We chat with author Shaina Steinberg about Echoes of Infamy, which is set in late-1940s Los Angeles where former spies Evelyn Bishop and Nick Gallagher dig into shady real estate dealings, murder, and the appalling aftereffects of WWII-era Japanese American internment.
Hi, Shaina! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I grew up outside Chicago, went to college at Vassar in New York. Best part of that was spending my junior year abroad at St. Andrews in Scotland. After college, I worked as a horse wrangler, before heading to NYU for a master’s degree during which I studied the way war is portrayed in art and literature. I moved out to Los Angeles while I wrote my thesis, convinced I would hate it and return to New York in six months. That was over twenty years ago. Through luck and a whole bunch of cold-calling, I managed to get jobs on TV shows like Malcolm in the Middle, Everwood, Cold Case, Bionic Woman and Spartacus. Additionally, I wrote a couple of episodes for the NBC show Chase. TV writer’s rooms are boot camp when it comes to learning how to structure a story and I’m so grateful for my time there and the incredible writers who shared their wisdom with me. Recently, I’ve shifted my focus to both novels and feature-length scripts. My film, Bride Hard, starring Rebel Wilson came out last summer. I currently live in Los Angeles with my husband, son, and a fur-beast– I mean Australian shepherd.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always been a big reader. When I was eight, I thought being a writer meant you had to work for a few hours a day, then you could go outside and play. The only problem was that I didn’t like making up stuff and putting it on paper. Besides, my sixth-grade teacher told me I swore too much. Oops. By high school, I dreaded having to write a short story. However, my sophomore English teacher would not let me escape that particular homework. I procrastinated until just before the story was due. Then the opening came to me like it had always been there, waiting for me to find it. I wrote the piece in record time. (A deadline helps). When I turned it in, the teacher gathered all the stories and read the first paragraph of each out loud. When she finished mine, everyone wanted her to keep going. The world I had seen became real for my classmates, as well. It felt like magic.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Green Eggs and Ham By Dr. Seus.
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe By C.S. Lewis.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Echoes of Infamy is the third installment in your Bishop & Gallagher series and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Postwar mystery. Former spies. Fun.
For those who haven’t picked up the series, what can they expect?
My two main characters, Evelyn Bishop and Nick Gallagher, met while they were behind enemy lines as spies for the OSS during World War Two. They’re both strong, independent people, who somehow manage to work together both as detectives and as a couple. They care about others intensely and have a strong belief in right and wrong. Throughout the series, the mysteries they solve are personal in one way or another. It is not just that they are acting as detectives and stumbled across a random body. It is that difficult revelations come out in their search for answers and force them to a deeper understanding of themselves and the people around them… whether they want it or not. In each book, Evelyn and Nick grow personally through the struggles they face. Yet, they are still witty, fun, and very relatable.
And for readers who have, what’s to come in Echoes of Infamy?
In Echoes of Infamy, Evelyn is president of her father’s aeronautics company and struggling with the sexism of the late-1940s that believes a woman’s place in the home. She has decided to expand her factory, but at the ground-breaking ceremony a Japanese American soldier from the 442nd, tells her she is building on stolen land. Turns out, his family had a restaurant that was taken from them when they were incarcerated in Manzanar during the war. Evelyn and Nick’s investigation grows more complicated when they discover a body at Evelyn’s construction site. Additionally, Nick’s nephew, shows up at Nick’s doorstep, bringing painful memories of the family who abandoned him.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring? further
I love writing Evelyn and Nick’s dialogue. They came from wildly different backgrounds. Evelyn grew up with extraordinary wealth and had a close, supportive family that was filled with love. Despite being brilliant, she was expected to become a socialite, had the war not interfered. Nick, meanwhile, was abandoned by his family and lived on the streets for a lot of his childhood. He managed to keep a little bit of optimism and kindness in very dark situations, however it left him with a deep sardonic streak. These two love each other, but they also clash. They sometimes drive each other absolutely mad, however, underneath they also support each other unreservedly. It’s fun being able to explore the push and pull of their relationship and their different approaches to solving crimes.
Can you tell us how you approach researching your novels? Are there any fun tidbits that you enjoyed discovering?
I like using real events in my books. I think it grounds the story in a specific time and place. When I start my research, I look for a variety of different books from the time period and do a deep dive. This usually involves me listening to audio books while I go hiking, or walk the dog, or do the dishes. It feels very immersive. Yet at the same time, I don’t take notes. Things that feel important will usually stick in my brain. This is my way of weeding down all the information to what feels relevant and serves the story. For the smaller details, I will go back either during or after writing to try to make it as factually correct as possible.
There were a lot of interesting things I learned during my research for this book. One of my favorites was about Olive Ann Beech, who was the co-founder and eventual president of Beech Aircraft Company. Beechcraft was a huge supplier to the US Armed forces during World War Two and one of the most popular civilian planes after the war. Olive Ann ran the company from 1940s onwards, with the title of secretary until her husband died in 1950, when she was finally named president.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
This book was especially tough. I unexpectedly lost both my parents while I was outlining. Grief is a strange thing. I don’t have many memories from the first couple months after their memorials. My brain basically stopped working for anything more than taking care of my family and getting through the day. Writing felt impossible.
I got incredibly lucky in two ways. The first was my grief group. It was an hour and a half each week where I didn’t have to pretend to be okay. Everyone there understood what I was going through and I could cry in front of them without feeling like a burden. The second was that I signed up for a mentorship program through Sisters in Crime and I got Jessica Crockett as my mentor. She was incredible at helping me restructure the way I approached work and she held me accountable. Not for pages written, but for hours worked. Even if I was struggling and did not write that much, I could still feel accomplished for having made the effort. Just showing up, day after day, even when it was difficult, is how I wrote this book.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on a new novel that deals with grief. My dad was in college when he lost his father. He said the mourner’s kaddish for a full year. There was one time when he was at a swim meet and he realized that he would not be able to get to a synagogue. Somehow, he rounded up a minyan of ten Jewish swimmers so that he could say kaddish on the pool deck. That story stuck with me and formed the basis for my next book.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
So far, I’ve really loved London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe, Audition for the Fox by Martin Cahill, and All Systems Red by Martha Wells.
I’m really looking forwards to Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel and Whistler by Ann Patchett. Also The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield by Claudia Gray. (I love her Jane Austen mystery series, but you have to read them in order.)
