News on the Homefront Book Tour~R/GA~

TITLE: News on the Home

AUTHOR: Christopher G. McPherson

GENRE: Historical Fiction

Book Description:
Set against a worldwide canvas that includes New York, Paris and Germany "News on the Home Front" tells the story of two women who have been friends since their childhood in West Lake, Maryland. The world war has torn apart their lives leaving each trying to find a way to put it back together. It's been a difficult few years with rationing and shortages starting to take their toll. Carole's boyfriend, Philip, is off to fly for the Army; and Irene has taken a job at the nearby aircraft factory. Carole promised Philip that she would wait for his return from the war -- but circumstances begin to conspire against her. She's waited her whole life for him, but can she make it until the end of the war?

Interview with Christopher McPherson!

What is your book about?

"News on the Home Front" looks at what was happening in the states during World War Two while war raged overseas. It focuses on two women who have been friends since childhood and how the war affects them.

How did you come up with the title?

It seems like everyone writes about war from the point of view of the soldiers. I wanted to write a novel from the vantage point of the people left behind in the states while their loved ones fought. During the 1940s, a common phrase used by Americans overseas was "Any news from the home front?" I changed that a little and came up with my title.

Why World War Two?

The war years of the 1940s were perhaps the last time everyone in this country came together behind a single cause. There was a real possibility the American way of life would come to an end with the aggression shown by the Japanese and German military's. People were scared and motivated to do their part. It seemed like fertile ground for a story.

Your two main characters are women. Why?

The so-called "women's movies" of the 1930s and 1940s fascinate me. They have strong female characters and I find that really interesting. In my novel I wanted to show that strength does not just come from a gun, it also comes from inside when having to deal with tragedy, rationing, invasion fears, etc. I also liked the idea of having one of my characters work at an aircraft plant. People too often overlook the tremendous contribution to the war made by women; aside from Rosie the Riveter you never hear any of their stories.

What books have influenced your style of writing the most?

I was influenced early by Ayn Rand ("The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged"). She has a way of creating characters and setting scenes that really make you sit up and take notice. In all my fiction writing I try to create characters as vivid and memorable as hers. It's not easy, let me tell you.

Are there specific teachers whom you gained a love for reading and writing from?

I was an avid reader long before I started formal schooling. Reading and I were best friends from an early age. I was really sick as a child so I had lots of time to myself to engage my imagination. It was probably one of the best things that could have ever happened to me. I started writing pretty young, too, noodling around with words, creating animal stories and various adventures. I began writing professionally quite early and built a career writing for newspapers, magazines, radio, the stage and some television.  

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