A.L. Sowards grew up in Moses Lake, Washington, then came to Utah to attend BYU and ended up staying. She wrote most of her latest release while her twin toddlers were sleeping and did most of the revisions while they were supposed to be sleeping, but were really using their crib mattresses as trampolines.
Visit A.L.: WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
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LDSWBR: What books do you plan/hope to read this summer?
A.L.: Last year I realized I’d been spending so much time on research books that I hadn’t read much fiction, so this year my goal is to read at least one novel a month. (That sounds really lame, doesn’t it?) I want to read The Grecian Princess, by N.C. Allen, because I liked the first two books in the Isabelle Webb series, then there are a few national market WWII books I’d like to read, and my siblings keep suggesting I read something by Brandon Sanderson, so maybe I’ll try the Mistborn series this summer.
I have some WWII research to keep up on too, including The Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson, about the campaign in Italy, and two books about WWII spies: Between Silk and Cyanide, by Leo Marks, and Flames in the Field, by Rita Kramer. I’m also in the goodreads WWII readers group and I’ll probably read something for their upcoming group reads. Right now I’m reading Combat Crew, by John Comer, as part of their WWII aviation month.
LDSWBR: Did you ever go to summer camp, and/or what is your most memorable camping experience?
A.L.: I went to church camp when I was in Young Women. I was part of a huge ward, and we’d stay up late playing Encore (a game with two teams, and you go back and forth singing parts of songs with a specific word in the lyrics until the losing team runs out of songs). The other wards weren’t thrilled by our enthusiastic singing late into the night, but we had fun.
LDSWBR: If you could have a summer home anywhere in the world, where would it be?
A.L.: Part of me wants to say somewhere in Europe, but then it would be too expensive to actually visit the home, so I’ll settle for somewhere along the US Pacific coast, so I could drive there, and lie on the beach while planning out my next scenes, then type while listening to the waves.
LDSWBR: Thank you so much!
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Find Sworn Enemy:
AMAZON (Paperback & Kindle) | DESERET BOOK (Paperback, eBook & Audio/MP3) | GOODREADS
June 1944. As World War II rages, the people of Eastern Europe are hopelessly trapped between two formidable forces: Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union. In their midst, a band of heroes works to defend against the inevitable Communist takeover.
After narrowly escaping her Nazi captors, French Resistance worker Genevieve Olivier has fled to Allied territory with the help of American Lieutenant Peter Eddy. Their connection is undeniable, forged in the crucible of danger. But despite their blossoming feelings for each other, they must both finish the work they began . . .
In the safety of England, Genevieve hopes to find purpose as a nurse—all the while unaware that the Gestapo still seeks the woman who slipped through their grasp. When she is called upon to resume a life of danger as a French spy, will her desire to prove herself be her downfall?
Recruited by an elite special-ops team intent on thwarting the Nazis, Peter finds himself engaged in a personal battle as well—there is a traitor among his comrades. Deep in the Carpathian Mountains, Peter combats an unknown foe. The stakes are high as he fights to save the lives of his teammates.
They are miles apart, yet as Genevieve and Peter fight for their own survival, they find a common well of strength in their faith—and their determination to be reunited.
What singing games did/do you play while camping?
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Book prizes generously donated by the authors as of 6/12/2013 (more added throughout the countdown!):
- A Blind Eye by Julie Daines (signed), a bookmark AND a Mind the Gap temporary tattoo
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