A heart-wrenching novel that unearths generations of secrets and sacrifices, The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen is perfect for fans of The Paris Orphan and The Lost Girls of Paris.
We had the pleasure of chatting with Kelly about her new novel The Paris Apartment, writing, book recommendations, and more!
Would you please give us a short intro to who you are and what you write?
My name is Kelly Bowen and I write historical fiction and historical romance. I currently have nine novels and five novellas published in the historical romance genre. The Paris Apartment is my first historical fiction story to be published.
Can you give readers a sneak peek into The Paris Apartment?
This story is told in dual timelines—first in contemporary Paris as Aurelia Leclaire discovers that her grandmother’s apartment contains a host of priceless artwork and Nazi photos and propaganda—making her fear that the rigid, reserved woman she had known had been a Nazi collaborator.
But what the past narrative reveals is an extraordinary, unlikely partnership between two very different women who have taken two divergent approaches to the war. Sophie Seymour, after suffering unspeakable heartbreak, turns to life as an English spy, going deep undercover as the Allies seek critical intelligence for Operation Overlord. Estelle Allard, a wealthy socialite (and Aurelia’s grandmother) uses her position to insinuate herself with the occupying Nazis, even as she endures her own crippling grief. As the conflict drags on, the two women band together on a desperate mission to save a young girl and obtain and convey key intelligence to the Allies that may turn the tide of the war.
Did you always plan to be a writer?
Not at all! I’ve always loved writing, but I didn’t seriously consider a career as an author until much later in life, after the birth of my first son. Writing became a wonderful outlet for my creativity.
What were your career goals as a child/young adult?
As a child, I alternated between wanting to become a veterinarian or a zookeeper. I became neither, though I wasn’t too far off, completing both a BSc and MSc in veterinary science. I worked for many happy years in the agriculture industry as a research scientist, a job that I adored.
Whose writing inspires you and why?
Three of my favorite historical fiction writers are Susanna Kearsley, Kate Quinn, and Bernard Cornwell. These authors are truly gifted storytellers with the ability to wholly engage a reader into the lives of their characters. They are the authors who keep me turning pages way after I should have gone to sleep, and can make me laugh or cry right along with the people on the page.
What was the first piece of writing you ever had published?
The first piece of fictional writing I had published was the first historical romance novel in my Lords of Worth series. That was the fifth novel I had written— the first two will never see the light of day again, and the second two I might one day go back in an attempt to salvage. Those early novels, while quite terrible, were very necessary. I discovered that writing a novel is much different than writing a scientific abstract and there was a very steep learning curve. And I loved every minute of it.
Was there a moment in your writing career where you thought, “Okay, now I am officially a REAL writer?” Can you tell us about that time in your life?
This is a really good question and I’ve talked about this with other authors often. I’m of the opinion that anyone who writes is a ‘real’ writer. There is no magic number of books or poems or plays you need write to be labelled ‘real,’ nor do they need to be published to be considered real.
That being said, the first time I remember feeling like writing was well and truly my career, was a day I visited a library with my eldest, who was about twelve at the time. As we passed the display of novels at the front, he ran over to grab the copy of one of mine on the shelf. ‘Hey Mom,’ he says, ‘they have your books here too.’ The novel was completely dog-eared and battered. A passing librarian noticed me holding the book and kindly told me that if I wanted to wait a week to check it out, they were getting more copies in that weren’t close to falling apart. ‘That book is really popular,” she told me (she had no idea who I was) before continuing on her way. That moment has always stood out for me and convinced me that I was a career author.
(Also, for the record, nothing gives me more joy than seeing my books in libraries, well-worn and well-read!)
If you weren’t a writer, what other job would you want to have and why?
I would be back in the agriculture industry for sure. One, I love working with animals – they keep you honest. And two, I loved the culture of the teams I worked with – when problems arose, the immediate response was always ‘what can we do to fix it?’. Working in a can-do environment makes every day of work enjoyable.
Do you have a set writing schedule? What do you need to have near you (or NOT need) in order to write?
Pre-pandemic, I used to write during the day when everyone save the dog was out of the house and kept normal workday hours as much as possible. Now that there are two adults sharing an office and kids that are doing a portion of their education at home, set hours are a little trickier. The good news is that previously I would often do a fair bit of writing in arenas and rec centers during the kids’ activities, so I am reasonably good at blocking excess noise and distractions out. Like everyone, we’re just making it work!
Can you tell us what’s next for you in your writing world?
I am working on a new WW2-set historical fiction novel based on the Jedburgh teams dropped behind enemy lines to assist Operation Market Garden. Critical for the Allied advance following D-Day, these teams worked in tandem with resistance networks while surrounded on all sides by enemies. I will have more details to come soon!
Advice for writers – what was the easiest thing about getting published, the most surprising thing, and the hardest thing about getting published?
I’m not sure there is anything easy in publishing. Like anything worth doing, it’s a great deal of hard work, the ability to continually learn, and augmented by a little bit of luck now and again. I have an incredible talented team beside me and together, we are always striving to make our stories the very best they can be, because publishing is truly a team sport. Before I published my first novel, I had no idea how many individual talents go into each and every book.
I think one of the hardest things about the road to becoming a published author is preparing yourself for the rejection that you will undoubtably face at one time or another. Believe in yourself and your work but make sure you leave yourself an open mind to accept constructive criticism.
What is one thing you wish readers knew about you?
I love writing about extraordinary women who do extraordinary things. In every one of my stories, my fictional heroines are always inspired by real women whose achievements are often overlooked in the history books. Being able to research these courageous, and innovative women whose accomplishments have made it possible for other women (including myself) to have the opportunities we have, is both a joy and a privilege.
For anyone who would like to read more about the real women upon whom I drew inspiration from for The Paris Apartment, I’d recommend the following:
- Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of A WWII Special Agent by Pearl Witherington Cornioley and Kathryn Atwood
- D-Day Girls by Sarah Rose
- The Spy Who Loved: The Secrets and Lives of Christine Granville by Clare Mulley
- Wolves at the Door: The True Story of America’s Greatest Female Spy by Judith Pearson
- A Life in Secrets: The Story of Vera Atkins and the Lost Agents of the SOE by Sarah Helm
