Monday, February 23, 2015

Interview with Emily Ann Putzke



Emily, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Thank you so much for hosting me!  I'm Emily Ann Putzke, the author of  It Took a War. I'm a 19 year old Christian, homeschool graduate and history lover. Besides writing historical fiction I enjoy photography (especially photographing my nieces and nephews), reading, spending time with family, Civil War reenacting, traveling, and coffee. I really love coffee.


Everyone’s homeshooling experience is different. What do you think made yours unique?
I was given a lot of time to pursue my passion for writing. Of course I had to finish all my other subjects in the day, but my mom was very supportive of my writing and made sure I had time to do what I love. Also, we travel quite a bit so I did (and still do) a lot of writing on the go.


How did being homeschooled prepare you to write?
Growing up in a household of books was a jumpstart in my writing. Also, as I mentioned above, I had time to write. I’m not sure if I would have had the time or energy to write after being in school all day. I’m very thankful to have been homeschool and have time carved out for creating stories!


What caused you to start writing?
I’ve been writing since I was seven or eight. Stories and characters just fascinated me and I knew at a young age that I wanted to be an author. I filled up notebooks at a scandalous speed. =)


What inspired It Took a War?
I think the first spark came after a family trip to Gettysburg in 2012. How could I not be inspired after walking on those battlefields?! I came home with some story ideas and began the first draft of It Took a War. The plot changed drastically since then, but the characters are the same.


Would you give us a synopsis?
1861 - Sixteen year old Joe Roberts leads a mundane life as far as he’s concerned. His world spins in the same circle each day: working at his family’s store, taking his sisters on boyish escapades and bickering with his rogue of a cousin, Lucas. Joe can’t understand why his mother allows Lucas to live and work with them after all the pain he caused their family. When war is declared, Joe is quick to join up and become a soldier with the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteers, but war is nothing like he imagined. To make matters worse, he must endure having Lucas in the same regiment. Can Joe put the pain of the past behind him? Forgiveness is easier said than done.


Who will enjoy It took a War?
I would say ages 10+.


Do you plan to write more books?
Yes I do! I’m working on a novel about Hans and Sophie Scholl, resistance leaders in Nazi Germany. I’m hoping to publish that in 2016. My friend and I are also publishing a story we wrote together called Ain’t We Got Fun. The story is set during the Great Depression and it’s letters exchanged between two sisters, Gi and Bess. That will be available this summer.


Where can people connect with you online (social media, websites, blog)?
It Took a War is available on Amazon in paperback, kindle, or audiobook. You can follow my adventures in authorship on my Blog, Facebook, Goodreads , Pinterest, and Instagram. I also created a free study guide to accompany my book which you can find HERE.


Do you have any final thoughts?
Thanks again for hosting me on Homeshool Authors! I hope you all enjoy It Took a War!

2 comments:

  1. Yay! It is always inspiring to hear the stories of homeschooled authors who have actually made it all the way through the publishing process. Great interview!

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  2. What a great interview. I love hearing about the process of getting a book published and all the work that goes into it.
    Emily is such an inspiring person, and It Took a War is a wonderful book!

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