Gail Kittleson is our guest today.

She wrote a book called Kiss Me Once Again.

Today, Gail will share the story behind her story.

Glenora keeps her heart under lock and key.

No one ever accused Glenora Carson of being a breathtaking beauty. Her talk, gangly figure and angular face are more solid midwestern stock than Hollywood glamour. But Joe liked her. He even told her, “You’re the one for me.”

He gave her a locket with his picture inside, to remind her of him while he was away, serving his country on the USS Arizona.

After December 7, 1941, Glenora shelves her dreams of attending college on the scholarship she was offered by Iowa State University, locks her heart away, and focuses on holding down the home front by helping out the family business – Carson’s Garage.

The grease-stained overalls didn’t do much to compliment her female figure, but they cover her female heart well enough. That is, until Hank Anderson, a wounded warrior back from battle, walks into the garage and into Glenora’s life.

Is an old maid’s future Glenora’s fate, or will Cupid throw a wrench in her plans?

Learn more and purchase a copy.

What inspired you to write this book?

Knowing several women who lived through World War II, I ponder how that frightening period shaped their outlooks. I don’t want to avoid going into the shadows with my characters—and we all have those shadows. Coming into the sunlight at the war’s end held such great significance for the Greatest Generation, and I hope Glenora’s story encourages modern-day readers in their own struggles.

My World War II characters go through so much, worry is a given. Even in normal times, we cannot know the future, and the chaos of war exacerbates our tendency to slip into anxiety. I can’t help but wonder how people made it through such a dire time.

Dale Carnegie says “If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.”

Great advice, and his use of “gets you,” is worth consideration. A synonym might be “wears you down.” Mr. Carnegie implies that worry causes even more dire effects than sleeplessness.

Benjamin Franklin quips, “Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.” A worthy goal, and “what may never happen” includes tomorrow, right?

Take Glenora Carson, the main character in my latest release, Kiss Me Once Again. Her mother’s death a few years back forced her to shoulder all the household responsibilities, and then the Pearl Harbor attack stole her beau.

Now her brother Red has gone off to war, so she dons mechanic’s overalls to slide under broken-down vehicles every day. Somebody has to keep up with the work in her father’s small-town garage, and nobody else is volunteering.

When Red’s ship is struck by a typhoon, worry skyrockets. Glenora and her father hunch near the radio every night, listening to the war news. Unspoken fears invade their simple living room…will Red survive the war?

Worry becomes an integral part of the setting. At the same time, war acts as the protagonist…an ever-present, threatening enemy. Even as Glenora embraces her faith, constant war news taunts her.

In her dark moments, Glenora sees a lonely, single life looming. It’s hard to make room for hope when she can’t see past today—but the cloud hanging over her certainly does not prevent second chances from working their magic.

She cannot know that a convalescing wounded warrior will offer his help at the garage, or what kindness he will show her dad. Or how deeply his quiet strength will touch her heart.

Sounds like a remarkable story, Gail. Thanks for sharing!

Writing from northern Iowa, Gail delves into World War II, such an intriguing era.

When she’s not researching, writing, or editing, she facilitates writing workshops and classes or hangs out with her husband and grandchildren.

While she normally writes historical women’s fiction, her latest release (officially to be released on December 7) takes readers into the world of romance.

Follow Gail on social media: 

Website – http://www.gailkittleson.com/
Facebook – www.facebook.com/GailKittlesonAuthor
Amazon Author Page – http://amazon.com/author/gailkittleson
Twitter – www.twitter.com/GailGkittleson

Gail is giving away a copy of Kiss Me Once Again. Follow the directions below to enter.

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