In conversation with... Dinah Jefferies
Hi Dinah ! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of The Tuscan Contessa ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thank you. The Tuscan Contessa is set in stunning parts of Tuscany during WW2. It’s the dramatic story of two women, one an American journalist turned British agent, and the other a member of the nobility, who both try to save the ones they love against incredible odds. The capacity to survive and the power of the human spirit is a major theme in the novel; no matter what hell I put my characters through, I always try to give them, and my readers, a note of hope to finish with. Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started writing the book or did it take an unexpected turn as the characters grew on the page? A: Oh, goodness, no. I had a synopsis, but changes happened as I wrote. For me, a manuscript gains its own momentum as I go along. I’m just not able to think of all the possibilities beforehand, and I love t...