During a hectic couple of weeks in February 1944, the girls of the
Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club must face devastating personal loss
amongst their number. A member of an illegal faction blackmails Betty, whilst a
mystery at Mary's ancestral home threatens to cause more trouble than anyone
thought possible. In the midst of what should be the happiest of times, the
portents seem to be catching up and little is what it seems to be. Can the
girls find the strength to battle forces both internal and external, yet still
maintain their dignity and friendship?
Character Interview – Jane Howell
Jane, welcome, please could you introduce
yourself.
Sure. Hi everyone, my name’s Jane Howell
and I’m the officer in charge of the Air Transport Auxiliary unit at RAF
Hamble. Sorry, but if I told you where the base was, I’d have to have you
arrested and that’s not the best way to start an interview.
That’s quite alright. We all have to be
very careful what we say. The walls have ears, and all that. So, you mentioned
you’re in charge. From what I understand, all your pilots are also women, do
you find you have any particular problems because of this?
Hmm, it you were a man asking me this
question, you and I would have our own problems. However, I’m delighted to let
you know that I haven’t had to deal with anything which I would face with a
group of male pilots. Mind you, having said that, and I’m not going to name any
individual, there is a group of four or five of my girls who fancy themselves
as amateur detectives.
Really! Is there any particular reason for
this?
Well, I suppose it started when they
discovered they all loved the Miss Marple books of Agatha Christie. They were
billeted with a friend of mine who’d lost her twin sister in, shall we say,
suspicious circumstances and they became privy to this information pretty
quickly. One thing followed another, and before long, they’d actually dug up
evidence which appeared to back up my friend’s beliefs. I won’t go into details, but the end result proved satisfactory. Now, I’ve what has come to be called
the ‘ATA Mystery Club’ on my hands.
And has this proved to be a problem? Does
this make them difficult to manage?
I don’t believe it’s their fault, though
it’s undeniable that mystery and adventures seem to be attracted to this lot,
as a moth to a flame. They don’t go out looking for it, but it finds them
nonetheless. Does it cause me trouble? No, not really. These girls are
professionals and take their job very, very seriously. Delivering planes is
their main passion and all of them hate it when they can’t fly. Overall, things
tend to run quite smoothly, probably as smoothly as it’s possible, given
wartime circumstances.
I see the wings on your chest Jane. I
assume you’re a pilot too? Do you get to fly much?
Not as much as I’d like, I’ll have to
admit. My job is mainly administrative, keeping things working smoothly.
However, I do keep my flying license current and am quite capable of flying
anything with wings, should the need arise.
If I may, a personal question. Is there a special
someone in your life? I’m sorry. I noticed you flinched a little at this. Would
you prefer not to answer?
I’ll answer, but briefly. There was
someone, a yank, but he was killed quite recently, and I’d prefer not to say
anything else on that matter.
I quite understand, Jane. Please allow me
one more question. Do you believe that you and your girls are doing a
worthwhile job?
Oh, yes! Most definitely! Think about it.
If we and all the other Air Transport Auxiliary squadrons weren’t here, each of
the operational squadrons would have to detail some of their pilots to go and
pick up replacement and new aircraft. That would take a pilot away from
operational sorties and there’s always the possibility he’d be injured and
killed whilst performing that duty. Now, of course, that’s possible when flying
against the Germans, but to lose one on such a mundane task would be a waste.
Sorry to interrupt, but does that mean
your pilots are expendable?
Certainly not! The point I’m trying to
make is that if we deliver the aircraft, we allow an operational pilot to do
the job he’s been trained to do; take the fight to the Germans.
Many, many thanks Jane for your time and
for such a wonderful interview. May I wish you good fortune and, safe flying.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mick is a hopeless romantic who was born in England and spent
fifteen years roaming around the world in the pay of HM Queen Elizabeth II in
the Royal Air Force before putting down roots and realizing how much he missed
the travel. He’s replaced it somewhat with his writing, including reviewing
books and supporting fellow saga and romance authors in promoting their novels.
He’s the proud keeper of two Romanian Were Cats bent on world
domination, is mad on the music of the Beach Boys, and enjoys the theatre and
humouring his Manchester United-supporting wife. Finally, and most importantly,
Mick is a full member of the Romantic Novelists Association. In the Mood is
the fourth novel in his Broken Wings series and he is very proud to be a part
of the Vintage Rose Garden at The Wild Rose Press.
Social media links
https://www.facebook.com/MWArnoldAuthor
Twitter – Mick859
Instagram – Mick859
YouTube Channel –tinyurl.com/cymt5zea
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Brook Cottage Books. Come back again! x