Interview with Colleen Hall, Author of Beloved Enemy

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Beloved Enemy?

When I was a little girl, I watched my grandmother search through an old steamer trunk full of family mementos. All of the items in the trunk were antiques, but as a child, I didn’t grasp their value. I think my grandmother was looking for a doll that I wanted to play with, but what made a lasting impression on me was the tattered uniform of one of my ancestors who had fought in the Civil War. That uniform, and his worn boots, made my ancestor come alive for me. I saw him as a real, living man who had worn that clothing. This Yankee soldier ancestor had been stationed in the South for a time after the war and had struck up a relationship with a Southern lady. When he returned to New England, he and the lady maintained a correspondence. That kernel of North/South dynamic stuck with me and inspired Booth and Serena’s relationship in Beloved Enemy.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love historical fiction, which is probably why I write it. But I also enjoy changing up my reading with contemporary stories and occasionally westerns.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes; Shepherds of Our Hearts by Julie Nye; Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell; On Great Fields: A Biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain by Ronald C. White.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

My absolute favorite scene to write was when Serena read the letter Booth left her when he returned to his regiment. In his letter, Booth pours out his heart to her–his love for her, and his love of country. He sees it as his patriotic duty to do what he can to restore the Union, even to the point of laying down his life, yet his love for her consumes him. He tells Serena that he hopes to survive the war and come home to her, but if he must lay down his life on the battlefield, he’ll consider his sacrifice worth the cost. It was this inner conflict between duty and love that moved me to tears even as I created the letter.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I have to write in absolute silence, or I can’t focus. And I have to deal with a persistent cat who wants to nap on my mouse or tromp across my keyboard. Cats rule, right?

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I strive to do my best, whatever the task may be.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Hardship will either make us or break us, and love and honor can co-exist.