For today’s Sunday Dinner author interview, I invited Cindy Kay Stewart to talk about Abounding Hope, a WWII Christian Romance.

Cindy Kay Stewart, a retired high school social studies teacher and current church pianist, writes stories of hope, steeped in love, and anchored in faith. Her manuscripts have won the Touched by Love Award, the First Impressions contest, and the Sandra Robbins Inspirational Writing Award. They’ve also finaled in the Maggie Award of Excellence and the Cascade Awards, and semi-finaled in the Genesis contest. Cindy is passionate about revealing God’s handiwork in history. She resides in North Georgia with her college sweetheart and husband of forty-two years. Her daughter, son-in-law, and four adorable grandchildren live nearby. Cindy’s currently writing a fiction series set in WWII Europe.

Sunday Dinner is a traditional (noon) meal served after church on Sundays. Whole families, including extended family, would gather over a large meal to celebrate a day of rest. Multiple cultures enjoy this Sunday Dinner tradition. In my experience, I know it from both my Midwestern farm family as well as my Italian-American family. Now, I’d like to bring Sunday Dinner virtually to you. So, pull up a chair as we invite various guests to join us each week!

This or That Quick Takes

*Author’s choice is in bold.

Ten Questions

Tell us something interesting readers would enjoy learning about you.

I was almost kidnapped when I was three-years-old. My mother took me shopping in downtown Los Angeles, and I ran off in a department store. A woman gave me a lollypop and attempted to leave the store with me. By this time, my mother had reported that I was missing. I had red hair and was wearing a red dress, so the security guard stopped the woman escorting me and asked if I was her child. She said, “No,” and I was promptly delivered back to my mother.

Can you tell us about your latest novel?

WINNER OF THE TOUCHED BY LOVE AWARD

Poland’s looming defeat forces an American teacher to escape with children wanted by the Nazis.

It’s late August, 1939, and the world is on the brink of war. The Nazis are threatening Poland, but American teacher Irena Simmons refuses to flee to safety. She’s dedicated her life to serving in her church and school, and she’s watching over the little German boys she whisked to safety the year before. When her former classmate, Jonathan, surprises her in Lvov and insists she leave with him before the war starts, Irena balks. Nothing will interfere with her work—especially a man making demands.

American shipping magnate Jonathan Huntwell had a crush on Irena in school. When their former classmates select him to travel to Poland and escort her out before it’s too late, he doesn’t expect the inner turmoil she ignites in him. Although honor-bound to aid any friend in trouble, Jonathan acknowledges that Irena is more than an obligation to him. However, he must keep his feelings hidden, or he’ll jeopardize their friendship.

Irena soon discovers that the Gestapo agent she successfully evaded in Germany has found her in Poland, and he’s after her young charges. When the Germans invade, Jonathan is in Denmark on business, too far away to help. As the rising danger threatens everything Irena holds dear, she must find a way to protect those she loves.

Based on true events and backed by extensive research, Abounding Hope is sure to delight fans of WWII adventure cloaked in sweet romance. Come to the place where the war began and discover hope in the darkest places.

In what city is your story set and why did you choose to set your novel there?

The main city in the story is Lvov, Poland (Lviv, Ukraine today). Between WWI and WWII, Lvov was the 3rd largest city in Poland. I made this discovery when I researched southeast Poland for my story. Because Lvov was attacked by both the Germans and the Soviets, I wanted to highlight it.

Describe your setting. And, if it’s a real place, have you visited?

During the interwar period, Lvov was a cosmopolitan city populated mainly by Poles, Jews, and Ukrainians and was the home of several college/postsecondary training institutions. It had been part of the Hapsburg Empire (Austria-Hungary) prior to the end of WWI. I visited Europe for the first time in the summer of 2022 but was prevented from visiting Lvov (Lviv) because of the current war in Ukraine.

What research was required to set a book there?

I read memoirs, books, and many online articles about life in Lvov in the late 1930’s. I also discovered old movie clips about the city before the war.

What does a day in the life of one of your characters look like?

In the beginning of the story, Irena is busy looking after her pregnant sister who is experiencing complications, her young niece, and assisting with the care of the little German boys she smuggled into Poland the year before. Irena taught foreign languages in her church school, run by her pastor and brother-in-law, but the new school year had not yet begun. Her life totally changed when Germany invaded and began attacking the city by air.

Were resources easy or difficult to find on these topics? Do you have a favorite resource?

I found many interesting resources, but my favorite is Anthony Biddle’s long report on the German attack and his subsequent escape from Poland. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Poland at the time.

What is one piece of your research that you couldn’t include in the book, but wish readers could know?

Even though Hungary and Germany were trading partners and considered allies, the Hungarians allowed over a hundred thousand Polish soldiers and civilians to escape Poland and enter Hungary without passports or visas. The escaped soldiers, and later some of the civilians, joined the Allies in fighting Germany for the rest of the war. The reconstituted Polish military became the 5th largest fighting entity on the side of the Allies.

Do you have another book in the works? What can you tell us about that book?

Yes, several books are in the works for the Circle of Hope series. A prequel novella set in 1938 Germany tells the story of a young man and woman working in the U.S. Consulate in Berlin who assist in moving endangered children out of the country. The main character from Abounding Hope is included in this operation. The sequel to Abounding Hope is set in Norway and France at the time of Germany’s invasions in 1940. Primary and secondary characters from Abounding Hope reappear in this story.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

Although the main characters in Abounding Hope are fictitious, the events in the story are based on true accounts from the time period. I endeavored to keep the story historically accurate, including the dates when events occurred.

The Wrap-Up

The afternoon is slipping away, so we have to draw the stories to an end. Thank you for joining us today!

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If readers would like to purchase a copy of your book, where might they be able to do so?

Amazon | Goodreads

If readers would like to learn about you or your other books, how might they find you online?

Website | Amazon | BookBub

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Question for Readers

*Answer in the Comments!

If you’ve read WWII fiction in the past, in what country(ies) did these stories take place?

Over Sunday Dinner next week author Janice Cantore will be joining us. See you then!

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