The home of best selling novelist Nevada Barr and her husband Don Paxton

 Madeline Martin

  

             

       

Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.

She lives in Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), two incredibly spoiled cats and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she’s not writing, researching or ‘moming,’ you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple of spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves to travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany.

One of the many galleys we brought home from the most recent NVNR conference (New Voices New Rooms) in Arlington VA was The Booklover's Library, from Hanover Square Press, "Well that one sounds perfect," I thought. Book lovers and WW2 England. Little did I know how perfect it was going to be. It takes place in Nottingham, England just before and during WWII. The timing and setting particularly intrigued me as both my mother and father were in the British army during that terrible conflict. Dad fought and was wounded at Dunkirk, and Mum was in charge of an anti-aircraft gun battery on the Isle of Wight. They met on a train travelling to Felixstowe during the war. They were both Sargent's but Mum slightly out ranked Dad and she never let him forget it. 😉

Madeline's book not only did not disappoint, it surpassed my expectations. The two words that hit me over and over again while reading it were kindness and goodness. Because of 24/7 news reporting on war, lives lost, and people trying to rob and scam us, we can lose sight of all the positive things happening in our world. But The Booklover's Library reminds us of a time when, under the worst possible circumstances, everyday people showed their best sides. Decent people showing kindness and goodness. 

My recent personal experience with hurricane Helene here in Asheville, and seeing first hand how generous and open-hearted people can be in dire situations, made reading Madeline's book even more wonderful. 

You'll meet Emma along with her daughter Olivia and a wonderful cast of characters like Mrs. Pickering, Margaret and Charles. All such good people.

Another thing that clearly shows in Madeline's book is the research she does: expressions like Kirby grip instead of bobby pin, Happy Christmas (instead of Merry), the mention of beloved singer Vera Lynn. I was especially impressed when she used expressions only heard in Nottingham!

There are so many memorable lines in the book; here are two that I really felt after reading them:

"The ticket office is closed," she stated stupidly. "Of course it is, love." The man eyed her curiously. "It's Christmas morning." A lump rose in her throat. She wanted to shout out that she knew it was Christmas morning, that she was missing her daughter after almost four months, and after seven years of it being just the two of them, this was her first Christmas morning without her daughter. She wanted to rail about how exhausted she was, how rumpled she looked, and how bloody bad her feet ached from standing for so long.

and 

God, how tired she was of it all. The ration, the wretched sirens, the hovering threat of danger, the constant exhaustion that never abated when there were so many shifts to take on at the canteen, and scarves to knit, and food to cook, and.....and....Olivia.

Now let's learn a bit more about this talented author:

Madeline, tell me about where you live and why you love it so much.

I live in Saint Augustine Florida, which is the oldest city in America and is full of wonderful historic information and details. I am a total history nerd, and, yes, specifically chose to live here because of this history. We are also only about two hours from Disney World and Universal Studios and enjoy going there often.

Where were you living when you were 7 years old? Are they fond memories?

My dad was in the Army and we moved around a lot. When I was seven, we lived in

Anaheim, California for about four years. 

Madeline's father reading to her.

I do have very fond memories of having lived there. We were in a single-story apartment complex that surrounded a pool and there were a lot of children in my age. We had a lot of fun running around the inside of the complex and swimming in the pool on hot days, of which there were many. And there

was a big grass lot in the very center and my dad would host baseball games for all the kids there. Not to make this all about Disney, but my parents surprised us one time with a trip to Disneyland and that as always been one of my favorite childhood memories.

 

It probably explains why I love theme parks so much to this day.

Is there a book that changed the way you look at life?

The first book that I can really remember falling in love with was Little House in the Big

Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

 

I think the story changed the way that I looked at life as it was the first time I really started to look at the world as a reader. And maybe even as a writer. That book introduced to me the beauty of being able to be transported into an entirely different world and to lose yourself in the detail of a life I've never lived. I read that series many times over and hope to eventually visit her house (which is now a museum) someday.

Do you have a favorite children’s book and what about it makes it so?

I loved Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems. 

It is one of those fun, silly books that makes all kids just squeal with laughter, which is the best sound in the entire world. It also carries a really wonderful message about how being unique is something that

should be embraced and not shunned. My girls loved the story so much that when my

brother and his wife had children, that was the book I knew I had to send them.

What are the funniest or most embarrassing stories your family tells about you?

When I was in high school, we would have family nights where we would play board

games. One of our favorites was Life.

One time I picked up a card that said, “buy a yacht, insert consequence here,” - except I had only ever read the word ‘yacht’ before and never pronounced it aloud. When I did so that night, I said it like ‘hatchet’. My family has never let me live it down. If anybody ever sees a yacht, they pointed out and say, “Look, Madeline, it’s a yachet!” Ah, the plight of a reader who knows words, but doesn’t

always know how to pronounce them.

How did you meet your beloved husband? How did your first date go? 

