy vacationing at Amelia Island in north Florida. When it’s too hot in the middle of the day to be on the beach, we take in the ocean view from inside our vacation rental. I’ve found this is a great place to write and sneak in some reading. In the mornings and evenings, I walk barefoot in the wet sand, collecting seashells and enjoying the warm ocean water.

About Cindy:

Personal Bio: Cindy Kay Stewart, a high school social studies teacher, church pianist, and inspirational historical romance author, writes stories of hope, steeped in faith and love. Her manuscripts have finaled in the Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers Touched by Love Award, Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award of Excellence and Oregon Christian Writers Cascade Awards, semi-finaled in American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis contest, and won ACFW’s First Impressions contest and the Sandra Robbins Inspirational Writing Award. Cindy is passionate about revealing God’s handiwork in history. She resides in North Georgia with her college sweetheart and husband of forty-one years. Her daughter, son-in-law, and four adorable grandchildren live only an hour away. Cindy’s currently writing two fiction series set in WWII Europe.

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindykstewartauthor

Website: https://www.cindykaystewart.com