Interview with Phoebe Hinkle, Author of We Gave Our Tomorrows

 

Hello friends! Today, I’m thrilled to welcome to the blog author Phoebe Hinkle! My family is currently reading her World War II historical fiction book, We Gave Our Tomorrows and loving it! Here is my interview with Phoebe:

1. When did you start writing?

I've been coming up with stories pretty much my whole life, but didn't start writing really seriously until I was about 12. I finished my first book at age 15 (but we don't talk about that one, shh ) and have kept going ever since!

2. Why do you love writing?

I love writing for a lot of reasons: I like being able to control outcomes, live adventures vicariously, and spend time with some pretty awesome (but occasionally annoying) people in my head. But I think one of my biggest reasons, and the one that really keeps me going, is the fact that I can use writing to point people to God and glorify Him.

3. What are some of your favorite books?

Oh man, I have so many! But my favorites include Lord of the Rings, Ben-Hur by General Lew Wallace, and Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott.

4. What are a few of your favorite movies and/or TV shows?

For movies, that would include Mary Poppins, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the movies by the homeschool family Little Crew Studios. We don't own a TV, but I enjoy watching older shows, especially Combat! (1962-1967), Jonny Quest (1964), and A&E's Wind in the Willows (1983-1990).

5. Who are some of your heroes from history?

You know, every time I get asked this question, the answer changes, lol. But Stonewall Jackson is one of my heroes, as is Jeb Stuart (both Confederate generals) and Darlene Deibler (author of Evidence Not Seen). Stonewall and Stuart are both heroes because they were brave leaders who were unapologetically Christian and often passed that on to their men. I admire Darlene Deibler for her faith and courage as a POW of the Japanese in WWII.

6. What inspired you to write We Gave Our Tomorrows?

We Gave Our Tomorrows was inspired by a board game I played with my dad and brother, in which we took a squad of American soldiers through the whole of WWII in Europe, from June 1944 to V-E Day. After the very first battle we played out, I knew this had the potential to make a great story, so I started taking notes about everything that happened in the game. That was the easy part - taking all those notes and turning it into a full, fleshed-out story was quite a challenge sometimes!

7. Do you have any current works-in-progress you'd like to tell us about?

I have a few WIPs I'm working on right now, though none of them are anywhere near being done. Currently I'm working on Motto of Glory, a story about the Italian Folgore paratrooper division in WWII. It's hard to find research materials for that! I also have a few stories in mind that are connected to We Gave Our Tomorrows - one about a WGOT character's time in North Africa (I'm not giving names to avoid spoilers ), and then another one about said character's son in Vietnam.

8. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Don't stop writing, even if you think it sounds terrible - and don't be afraid to jump ahead and write scenes out of order. You can always edit the awful things you write, but you can never edit the things you didn't write. Read a LOT - read authors that you like, and try to determine what makes them such good writers. Read authors you don't like; be willing to admit what they do well, and figure out what it is that you don't like about their writing. Most importantly, don't forget to pray over your writing! Be willing to surrender it to God and let Him take the story where it needs to go - after all, He's the greatest Author of all time.

9. Besides writing, what are some of your other hobbies and interests?

I love reading (of course, haha), crochet, playing games with my family, and going flea market shopping with my mom. I'm always on the lookout for 1940s stuff, especially militaria, since I'm trying to put together a war correspondent impression for historical reenacting.

10. Where can readers find your books and connect with you?

The best place to find me and my books is on my website (Home - Black Otter Books). That has my blog, links to all my books on Amazon, stop-motion Lego trailers for the books, and a Contact page. My Goodreads profile (Phoebe Hinkle| Goodreads) is another good source.

Thank you for having me on the blog, Savannah! I really enjoyed it!

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I hope you all enjoyed reading this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it! I hope you’ll check out Phoebe Hinkle’s books!

Also, she interviewed me on her blog! Check out that interview here.

Always remember, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it,” (1 Thess. 5:24).
All for Him,
Savannah Jane