My husband and I actually met on match.com. Our first date was on our lunch break as

he was the only man I talked to on that dating website who acknowledged that I was a

single mother and likely would not have a lot of time or access to babysitters. It was so

incredibly sweet and considerate of him, which was a great indicator for the man he was

and has proven to be. I’m very lucky!

Wedding day!

Is there a song, person, or group that you listen to when you are feeling a bit down?

I actually listen to audiobooks more than anything else. But if I'm having a hard day or

feeling down, I often will go for a walk and only allow myself to think of positive things

and everything that I'm grateful for in my life. After I've had some fresh air and sunshine

and filled my thoughts with gratitude and happiness, I feel so much better.

How are you different now than you were in your 20’s?

Well, my metabolism sure is not the same lol! I definitely have significantly more

patience now than I did in my 20s.

How do you feel about “Independent Bookstores” and their role in your success?

Independent bookstores have always been magical places for me. They are the

heartbeat of so many wonderful reading communities. All independent bookstores are a

huge part of not only an individual book’s successes, but also the success of the

publishing world. Bookstore owners are hard-working people who have all been just

absolutely wonderful. At their souls, they are readers, which makes them intelligent and

empathetic, which in my opinion is the best kind of person.

Can you remember a particular random act of kindness from a stranger?

The way to my heart is through my children and one time when we were at Disney

World - a place known for magical things happening - my daughter was looking at a pair

of mouse ears that she really wanted.

 

I didn't have very much money as a single mother, so the way that we could afford to go to the parks was with an annual pass and bringing our own food/snacks and only letting the girls buy souvenirs with their allowance. My youngest did not have enough money saved up to afford the ears, much to her dismay. As we were leaving, one of the cast members came up to her and told her that she forgot the ears. My youngest said she didn't have enough money for it, but the cast member said that Mickey wanted her to have them and gave them to her anyway, taking the time to clip off all the tags so she could wear them right then and there. I still remember that big smile that stayed on my daughter’s face all day as she rocked those glittery mouse ears.

What is your biggest joy and hardest challenge?

My biggest joy is being a mother, which is also my hardest challenge, lol. My daughters

bring me so much joy in my life. Being a mother allows me to still be a kid with them,

enjoying the simple things in life and being silly and opening my heart as absolutely

wide as it can go. Being a mother has also made me always want to be the best version

of myself that I can be, not only for them, but also to be a good example for them.

Balancing a career as a mother, along with all the other time-consuming aspects of daily

life can be difficult. No matter what is happening in my life or career, my children have

always come first, which can make things a little difficult sometimes when I need to shift

things to the back burner I was not expecting. But for all the challenges that arise, I

have never once regretted making sure my daughters are first and know that they are

first above all else.

Your author page doesn't mention your heritage, I know you were raised in Germany but

is your family originally from England?  

My father's side of the family is from Poland and my mother's side of the family is sort of

from all over.

I immediately noticed that you used many English expressions, Kirby grip for example,

even Nottingham only ones, research or knowledge?

All of the references to English expressions and ones specific to Nottingham have come

from research. I do extensive research on all my books and that includes going on site

and not only immersing myself in the world around me, but also purchasing books that

can only be found in that specific location. Those really can be integral for identifying

region specific vernacular to incorporate into the manuscript.

And the famous time travel question:

MADELINE, IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME

to any period from before recorded history to yesterday,

be safe from harm, be rich, poor or in-between, if appropriate to your choice,

actually, experience what it was like to live in that time, anywhere at all,

meet anyone, if you desire, speak with them, listen to them, be with them.

When would you go?

That's a really hard question to answer because I love so many different time periods in

history. I will say that if I could go back in time, I would do so only if I could be rich. I say

that because there are so many time periods in history where people who didn't have

very much money truly suffered due to horrendous living and hygiene conditions.

I think I probably would go with Regency, but very well could do medieval, Tudor era,

Victorian, Golden age, or even the early 1900s.

I would likely go to England because that is where a majority of my research has taken

place. I would love to see how London looked back then, how people really did speak

and act and what they wore. Getting to test the historical accuracy of my research with

reality would be pretty amazing.

Two people in history that I have always wanted to meet are Anne Boleyn and Jane

Austen.

 

Anne Boleyn because there are so many conflicting accounts about her that I

want to see for myself this woman who so captivated a king that he spun religion on its

head just to marry her. She was incredibly intelligent and did a lot of good for the

community, and frankly, her death was a horrible thing, especially as far as the

accusations went. 

I would also love to meet Jane Austen - who never even published books under her own name while she was alive. I would love to inform her what an influence her books have had on the world today and of course to talk about all her wonderful characters and stories.

I can't pick a time, so it is too hard to say why I would choose any one particular time.

Lol!

Thank you so much Madeline, your book meant so much to me in so many ways.

Readers, be sure to pick up this wonderful book at your closest independent bookstore.