Q&A With Loretta Ellsworth 

Back in December, I sped through the historical fiction novel, The Jilted Countess by Loretta Ellsoworth, whom I’m so delighted to be doing this Q&A with! The Jilted Countess is available today on January 13^th wherever you get your books! Loretta’s other historical fiction novels are Stars Over Clear Lake & The French Winemakers Daughter. Loretta has also written for young adults and children. Loretta’s young adult novels are The Shrouding Woman, In Search Of Mockingbird, In A Heartbeat & Unforgettable. Loretta’s children’s book Tangle Knot is her first picture book! 

Q: Welcome to Book Notions! Would you please give a brief description of each of your books beginning with your upcoming release, The Jilted Countess? 

A: The Jilted Countess is based on the true story of a Hungarian countess who came to the U.S. to marry her GI fiancé after WWII but finds out that he married someone else.  With two weeks left before she’s deported back to Hungary, she sets out to find a husband with the help of a newspaperman, thus becoming the world’s first Bachelorette. 

The French Winemaker’s Daughter is the story of two women, decades apart, who are connected by a rare bottle of wine stolen by the Nazis. 

Stars Over Clear Lake is historical fiction set in Iowa during WWII, as a farmer’s daughter falls in love with a young German prisoner-of-war who works on her father’s farm while her brother is in France fighting the Nazis. 

Tangle-Knot is a picture book about a girl who refuses to brush her messy hair, much to her mother’s dismay, resulting in a nest, birds, and eggs that Fia thinks is absolutely perfect! 

Unforgettable is a young adult novel about a boy who remembers every detail of his life, even those he wishes he could forget, and his attempts to rebuild his life and create a new persona. 

In a Heartbeat is the story of a heart transplant told from the perspective of two girls, one who is the heart transplant recipient, and the other, the donor.  

In Search of Mockingbird is the story of a girl traveling to meet her literary idol Harper Lee, and her journey of discovery along the way.

The Shrouding Woman is historical fiction about a girl whose aunt who performs the ancient act of shrouding – preparing bodies for burial.

 Q: In The Acknowledgements section of The Jilted Countess, you wrote that it took a decade to bring Roza’s story to life & in the Authors Note you came across this story in Curt Brown’s history corner of The Minneapolis Star Tribune.  Did it take so long to research and write the book because other projects took up your time? 

A: Yes, part of the time involved was with research.  Other obstacles included Covid, and other projects that I was working on.  Part of the reason I wrote a picture book was because I couldn’t see my grandkids during Covid, and I wanted to write something for them.  After The French Winemaker’s Daughter was finished, I devoted my time to finishing The Jilted Countess.  

Q: For your two other historical fiction novels Stars Over Clear Water Lake & The French Winemakers Wife, did it take the same amount of time researching the history for both of those novels or was it a lot less than 10 years? Do you ever make research trips to the places where they take place? I know The Jilted Countess mainly takes place in Minnesota, but since Roza’s is Hungarian, I was curious if you’ve ever been to Hungary. 

A: I traveled to Iowa and The Surf Ballroom, where much of Stars Over Clear Lake takes place (I grew up near the area, too). I was able to travel to France to research The French Winemaker’s Daughter, where the story takes place.  But I wasn’t able to travel to Hungary (it’s on my bucket list).  However, I did travel to Red Wing, Minnesota, where much of that story takes place.  I also visited all the places listed in Minnesota that Rosa visits, including the Como Zoo, the Lexington Restaurant, and the Conservatory.  

Q: What messages do you hope readers learn and feel after they read your books, especially The Jilted Countess? 

A: I hope readers appreciate how people overcome adversity, especially those affected by war.  It’s the one thing that draws me to read historical fiction and history books – the resiliency and determination of people despite loss and hardship.  Rosa took matters into her own hands and faced her challenges head-on, which made me want to know about her, and it was why I decided to write about her.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your work? 

A: Not yet.  Fingers crossed!

Q: Since you also write for children and young adults, what is your advice for parents wanting to get their children and teens to read more? It’s sad that so many are glued to their screens instead of reading. 

A: I give my grandkids books and read the same books so we can discuss them – it adds so much more when you can connect with your kids/grandkids over story and discuss it together.  I visit parent/child book clubs and wish there were more of them – it gets everyone excited and promotes reading. 

Q: Are you allowed to reveal any new projects you are working on right now or is it too soon? I really enjoyed The Jilted Countess and can’t wait to read more! 

A: Thank you!  So glad you enjoyed it.  I don’t have specifics, but I’m working on another adult historical fiction as well as a middle-grade novel.  I’m usually juggling a couple of projects at once.