Interview with Patricia Raybon & a Giveaway

I’m excited to welcome first-time guest, Patricia Raybon, to my blog. I hope you enjoy this interview highlighting her new release, The Sedalia Code: A Novel of World War II.

Be sure to comment below by November 17 for a chance to win a paperback of Patricia’s novel! (US only)

Welcome to the Hope-Filled Fiction blog, Patricia! Let’s start off by going back to your childhood. Who were your favorite book characters as a child and why?

The Bobbsey Twins. Remember them? I couldn’t read them fast enough. Their near-perfect family lived in near-perfect Lakeport with two sets of adventure-loving fraternal twins—Nan and Bert, the sensible, older 12-year-olds—and Flossie and Freddie, the adorable younger twins who, at age 6, took on the younger-kid exploits, many mystery-related.

Was my family like theirs? Not by a mile. But I loved their problem solving, mystery-resolving adventures—a lovely memory for me since I’m writing mystery stories now.

I’ve heard of the Bobbsey Twins, but I don’t recall reading the books. I was a huge Nancy Drew fan! What genre do you write and what inspired you to write that particular genre?

Historical mysteries top my list. They offer riveting puzzles without the gore. The ones I read and write anyway. The clean Bobbsey Twins stories may have influenced me more than I realized. But more than that, mysteries speak to my early wariness as a child.

I had a bad case of shyness, often standing behind my mother’s skirts and my father’s knees, wondering what made life and this world so big, confusing and complicated. Everybody else seemed to know how to navigate the journey. But every day I had questions.

Then friends arrived. Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes. Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. Even Scooby-Doo. As crime fighters, they chased truth. Figuring out who killed the body in the library to entertain us along the way and explain why. I was hooked. Mysteries remain my favorite

Scooby-Doo was one of my favorite childhood cartoons. It’s hard to beat a good mystery! How and when did you start writing?

When I first learned Bible stories on felt boards in my little kindergarten Sunday school room in the small inner-city church my family attended in Denver, Colorado. Bible stories showcased heroism with great take-away lessons, wisdom, and hope. Hearing such stories every Sunday, I longed to write compelling stories, too.

I love that! What is the setting of your current novel? Is it a real location or fictional? Tell us about it.

The Sedalia Code is a World War II codebreaking mystery about a brave but struggling young teacher fighting to foil a Nazi plot she discovered against the U.S. president. But can she do it? Especially while fighting to make her name while teaching at a posh Black boarding school in the segregated U.S. South? Nobody with authority is likely to believe her warning.

But first, the story, set in Sedalia, North Carolina, was inspired by my parent’s wartime romance. During a tense, historical time, they met in 1943, at an officers’ social event when my dad was stationed at a sprawling U.S. Army base near my mother’s hometown—not far from the fancy boarding school.

I love stories inspired by true events. How did that setting become a novel?

I’d learned that thousands of German and Italian POWs were held at the Army base, Camp Butner, where my dad was stationed. It was a hothouse of tension during the world war. I’d also learned that most codebreakers in the U.S. were young women, many of them math teachers hired by the government and working secretly. FDR, the president, was a key figure then, too.

So, I asked myself: what if a young math teacher at a fancy boarding school meets a handsome young soldier who asked her to decipher a message he has been given at the Army base? Turns out it’s a coded Nazi message threatening FDR’s life. Suddenly they’re faced with figuring out how to respond. From there, the story took shape and took off.    

Sounds like a great read! How do you tackle research for your novels?

Digging in and out of the weeds! Macro and micro. So, I dive first into available historical resources—books, documentaries, films, about my story’s era. With a big picture under my belt, I plow into details—listening to oral histories, reading newspaper accounts (available on Newspapers.Org or, in my state, the ColoradoHistoricalNewspapers.Org). I scour through historical photos and websites on historical fashions, food, cars, music, movies, politics, popular books, and milestone events of my story’s time. The best research, however, is done on site.

For The Sedalia Code, story came to life when I traveled to the site of the boarding school—Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia, NC—which inspired my book’s setting. To walk the grounds of my protagonist’s story—to see, hear, feel, smell, touch, breathe in all the parts of her life provided the texture and tone that gave the story “depth and heart,” author Sarah Sundin’s words for my novel.      

I can tell you really poured a lot into this story. What did God teach you through the writing of The Sedalia Code?

That we all can become heroes. Sure, it takes courage and resolve. But first, it means walking in step with God. As the prophet Jeremiah said: “Nothing is too hard” with God. All my novels, along with everything I experience in life, have taught me that, too.

That’s such an encouraging word. Thank you! What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

Hands down, first, investing in travel to writer’s conferences. Meeting in person with other authors, my publisher, and book editors—who all become lifetime professional friends—is worth every penny and more. I’m still close with authors I met at my first-ever Christian writers conference almost 30 years ago.

But one other thing is investing in resources for spiritual growth—Bibles, devotionals, and books that deepen my faith, my relationship with God, my understanding of His character, its implications, and God’s guidance along our paths. So, God’s Word blesses and enhances my personal and professional journey. Priceless.

Thanks so much for sharing about your writing and your new release with my audience, Patricia! I pray God will continue to bless you as you write stories for Him.

Join the conversation. Are you a fan of World War II stories? Does Patricia’s novel sound like one you’d like to read? What books do you remember reading and loving as a child? Do you have any questions for Patricia?

Be sure to comment below by November 17 for a chance to win a paperback of The Sedalia Code! (US only)

“[A] thrilling tale set in the Deep South during World War II…With secret codes, dangerous plots, and a sweet romance, this is a story that is sure to stay with readers long after they turn the last page.” – Michelle Shocklee, Christy Award-winning author of The Women of Oak Ridge

• Standalone World War II historical fiction by award-winning author Patricia Raybon, featuring a setting inspired by the real Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia, North Carolina
• Perfect for fans of Susan Elia MacNeal, Rhys Bowen, Vanessa Miller, Sarah Sundin and Roseanna M. White
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Please share Patricia’s interview on social media to help spread the word about her book!

If you missed Janell Goodrich York’s spotlight on Letting Go of Perfect, FIND IT HERE.