Hettie Steward is feisty, educated, ambitious and stubborn. Hettie marries the love of her life, Geoffrey Bartlette, in spring 1914, but has difficulty accepting that marriage means sacrificing her beloved nursing career. When the Great War begins, Geoffrey enlists and Hettie eagerly accepts an opportunity to join the Canadian Army Nursing Service.
I'm pleased to welcome author Melina Druga to The Writing Desk.
Tell us about your latest book
My latest release is Angel of Mercy, which follows a Canadian nurse during World War 1. Although she’s nervous about the war, returning to work was exactly what she had been craving. The old adage “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it” proves true. Soon tragedy strikes, and Hettie’s life is steered onto a new path. Will Hettie return home or stay in Europe and continue nursing? Will she discover the person she is meant to be?
What is your preferred writing routine?
In addition to being an author, I also am a freelance writer. I work for clients during the work week. When I’ve completed my daily deadlines, I switch over to my projects. I also work on my own projects in the evenings after the rest of the household has gone to bed.
What advice do you have for new writers?
Three things:
- Read, but not just classics and contemporary writers. You’ll learn a lot more from studying bad writing.
- Learn grammar and punctuation rules.
- Write, write and write some more.
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
That’s still a work in progress. I’m learning as I go.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
I could not have an American as a protagonist because the United States wasn’t involved in World War 1 long enough for me to tell the story I wanted to tell. This necessitated the need to change her nationality. I briefly considered British and Australian, but settled on Canadian. I am so glad that I did. Learning Canadian history has been an education. The nation has such a vibrant and interesting history, yet in the U.S. we know next to nothing about that history and believe ridiculous stereotypes.
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
The most difficult scenes to write were always the medical scenes. They weren’t difficult in a technical sense, but emotionally. Because my protagonist is a warn nurse, there were many such scenes.
What are you planning to write next?
Angel of Mercy is the first in a trilogy. Now that is available on Amazon, I’m moving on to book two. Book two, Those Left Behind, is set on the home front during the same timeframe as Angel of Mercy. Book three, Adjustment Year, focuses on the protagonist’s return to civilian life in 1919.
Melina Druga
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About the Author
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