by Timothy Pike

On our cover this month is award-winning and bestselling author Tosca Lee, who just won her third—yes, third—International Book Award.

In my interview with her, Tosca explains how her recent award winner The Long March Home came about, tells me the surprising truth about her daily routine, and reveals how her life had a big plot twist of its own.

Welcome back, Tosca, and congratulations on winning the International Book Award for the third time! What an achievement. This one was for The Long March Home, the World War II novel you co-wrote with Marcus Brotherton. How was this project born?

Thank you! This third award was an honor and a surprise, and I’m so happy to win it with my friend Marcus Brotherton for this project, which is so deeply important to us both.

The way The Long March Home came about started, for me, about six years ago when Marcus called me up and told me about this back burner project he had been working on, off and on between book projects, about the Bataan Death March. I had to admit I didn’t know much about World War II in the Pacific. I was far more familiar with events that happened in Europe. Also, as far as my historical novels go, I’m used to writing about ancient history two thousand, three thousand or more years ago.

We talked, he filled me in, and I said, “Yes, let’s do it.” But it didn’t happen right away; I had two more books in my contract with Simon & Schuster at the time (those became The Line Between and A Single Light—a pandemic duology) and then a real pandemic happened months after the second book came out. Well, that was very weird. Our kids all came home from school and, like everyone else, my family made our way through that strange period of time as best we could—as spectators to the events unfolding in the world around us, living both in but outside of our usual reality. I honestly didn’t get a lot of creative work done in 2020.

So it was a while before I finally dug into my own research about World War II in the Philippines, the incredible and harrowing survivor accounts of the Bataan Death March and life in the POW camps for those who survived the war, the Allied surrender, and the march. During this time, Marcus did something very rare: he handed over his earlier drafts and told me to dig in and be as free with them as I needed to be. I don’t think you’ll often hear about writers handing over their precious words like that—so carte blanche—and I deeply appreciate his trust in me. All told, the project took five years on my end before I started funneling chapters back to Marcus and we started digging into the material and revisions together.

Marcus had worked on the book for seven years before reaching out. So this was a book twelve years in the making. But neither was this a project to be rushed.

Why was The Long March Home a story that needed to be told?

There is so little in the fiction world about this particular chapter of World War II. You just don’t see many novels that cover events in the Philippines or the Bataan Death March. Also, those who survived to return home so rarely—if ever—spoke about their experiences. We hear this over and over again from the families of those who returned. It was so crucially important for us to not only tell this story but do it right. We wanted to shine a light on these heroes, and we wanted to do the history and those involved in it justice. So, while The Long March Home is a work of fiction, the story is inspired by real events. Everything that happens to Jimmy, Hank, and Billy—the three best friends and main characters in the story—happened to someone in real life.

The other big news is that Havah: The Story of Eve is being released in its fourth edition. What’s changed since the first edition?

I’m super excited for this book to be back out in the world—both Havah: The Story of Eve and my very first novel, Demon: A Memoir, are re-releasing in new fourth editions. These books are the same stories with a few updates, a few tweaks that no one else will notice (but that I can’t resist picking at, all these years later), with extras like bonus chapters, book trivia, and gorgeous new cover art. They’re also coming out in hardcover for the very first time. It only took seventeen years for Demon and sixteen for Havah, but better late than never, right?

I’m super excited for Havah: The Story of Eve and my very first novel, Demon: A Memoir, to be re-released in their fourth editions, with extras like bonus chapters, book trivia, and gorgeous new cover art.

What do you like best about Nebraska farm life?

It’s such a plot twist for this former single city girl, falling in love with a farmer and single father of four! We married in 2016, and I have to say, the very best thing is living this life with my husband, Bryan. Not just because it’s a wonderful life—surrounded by green country and blue sky and the very best summer sweet corn you can imagine—but because I’m doing it with my partner and best friend. Also, because there is always something hilarious happening out here at the farm, whether it’s the antics of our giant 160-lb. German shepherd, Timber, or our best efforts to keep raccoons out of the sweet corn (the radio is going out there at all hours this time of year), or crazy weather, snow days in winter, magnificent sunsets … it truly is a good life.

What’s your writing routine? Do you have any daily rituals?

I’ve never been good at routine. I’ve tried, but finally accept I’m just not wired this way. I do try to work out every day, usually with my husband, but when it comes to writing, I just need to keep my schedule open enough to get to my desk. Which also means not overbooking myself for events, interviews, etc., because I’m not good at switching gears. Some people do very well at multi-tasking—but I always teach that knowing how you work best is key.

Are you traveling and speaking a lot these days?

I did a lot of traveling and speaking and teaching the last few years (all of which I love), but this year I’m making a conscious effort to slow down and commit to less in order to write more. Julia Cameron wrote about the importance of “restocking the well” in The Artist’s Way, and I think often of that when I start to feel burned out.

Can you name a few of the authors you admire most?

Gosh, there are so many. I so admired the late Anne Rice. Today I’m so fortunate to call many authors friends—people I admire not just for the caliber of their writing but for who they are. Brilliant and inspiring people like Ann Garvin, Don Bentley, Steven James, Alex Finlay, James L. Rubart, A.H. Kim, Andrew Kaplan, Lynne Constantine. Some of them I’m lucky enough to live near, like Nicole Baart, Lydia Kang, Kimberly Stuart, and Alex Kava. The list is actually very long, and one of the great joys for me of attending other writers’ events is getting to see, hug, and catch up with these authors I’m so fortunate to call friends. I feel incredibly lucky.

What can we look for next from Tosca Lee?

My backlist consists of two main genres: historical fiction and thrillers. I think it’s high time to combine the two. Look for a medieval thriller coming up from me next!

Tosca Lee is a New York Times–bestselling author of twelve novels, including The Line Between, The Progeny, The Legend of Sheba, Iscariot, and The Long March Home (with New York Times–bestselling author Marcus Brotherton). Tosca’s work has been translated into seventeen languages and optioned for TV and film. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including three International Book Awards.

Tosca earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Smith College. A former Fortune Global 500 consultant and first runner-up to Mrs. United States, she lives in Nebraska.

Learn more about Tosca at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.