Julien Ayotte - A Belgian Nurse Leads an Escape

Julien Ayotte's first novel, "Flower of Heaven", was a 2013 New York Book Festival winner. His second novel, "Dangerous Bloodlines", continues in Paris where "Flower of Heaven" leaves off. From France, Italy, Sweden, Ethiopia, to the Middle East, "Dangerous Bloodlines" is a fast-paced global sequel that will keep you guessing. His third release, "A Life Before", takes the visions of a paranormal college student to great lengths to solve a long-closed cold case. "Disappearance" is about a leak in the witness protection program (WITSEC) and recent assassinations of two witnesses. "Code Name Lily", his latest release, is about a young Belgian nurse who, as a key member of an escape network, aids downed airmen to reach safety in Spain during World War II. As our Author of the Day, Ayotte tells us all about this book.

Please give us a short introduction to what Code Name Lily is about.

Code name Lily is about a young Belgian nurse who became a key leader in the Comet Line escape network during WWII.

What inspired you to write this story? Was there anything in particular that made you want to tackle this?

My mother also came from Belgium in 1919, and her nickname was Lily.

Who is Micheline Dumon? What makes her tick?

I read an obituary in December 2017 of the recent death of Micheline Dumon-Ugeux in November of that year. The article depicted a genuine heroine from WWII who rescued over 250 downed Allied airmen and personally escorted them from Brussels, into France, and over the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain and freedom. After her parents and sister were arrested by the Nazis, Micheline, code named Lily, was determined to do her share to aid downed airmen to escape the Germans.

Where does your fascination with WWII come from?

Belgium was a small country and could not defend itself very well, and easily fell to the Germans in only 18 days in 1940. Lily believed it was the least they could do to help these Allied servicemen escape, since they were dying to free Belgium from the German oppression.

How much research did this book require from you, and what was the most interesting aspect of this research?

I spent 6 months of research before I wrote my first chapter. There were many brief accounts about Lily, but no one ever put her whole life together in one book.

Which of your characters has been the most challenging to write for?

Lily was lonely, never trusting anyone, therefore never getting too close to anyone. At the end of the war, she did not seek awards or accolades, yet received the Medal of Freedom from Pres. Harry Truman, the George Medal from the queen of England, and the highest civilian medal from King Leopold III of Belgium.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I am an avid tennis player and golfer, Eucharistic Minister at my church, and an active member of the Association of Rhode Island Authors...not bad for a 77-year old!

Readers say that this book had them riveted. How did you manage to keep them at the edge of their seat throughout?

People genuinely love heroines from WWII. Lily’s exploits were very dangerous and risky, yet in over two years of escape work, she was never caught. Ironically, this 5-foot, 22-year older looked like a teenager, complete with skirt and bobby sox.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively as an author since publishing your first book?

Code name Lily is my fifth novel in six year. All of my previous five were mystery thrillers and highly rated on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble. Several of them have won numerous national book awards and were best sellers. Now I seek a producer to turn one or more of them into a major motion picture.

Are there any books or writers that have influenced your work?

Clearly, I like John Grisham, David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, and Ken Follett. Jon Land, a best-selling author on USA Today, has called my work comparable to Harlan Coben and David Baldacci on the thriller scale.

Is there an underlying message you wish to relay about basic human nature through your characters?

I don’t do super heroes or sci-fi characters. My characters are real-life people doing real-life jobs, but caught up in episodes that require action to solve. I have no explicit sex, no excessive violence, no foul language in my books...I don’t need them.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I write long-hand, then type each chapter. I have no clue where the next chapter will bring me, but when I’m done, people ask me how I came to such a surprising ending. Very flattering.

What are you working on right now?

I am 60% done book#6, back to a mystery thriller. I hope to have it completed before the holidays.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I have a very detailed and updated website, www.julienayotte.com, which they can find information about all of my books, links to purchasing sources or directly from me, and a thorough list of my upcoming appearances. My email address is there, and I welcome any correspondence from my readers. I have an email list of over 2500 names, as well as a Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn page on social media.