Author Interviews,  Historical Fiction

Kate Breslin talks about Far Side of the Sea

May 10, 2019 /

Kate Breslin joins me today and I am delighted. I asked her some questions about her latest release, Far Side of the Sea and her answers were brilliant. Be sure to enter for a chance to win a copy of FAR SIDE OF THE SEA. (Giveaway ends: May 18, 2019)

If you haven’t checked out my review you can do so by clicking HERE.

 

Welcome, Kate Breslin:

Kate: Melony, thank you for inviting me to be on your blog today and share with your readers!

Q: Kate, sometimes books have a few titles before the final one is chosen. Can you please tell us about how the title was finalized and what your working title was. Did the title become apparent right away?

Kate: What a great question, Melony! I usually choose my title based on a verse from Scripture, so with Far Side of the Sea, my original working title was Song of the Dove, excerpted from a verse in the Biblical book, Songs of Songs. As I wrote the story, however, my heroine’s spiritual journey seemed to align more with Psalm 139:9 (NIV) so my title morphed again, this time to a few variations of Wings of the Dawn. In the final editorial committee, Far Side of the Sea was suggested from that same Psalm and I thought it was lovely. I also realized there were elements in my story that paralleled with that title, though I did tweak the ending just a bit to make it bookend nicely. J

Q: In Far Side of the Sea we get to know Little Corporal. How did that delightful character show up on the pages?

Kate: Thank you, Melony! When I researched for my second novel, Not By Sight, I came across some fascinating information about carrier pigeons used for military purposes during the Great War. I was intrigued enough to want to write about them and decided that one my secondary characters would be a pigeon—a white one to resemble a dove, symbolizing love, peace, and the Holy Spirit. After reading several true stories about how pigeons carried critical messages from the war-torn trenches back to Army headquarters, enduring all kinds of danger, such as inclement weather, gunfire, and their natural predator the falcon, which the enemy trained in mass to attack them and bring them down—I became a lifelong fan of these heroic little birds!

Q: I absolutely loved getting to know Lieutenant Colin Mabry. He learns to overcome his physical challenges, but what I loved the most was that he overcame his reluctance to allow anyone in. Did Colin surprise you at all?

Kate: This may sound a bit strange coming from the author, but Colin’s character developed more or less on its own. In Not By Sight, we see just a glimpse of his more serious, responsible nature and the ghosts that seem to haunt him, and when I gave him his own story in Far Side of the Sea, he began to reveal more of that nature and the depth of his wounds. That was the long answer. The short answer? Yes, he surprised me several times. J I have such a passion for writing about the Soldier, a hero who despite his own fears, reaches beyond them to help and save others. To sacrifice his life to right the wrongs. It’s a redemptive theme that as Christians we can identify with and embrace.

Q: When you wrote Johanna’s story, did you know you were going to writer her sister’s story?

Kate: Actually, Johanna’s sister and her cry for help was the main plot point in my preliminary sketch for this story. Johanna herself didn’t materialize into being until I actually started my outline and realized that it would make for a pretty boring novel to read 400 pages about a guy searching for his girl. Johanna seemed just the right person to mix things up a bit and to add an element of intrigue. J

Thank you so much, Kate.

Kate: My pleasure, Melony! Thank you again for hosting me and happy reading, everyone!

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Melony Teague is a freelance writer and author. Co-author of As the Ink Flows, Devotions to Inspire Christian Writers & Speakers. A South African Canadian, wife, mom of two teenagers & two cats. ACFW member.

Melony Teague is a Freelance Writer and Columnist who lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario. The Biographer for Portraits of Giving (2014-2016), Aurora Sports Hall of Fame (2015 -2017) and teaches seniors in her community how to write their personal story.

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