It's always exciting when one of our members has a book published. When I found out that Amber Lough's third YA novel was being released, I was so happy for her.
Here is the blurb for Open Fire:
It’s 1917 in Russia and years of war with Germany have turned
seventeen-year-old Katya’s life upside-down. Soldiers like Katya’s
brother are deserting in droves, while food shortages on the home front
push people to the brink of revolution. Working at a munitions factory
seems like the most Katya can do to serve her country—until the
government begins recruiting young women for an all-female army
battalion. Hoping to help defeat the Germans, Katya enlists. Training
with other brave women in her unit, she finds camaraderie and a deep
sense of purpose. But when the women’s battalion heads to the front,
Katya confronts the atrocities of war and must decide what she truly
stands for.
Doesn't that sound like a dramatic page-turner? And look at this awesome cover!
Of course, I had to congratulate Amber and find out more. Here are my questions and Amber's responses.
Where did you get the idea for this book?
I was working on a World War 1/Russian Revolution novel that was floundering, and then I heard about the Women’s Battalion of Death from a friend in Russia and was shocked to the core. I’d taken Russian history courses in college and had never heard of these women! I knew immediately it was the story I needed to write.
I'd never heard of the Women's Battalion of Death either. What great inspiration for a historical fiction novel. Sometimes one little "seed" (or fact) can "grow" into a book. But that is a process that takes time. How long did this book take from conception to publication?
About 3 years. I don’t even know how many drafts, to be honest.
The School Library Journal gave Open Fire a good review ending with “Verdict: A lesser-explore time period is given a compelling and interesting narrative through well-developed characters. Give to readers who enjoy historical fiction and strong female characters.” If you could describe your main character, Katja, with three or four adjectives, what would they be?
Katya is driven, intuitive, thoughtful, and loyal.
I noticed some similarities between you and Katja. You grew up the daughter of a Naval Officer, and Katja is also the daughter of an officer. You joined the U.S. Air Force, becoming a Lieutenant, continued on to Intelligence training, and wound up an active participant in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Katja enlists in the military and becomes a member of the all-female army battalion. How did your experiences help you develop Katja into a realistic character?
There are several moments in the book that mirror my own experiences. Some of her military training is what I went through, although altered for the era and location. One of my readers recently commented that he was getting flashbacks to his own military training when he read the book, which I took as a compliment. ;-) But most of all, I tried to show the sense of helplessness, of being adrift in a storm, that one feels when at war as well as the disillusion I felt both during and after my deployment.
Well, that makes sense that your own experience would help you portray military training in a genuine way. But your last sentence regarding feelings, I think, is key. You not only want the reader to understand all these situations Katja faces but also how they affect her. By conveying those feelings, the reader can connect and have an emotional response. And who hasn't at one time felt helpless or torn in some way?
Let’s focus a bit on the planning stages and craft of writing.
I read an interview on the publisher’s website and learned that you actually visited Russia to do research for this book. Did the trip go as planned? Was it easy or challenging to find the information you needed? Tell us a bit about it.
It went MOSTLY as planned. The snow storm wasn’t anticipated, but it made everything more beautiful. We were able to visit all of the museums I’d planned to see, and it truly did help me when I went back to revise the novel. I took hundreds of photos of objects in glass cases that I wasn’t able to find online. For example, the St. George’s Cross, given for valor on the battle field, was always photographed in black and white. When I saw some in the case, I was surprised to find it was orange and black. Nowhere had the colors been described. It made everything more real for me, which I hope makes the story more realistic to readers.
Orange and black? How about that! It appears that visiting Russia gave you more details and inspiration. (there you go writers...another good reason to travel the world.)
And speaking of the world...
Where did you get the idea for this book?
I was working on a World War 1/Russian Revolution novel that was floundering, and then I heard about the Women’s Battalion of Death from a friend in Russia and was shocked to the core. I’d taken Russian history courses in college and had never heard of these women! I knew immediately it was the story I needed to write.
I'd never heard of the Women's Battalion of Death either. What great inspiration for a historical fiction novel. Sometimes one little "seed" (or fact) can "grow" into a book. But that is a process that takes time. How long did this book take from conception to publication?
About 3 years. I don’t even know how many drafts, to be honest.
The School Library Journal gave Open Fire a good review ending with “Verdict: A lesser-explore time period is given a compelling and interesting narrative through well-developed characters. Give to readers who enjoy historical fiction and strong female characters.” If you could describe your main character, Katja, with three or four adjectives, what would they be?
Katya is driven, intuitive, thoughtful, and loyal.
I noticed some similarities between you and Katja. You grew up the daughter of a Naval Officer, and Katja is also the daughter of an officer. You joined the U.S. Air Force, becoming a Lieutenant, continued on to Intelligence training, and wound up an active participant in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Katja enlists in the military and becomes a member of the all-female army battalion. How did your experiences help you develop Katja into a realistic character?
