Character Interview: Autumn Greenwood (Novelists in November)

Welcome to Beyond History's Page, Autumn. Thank you for joining us here today! 
Why hello there Miss Willcock! So kind of you to have me. I'm guessing you were hoping to host my author, Miss Bethany Willcock, but she unfortunately is away currently with another interview. 
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Oh, it's you I wanted to talk to! Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
Well, I really don't know what there is to tell. I'm a historical fiction writer, I enjoy a bit of painting now and then, I live in London, holiday at my brother Noah's inn, have two delightful nieces, and absolutely adore cats in any form…well, almost any form.

What year are you living in? Were you in WWII? 
Right now I'm living in November of  1947 and yes, I stayed with Noah's wife and the girls in London during the Blitz. I'm thankful that the war is over now, it was not a good time.
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Wow yes, I'm sure it wasn't. I understand your family suffered a great loss in the war. Can you tell me a little about your brother’s inn? What’s it like?
Yes, poor Evelyn. I don't know how Noah manages without her, especially having to raise the girls on his own. Mossfern Lodge was in Evelyn's family for years, and after she died my brother restored it and opened it up as an inn to the public. It's a grand old place, covered in creeping ivy and set in the most beautiful countryside. The grounds include a small wood and a — pond. Mossfern Lodge is located very far north, almost by the Scottish border!

Wow, it sounds beautiful! You must be enjoying your stay so much! I’m sure it must be very relaxing, and such a lovely setting to write in!
Oh … ye-es, it's always wonderful to spend time with Noah and my nieces, of course. As for story setting, that's why I originally went up there, I needed…peace…while I worked on my latest novel. Yes.

Tell me about your novel! How’s it coming along?
It's…going … quite well? Now. Thank you, I hope my publishers like it.

I’m sure they will! Where have you mostly been working on it? Down at the pond? That sounds like a lovely writing spot.
No! NOT at the pond. I do my writing in my room now. With the door bolted.

Oh… okay? Is there — something the matter with the pond? I noticed you hesitated earlier when you spoke about it. 
There's nothing wrong with the lake — pond, that is — it's a beautiful lake. Pond. But I had some…strange experiences by it that I don't care to think about. The pond is…interesting.  

​Ah, I see… is it a pond or a lake, by the way? 
A pond. Most definitely. Might we chat about something else?

​Um, sure. You mentioned you love cats. Do you have one of your own?
Unfortunately my tiny apartment in London doesn't allow for one, but my nieces have the most darling little patchwork kitten named Boots. She really is a dear, and so pretty! All the lovely autumn colours!​

Aw, she sounds so cute. Have you ever tried painting her? I would love to see a picture.
I…no longer have her picture. I lost track of which painting it kept getting into, so in the end I gave up and destroyed them all to be safe.
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Um… what?
It's a bit like the lake. Pond, that is. I’ve had an absolute time of it this past week, I'm still recovering. Shall we talk about my brother instead? ​

If you want… What’s Noah like then? 
He's a jolly good egg, that's what. He runs the inn and does all the paperwork and he built the most charming cottage for him and the girls to live in and he raises them all on his own and even teaches them their schooling. Since the end of the war a lot of children haven't been sent back to school, and it was something Noah wanted to do for them himself. 

He sounds like a wonderful father and brother. And you must be close to your nieces, too. Do they enjoy your stories?
They did. I hope they still will after….well, after this past week. They're wonderful girls! 

​I… see? Tell me about the book you’re in. When is it releasing?
It's a beautiful autumn-themed anthology that features eleven lady authors. I'm excited to meet the other characters, I hear they’re all novelists, like me! And they come from many different time periods and countries all over the world. The anthology is called Novelists in November, and it's releasing on the 19th of this month. You'll find me and my …adventure…in the second story,  And As She Talked. My author drives me wild sometimes but she gave it a fitting name, at least.

I can’t wait to meet the other characters either! Do you think this is the last we’ll see of you?
After what my author put me and my poor family through in this one I was hoping it would be, but unfortunately I heard just this week that she has plans for us in another anthology coming up in March next year. I believe it's called Fingerprints in Frost, and I shudder to think what she has in store for us since apparently it's set in the depths of an exceptionally bad winter.

Well, I’m so excited to see you again in a few months! In the meantime, I’ll let you get back to your writing. I know you have a deadline. Thank you for joining us today! I hope your author will give you a month or two of rest soon.
Jolly decent of you to have me! Thank you, I look forward to seeing you again later on…hopefully that means I'll have survived the next anthology! 

I certainly hope so!

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If you want to see more of Autumn, make sure to preorder Novelists in November before November 19 and fill out this form so you can get the fun preorder goodies that come with! And don't forget to follow my sister's blog, Vintage Volumes! 
Thank you, Bethany, for lending me Autumn and doing this interview with me!
​~Lydia

Bethany Willcock is a Christian South African homeschool-grad who loves cats, coffee, classical music, history, and all things vintage and retro. She lives in a seaside cottage and runs a home bakery called BakerStreat, named after the classic Sherlock Holmes books. When not in the kitchen she spends most of her time finding ways to combine her favourite book genres, mystery and historical fiction, into new stories with God-honouring themes. Her books are mostly set during the Edwardian age and the 1940s. 
When not writing or obsessively researching new story ideas, Bethany can be found book shopping, painting, reading, playing the piano, cover designing, and crocheting, usually with a mug of coffee in hand and cat by her side.
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