Soren Petrek is a practicing trial attorney with a passion for studying World War Two. He lived in France and England for years, listening to people’s stories of personal sacrifice and struggle during the darkest years of the war. Cold Lonely Courage was inspired by the true story of a young Belgian woman who helped countless Jewish children escape from the terrors of the Nazi regime. Soren lives with his wife, Renee and sons, Max and Riley in Grey Eagle Minnesota. Please visit Soren’s blog at: http://coldlonelycourage.blogspot.com .
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Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?
Having practiced law for 20 years, I’ve experienced just about every type of character out there. I don’t consciously draw on specific individuals when I create a character, but from a vast range of individuals I’ve met over time. I worked during my college years on a maintenance crew in London and got to know many men and women who had experienced the war. I was impressed and came away with a greater appreciation for what seemingly ordinary men and women are capable of when called upon to resist oppression.
Q: What compelled you to write your first book?
I had always wanted to, but had kept putting it off. When I turned 40, I decided I’d waited long enough and got to it.
Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes, since I was a teenager.
Q: Tell us briefly about your book.
An assassin born of death and violation is the most dangerous of all. Cold Lonely Courage tells her story.
The action begins during the German Blitzkrieg attack on France in the opening days of World War II. The heroine, Madeleine Toche races to the front to find her brother dying after his unit is destroyed as the Germans advance. Crushed, Madeleine returns his body to her parents.
In the months that follow, Madeleine is raped by a Nazi officer. Seeking revenge she kills him and flees to England to volunteer for duty with Britain’s shadowy Special Operations Executive. Trained as an assassin she clandestinely returns to France with Captain Jack Teach a veteran of the SOE ‘Dirty Tricks Department’. They find themselves in love but are torn apart by duty and the insurmountable odds of survival. Madeleine fights on terrorizing the murderous Nazi elite always only one step ahead of capture and torture.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
I am rewriting my first book, The Patience County War, following its recent edit.
Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?
Proud. So many people believed in me and my talent. The book is beautiful inside and out and a big achievement for me.
Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?
I write when I can fit it in, sometimes I have little time, other times longer stretches. It’s like anything else important,one makes time for it.
Q: When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?
I loved Tolkien’s, Lord of The Rings Trilogy and am so pleased that the story became even more popular once the books were made into feature length films.
Q: What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?
I really like Elmore Leonard. I was familiar with his work but never picked up one of his novels. Now I can’t put them down. I like action/adventure and historical thrillers.
Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?
I lived in London and Provence and feel a personal connection to those places. I think of the important times of my life in those places and think about them often.
Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?
I bash away on an old lap top. I forgot all of my typing instruction from high school and type with a couple of fingers.
Q: In my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult?
Characterization and storyline come easily, some of the mechanics don’t. I am learning as I go.
Use this space to tell us more about who you. Anything you want your readers to know. Include information on where to find your books, any blogs you may have, or how a reader can learn more about you and writing.
My book is on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Black Rose Writing and numerous on-line book stores. Cold Lonely Courage has something for everyone, love, determination, hatred, camaraderie, hope and desire. Cold Lonely Courage, won first place in the 15th Annual Writers Network Screenplay & Fiction Competition, through Fade In Magazine. The Washington Post, just named Fade In the nations #1 movie magazine.
