The Book...
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.
The Author...
Welcome to Heritage Literature, Emily! Tell us a little about yourself.
Thanks for hosting me, Lauren! 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), spending time with family, polka dots, all things vintage, war movies, (weird, right?) reading, and coffee.
How did you get started into writing?
I’ve been interested in writing since I was about seven or eight. I’ve always loved creating stories and knew from a young age that I wanted to be an author. I was homeschooled, so that played a big part in my love of literature. I was surrounded by good books and allowed time to pursue my passion.
What inspired It Took a War?
A family trip to Gettysburg in 2012 inspired It Took a War. The battlefields and history there inspired me to learn more about the Civil War. I left there with story ideas brewing!
What is the question you get asked the most in regards to being an author?
I’m asked how long it took me to write It Took a War, and also how I got it published. I started It Took a War in 2012, then put it away for nearly two years. I pulled it out in January, 2014, re-wrote it and got it ready for publication. I self-published using Createspace, and I have my own publishing imprint called, The White Rose Press.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
If writing is your passion and God-given gift, pursue it with all your heart. Don’t hide your talents. Share them!
What type of marketing/advertising have you done that you felt was the most successful for you?
I organized a blog tour/giveaway which helped immensely in promoting my book. I was hosted on 10 blogs during the book’s release week. My giveaway consisted of a signed copy of my book, a Gettysburg mug, hot chocolate, an old fashioned journal, and peppermint sticks. To enter the giveaway, people were required to follow me on different social media sites for a certain amount of entries. I gained a larger following from both the blog posts and the giveaway.
Have you published any other books?
My friend, Emily Chapman, and I are in the process of publishing a book we wrote together. It’s title, Ain’t We Got Fun, is written in letter form between two sisters during the Great Depression. That will be released this summer.
Do you have any works in progress you'd like to share with us?
I’m currently writing a full length novel based on the true story of Hans and Sophie Scholl, a brother and sister who wrote and distributed anti-Nazi leaflets in Germany during WWII. It is titled, Resist, and I’m praying about pursuing traditional publishing with this one.
Where can people connect with you online?
I blog frequntly at www.authoremilyannputzke.com. I’m also on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
You can purchase my book in paperback, kindle, or audiobook on Amazon.
Thanks for hosting me, Lauren! 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), spending time with family, polka dots, all things vintage, war movies, (weird, right?) reading, and coffee.
How did you get started into writing?
I’ve been interested in writing since I was about seven or eight. I’ve always loved creating stories and knew from a young age that I wanted to be an author. I was homeschooled, so that played a big part in my love of literature. I was surrounded by good books and allowed time to pursue my passion.
What inspired It Took a War?
A family trip to Gettysburg in 2012 inspired It Took a War. The battlefields and history there inspired me to learn more about the Civil War. I left there with story ideas brewing!
What is the question you get asked the most in regards to being an author?
I’m asked how long it took me to write It Took a War, and also how I got it published. I started It Took a War in 2012, then put it away for nearly two years. I pulled it out in January, 2014, re-wrote it and got it ready for publication. I self-published using Createspace, and I have my own publishing imprint called, The White Rose Press.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
If writing is your passion and God-given gift, pursue it with all your heart. Don’t hide your talents. Share them!
What type of marketing/advertising have you done that you felt was the most successful for you?
I organized a blog tour/giveaway which helped immensely in promoting my book. I was hosted on 10 blogs during the book’s release week. My giveaway consisted of a signed copy of my book, a Gettysburg mug, hot chocolate, an old fashioned journal, and peppermint sticks. To enter the giveaway, people were required to follow me on different social media sites for a certain amount of entries. I gained a larger following from both the blog posts and the giveaway.
Have you published any other books?
My friend, Emily Chapman, and I are in the process of publishing a book we wrote together. It’s title, Ain’t We Got Fun, is written in letter form between two sisters during the Great Depression. That will be released this summer.
Do you have any works in progress you'd like to share with us?
I’m currently writing a full length novel based on the true story of Hans and Sophie Scholl, a brother and sister who wrote and distributed anti-Nazi leaflets in Germany during WWII. It is titled, Resist, and I’m praying about pursuing traditional publishing with this one.
Where can people connect with you online?
I blog frequntly at www.authoremilyannputzke.com. I’m also on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
You can purchase my book in paperback, kindle, or audiobook on Amazon.
Thanks for being with us today, Emily!
My review of It Took a War:
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. In my experience, a lot of war related books are filled with blood and violence. I was pleasantly surprised!
The focus was on the characters and their struggles, rather than on the war. The war was real enough that you knew it was there and felt the pain and the suffering, but it did not overpower the rest of the story and the lesson that the author skillfully wove in.
At the beginning of the book, I did not like Lucas at all! And there were times I wanted to reach into the book and give Joe and Coralie a good shaking! But the author did a great job of helping these two resolve their problems and the ending was spectacular!
There were times the story moved a bit too quickly for me to grasp exactly what was going on, but overall, Emily did a wonderful job and I really enjoyed this book.
See this review on Amazon
The focus was on the characters and their struggles, rather than on the war. The war was real enough that you knew it was there and felt the pain and the suffering, but it did not overpower the rest of the story and the lesson that the author skillfully wove in.
At the beginning of the book, I did not like Lucas at all! And there were times I wanted to reach into the book and give Joe and Coralie a good shaking! But the author did a great job of helping these two resolve their problems and the ending was spectacular!
There were times the story moved a bit too quickly for me to grasp exactly what was going on, but overall, Emily did a wonderful job and I really enjoyed this book.
See this review on Amazon
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