There are several moments in the book that mirror my own experiences. Some of her military training is what I went through, although altered for the era and location. One of my readers recently commented that he was getting flashbacks to his own military training when he read the book, which I took as a compliment. ;-) But most of all, I tried to show the sense of helplessness, of being adrift in a storm, that one feels when at war as well as the disillusion I felt both during and after my deployment.
Well, that makes sense that your own experience would help you portray military training in a genuine way. But your last sentence regarding feelings, I think, is key. You not only want the reader to understand all these situations Katja faces but also how they affect her. By conveying those feelings, the reader can connect and have an emotional response. And who hasn't at one time felt helpless or torn in some way?
Let’s focus a bit on the planning stages and craft of writing.
I read an interview on the publisher’s website and learned that you actually visited Russia to do research for this book. Did the trip go as planned? Was it easy or challenging to find the information you needed? Tell us a bit about it.
It went MOSTLY as planned. The snow storm wasn’t anticipated, but it made everything more beautiful. We were able to visit all of the museums I’d planned to see, and it truly did help me when I went back to revise the novel. I took hundreds of photos of objects in glass cases that I wasn’t able to find online. For example, the St. George’s Cross, given for valor on the battle field, was always photographed in black and white. When I saw some in the case, I was surprised to find it was orange and black. Nowhere had the colors been described. It made everything more real for me, which I hope makes the story more realistic to readers.
Orange and black? How about that! It appears that visiting Russia gave you more details and inspiration. (there you go writers...another good reason to travel the world.)
And speaking of the world...
One of your reviews on Goodreads says “I
didn’t want to leave the world she created.” Let’s talk about world-building.
How did you go about this for a historical fiction novel? How did that process
differ from world-building for your previous books The Fire Wish and The BlindWish which are fantasy? Was there any difference?
World building doesn’t change fundamentally from fantasy novels to historical fiction. The foundation is the same because, in both cases, the writer is trying to immerse the reader in a world they’ve never experienced before. The magic is in the descriptive details, but the writer needs to make sure everything is viewed through the lens of the character. It’s a tricky thing, describing something that is normal to the character without taking a step away from the story. For example, I wouldn’t take specific note of a horse-drawn taxi when describing it in the story. My character would take about as much notice of it as we would a yellow cab. But the description still needs to be there for the reader, so it has to be threaded it through prose or dialogue that would naturally occur. It’s the same for fantasy. I must say, though, that world building is my favorite part of writing.
What do you want readers to take away from Open Fire?
I want readers to know that it’s ok, when in the midst of a crisis, not to know all the answers. It’s ok to be unsure of which side you should take—just listen to yourself, take it step by step. And when something terrifying happens, you are surely strong enough to face it.
That is a great message for all.
World building doesn’t change fundamentally from fantasy novels to historical fiction. The foundation is the same because, in both cases, the writer is trying to immerse the reader in a world they’ve never experienced before. The magic is in the descriptive details, but the writer needs to make sure everything is viewed through the lens of the character. It’s a tricky thing, describing something that is normal to the character without taking a step away from the story. For example, I wouldn’t take specific note of a horse-drawn taxi when describing it in the story. My character would take about as much notice of it as we would a yellow cab. But the description still needs to be there for the reader, so it has to be threaded it through prose or dialogue that would naturally occur. It’s the same for fantasy. I must say, though, that world building is my favorite part of writing.
What do you want readers to take away from Open Fire?
I want readers to know that it’s ok, when in the midst of a crisis, not to know all the answers. It’s ok to be unsure of which side you should take—just listen to yourself, take it step by step. And when something terrifying happens, you are surely strong enough to face it.
That is a great message for all.
Is there anything else you'd like to
say about the book, writing it, or about yourself?
I write because I want to find a connection with others, to show what I observe. But I also write because it’s what centers me—even when the writing is hard and I know what I’ve written will need to be revised a dozen times more. This book, Open Fire, was a huge challenge for me to write. I had to face some personal demons I’d been carrying around with me since my time in the military. I also had to find the balance between story and historical fact. Thankfully, I was obsessively driven to write this story. I hope it inspires people to learn more about this period of time and of women’s military history.
I hope so, too, Amber. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
I write because I want to find a connection with others, to show what I observe. But I also write because it’s what centers me—even when the writing is hard and I know what I’ve written will need to be revised a dozen times more. This book, Open Fire, was a huge challenge for me to write. I had to face some personal demons I’d been carrying around with me since my time in the military. I also had to find the balance between story and historical fact. Thankfully, I was obsessively driven to write this story. I hope it inspires people to learn more about this period of time and of women’s military history.
I hope so, too, Amber. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
You can connect with Amber at the following sites:
Twitter: @amberlough
Insta: amberlough
website: www.amberlough.com