For the Love of Women in History 

By Alison Chambers

I have always been a voracious reader, so much so that I wanted to write my own book. Like Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code fame, who said something like ‘I thought I could do better’ when reading other author’s books, I knew at an early age that at least I wanted to try. 

In my teens, I started writing Nancy Drew stories. Nancy was the first female heroine I came across who was strong, smart, and brave, that put herself in danger and solved the mystery on her own. Then, at eighteen, I wrote my first book, trying to emulate that type of heroine. Intertwined with all of this soul-searching about what to write about was my love of politics and history, once again ingrained at an early age.

Also, at eighteen, I read Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer, and Eleanor and Franklin, written by Joseph P. Lash, both of which became the basis for my ongoing interest in World War Two and why I eventually majored in political science and history in college at a time when not a lot of women were doing so. As a result, I began weaving unsolved historical mysteries and conspiracies into my stories.

A few years ago, when World War Two historical fiction became popular, I devoured books by Pam Jenoff, Natasha Lester, and Kristin Harmel. It inspired me to want to write a story set during World War Two, but instead of setting it in France like so many others had, I wanted to try something different and set it on an Army Air Force base in England, ala the famous novel and television series, 12 O’Clock High.

I used the year 1942, since I knew it was a pivotal year for the Allies, as the war had yet to turn in their favor. Almost by accident, I discovered two other interesting facts. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the troops during 1942 (at considerable risk to herself) to boost morale and to experience how the British people were heroically supporting the war, soldiering on after having survived the devastating blitz of 1940. In 1936, Eleanor actually visited the small Wisconsin village where I live, since the village was one of the three original Greenbelt Communities, an affordable housing project Franklin Roosevelt built. A historical marker is dedicated to her visit and several restaurants have been named in her honor, so there was a great local connection.

Also, when thinking about my main character’s backstory, I wondered ‘What if her father was a magician?’ I researched the question and learned (once again by accident) about the exploits of a real wartime magician, Jasper Maskelyne, who invented innovative gadgets for spies to help them escape and put on magic shows for the troops. He also participated (although some of his activities remain in question) in some clever sleight of hand camouflage tactics designed to disguise Allied assets from the air, utilizing dummy tanks, aircraft, bridges, and guns. Several movies about Maskelyne’s life were reportedly in production. The latest update I read about was in 2021 and was going to star Benedict Cumberbatch.

So, I wove these two elements into my story, along with another big ‘What if?’ (those two famous words being the most helpful story starters for writers ever created in the English language). What if nefarious forces were at work to undermine the Allied war effort in England?

Wanting my main character to be a strong and brave heroine like Nancy Drew and so many others I read about in my research, I discovered the fascinating and invaluable contributions women made to the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), also formed during 1942. Of the 13,000 personnel that made up the OSS, more than 4,000 officers were women, more than one-third of its staff. While some worked domestically, others engaged in espionage, propaganda, and sabotage. Notable women involved in the heroic effort included:  Julia Child, Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan, and Marlene Dietrich. You can read some fascinating stories here.

To round out the story and to add depth, I created a romance between the two main characters, a female OSS agent and the general commanding the U S Air Force base. I feel it’s a compelling element, drawing characters together, adding emotion, and giving readers a stronger reason to root for them. If you don’t care about the characters, you don’t care about the story. I always try to combine action and suspense with romance because these are the kind of books I like to read (Karen Robards, Lisa Jackson, etc.)

Besides all of the above elements, I had to research British daily life during World War Two, the impact on the average British citizen of having so many US soldiers in their midst, and, of course, life on the actual air force bases themselves. What kind of cars did officers drive? What did they wear? What was their social life like? How did they deal with the emotional challenges of facing death every day? How did they react when their missions failed or hit unintended targets?

My book, The Magician’s Daughter from Holand Press is available on Amazon and free on Kindle Unlimited. It’s part of a series. The next book will be set in Austria and cover a topic not often written about and explored: the work of the Austrian Resistance. 

Please visit my website: www.alisonchambersromance.com, for more information about the Magician’s Daughter, and my other books. 

Thank you to BooksbyWomen.org for this opportunity to talk about my love of writing, my life-long interest in women’s history, and my latest book!

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lison Chambers has traveled extensively and served as Executive Director of several national medical associations, where she was responsible for marketing, communications, and public relations, as well as overall management. She has been quoted in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times and other national media and has received four awards for excellence and dedicated service. She has also written for newspapers.

She first started writing when she was a teenager, sparked by an interest in Nancy Drew books and a desire to tell a good story. She enjoys keeping her hero and heroine in dangerous and exciting situations against a backdrop of exotic settings, lost treasure and unsolved historical mysteries and conspiracies. Visit me at www.alisonchambersromance.com

THE MAGICIAN’S DAUGHTER

A crime story rich in wartime intrigue. A compelling read.’ Barry Lees, author of The Last Known Sighting

October 1942.

Deadly espionage attacks are escalating across US Army Air Force bases stationed around London, threatening to derail the upcoming goodwill visit of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Brigadier General Maximilian Landry, commander of the base in Heathbridge, is on his way to attend the birthday party of his mentor, General Bedford ‘Ford’ Masterson, when his car misses hazardous boulders strewn in his path – one in a series of sabotage incidents.

A female OSS agent, Corporal Anne Beasley, is sent to investigate the disruption. She soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of deceit, where nothing is as it seems.

While Anne serves as Landry’s temporary adjutant during a severe staffing shortage, Max grows suspicious of her and asks Major Brett Calloway, who he has served with for over ten years, to spy on her.

As the attacks increase, suspicions mount surrounding who could be responsible as confidential information is leaked. With no one to turn to and no one who will believe her, the agent fights desperately to defend herself and uncover the culprit.

A conspiracy unfolds, which could not only endanger the life of the First Lady, but threaten the success of the war effort itself.

Alison Chambers lives Greendale, Wisconsin. The Magician’s Daughter is her seventh novel and is the first in a series of World War II historical fiction adventures.

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Category: On Writing