Season 3, Episode 8 – Orchids of War

Welcome back to another episode of the True Fiction Project Podcast! On today’s episode we have award-winning writer, teacher, actress, director and producer, Denise Frisino. Denise is currently writing the third book of The Orchid Trilogy which is a series of books sharing stories of wartime fiction. In this episode, she shares what inspired her to write her books and describes the strong women characters that have arisen from her research. Denise tells us about the interviews that she did with WWII heroes and the miracles that fell into place during her research for the books. Denise then reads an excerpt from her book Orchids of War about Billi O’Shaughnessy, a young caucasian woman fluent in Japanese that would be selected to help the US uncover the Nippon spies.

IN THIS EPISODE:
[2:11] Denise tells us about The Orchid Trilogy
[4:40] Denise talks about the contribution of all in the war.
[7:21] Where did the strong women characters come from in Denise’s stories?
[8:32] How involved was her father in the stories she has written?
[11:05] What were the miracles that happened while writing her books?
[15:20] Denise talks about her time working with Robin Williams.
[17:06] Denise gives us a summary of Orchids of War.
[17:50] How is the 3rd book of the Trilogy going?
[21:50] Denise reads an excerpt from her book Orchids of War.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

A profitable business during the wars was taking fat from the meat that was cut off and having it melted down for bullets.
Everyone contributed during WWII, whether they were wrapping bandages, doing whatever they could on the home front as well as working overseas. This included being a nurse, cook, providing clothing, etc.
Many veterans never tell their stories because they are worried about the impact it would have on their families. The work that Denise is doing allows them to share their story privately while giving her the opportunity to create a fiction piece out of these truths.

FICTION CREDITS:

Short story written by: Denise Frisino
Short story narrated by: Denise Frisino

BIO:

A Seattle native, Denise Frisino, is an award-winning writer, teacher, actress, director, and producer.
Whiskey Cove, her first novel, a fast-paced who done it, centers around Prohibition in the Northwest.
Next came Orchids of War and Storms From A Clear Sky, both finalists in numerous national competitions, including 1st place for the Hemingway Book Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction.
When researching for these historical fictions, Denise spent over 10 years interviewing 50 men and women from the WWII era. She weaves the experiences of those she interviewed into her story about Japanese espionage along the West Coast prior to WWII, then follows the same characters throughout the war.
She is currently working on the last book in the Orchids Trilogy and the movie script for Whiskey Cove
Her blogs and YouTube channel contain some of the WWII veteran interviews and she has just launched a new web www.wwiiinterviews.com.
Denise has stood atop 5 mountain peaks over 14,000 feet, lived aboard one of the old Mosquito Fleet boats on Lake Union, and drank scotch with Katharine Hepburn. She enjoys being on the water and loves her rowboat. Denise and her husband continue to enjoy the many facets of the Pacific Northwest.

WWII Interviews
Denise Frisino's Website
Denise Frisino's Facebook
Denise Frisino's Instagram
Storms From A Clear Sky Book Link
Orchids of War Book Link
Whiskey Cove Book Link