Jennifer Coburn
Author Interview - Jennifer Coburn
Author of Cradles of the Reich
Germany, 1939. The nation is on the brink of war and Hitler’s plan to create a “master race” of pure-blooded Aryan babies has been launched. The top-secret Lebensborn Nazi breeding program is brought to life in Cradles of the Reich, the story of three German women who change the course of one another's lives.
Author Interview - Jennifer Coburn
Author I draw inspiration from: Martha Hall Kelly - She wrote the Lilac Girls, Lost Roses, and Sunflower Sisters. She creates compelling character who keep me turning the pages far too long into the night.
Author Interview - Jennifer Coburn | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: My big, snuggly bed with my daughter by my side
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Fenna Vos from Kristina McMorris's new historical novel The Ways We Hide. The escape artist's years of working with MI9 would mean we wouldn't be in that elevator very long so Fenna wouldn't have to watch me have a panic attack. Then I'd ask to buy her lunch so I could ask her a million questions about the Dutch resistance in World War ll.
Author Interview - Jennifer Coburn | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: There was no one moment. I've always loved telling stories and imagine I wanted to become an author the first time I realized there was a way to reach people beyond the campfire.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Hardback, please. Swiping on an e-reader is so much easier that turning pages, but I prefer good, old-fashioned paper. Would you believe I've never listened to an audiobook?
The last book I read: When Franny Stands up by Eden Robins - It's a queer Jewish historical piece set in the stand up comedy scene. What's not to love?
Author Interview - Jennifer Coburn | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Desktop computer in my office so I can bang my keyboard.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Lillian Carter from Fiona Davis's Magnolia Palace. Carter is based on the real Gilded Age statue model Audrey Munson. How fun it would be in New York in 1919, meet artists, and use expressions like "in the altogether" (meaning naked). It was a period of such creativity and boundary-pushing.
Author Interview - Jennifer Coburn | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: basket case
Favorite decade in fashion history: The flapper era! Loose fringed dresses, beaded headband -- count me in!
Place I’d most like to travel: The Czech Republic -- which is why I'm heading there next spring. I am researching a novel set in what the Nazis called the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia when the occupied Czechoslovakia. There is so much I want explore -- the national library, Terezin, the Dancing Building. Cannot wait!
My signature drink: Iced green tea
Favorite artist: Helen Redman - She's a living artist who does haunting portrayals of motherhood
Number one on my bucket list: Watch the sunrise in Times Square
Anything else you'd like to add: I am happy to visit bookclubs who would like to discuss Cradles of the Reich. You can find me at Novel Network!
Also, please check out the Author's Note at the back of Cradles of the Reich for the story behind the novel.
Find more from the author:
Both IG and FB are @JenniferCoburnBooks.com
Author Bio: Jennifer Coburn is the author of Cradles of the Reich, a historical novel about three very different women living at a Nazi Lebensborn breeding home at the start of World War ll.
She has also published a mother-daughter travel memoir, We'll Always Have Paris, as well as six contemporary women's novels. Additionally, Jennifer has contributed to five literary anthologies, including A Paris All Your Own.
Jennifer lives in San Diego with her husband, William. Their daughter, Katie is currently in graduate school. When Jennifer is not going down historical research rabbit holes, she volunteers with So Say We All, a live storytelling organization, where she is a performer, producer, and performance coach. She is also an active volunteer with Reality Changers, a nonprofit that supports low-income high school students in becoming the first in their families to attend college. She specializes in college essay development, and interview prep.
