Meet this Barrington based novelist who loves calling the Ocean State home. Find out how she started, her local favorites, and all about her brand new book, Swan Song, that’s the centerpiece of Inkfish Book’s latest curated box.

I love the winding backs roads of Rhode Island as much as I love the winding trail that led me to writing. After working in healthcare for over ten years, I started singing opera professionally and teaching voice. Then, fifteen years after starting an operatic career, I no longer wanted to be on stage. It was as if a switch had been turned off, while another had been turned on. My creative mind had turned to writing, and before I knew it, my first attempt at a full-length manuscript was complete. Two more books in the same series (Blind Order and Blind Knowledge) came quickly, and then a medical thriller, Devil’s Grace, was born based on two real-life stories my husband told me. Devil’s Grace won a national writing contest called When Words Count and was published by Greenwriters Press in November 2020. 

I’m so fortunate to be able to write in the mornings and teach voice at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School in the afternoons/evenings. It’s a beautiful balance. My goal is to write a chapter each morning before I start teaching in the afternoons. My energy is highest in the morning after working out and enjoying some coffee, so my overactive imagination wants to find an outlet on the page.

I have lived in many states (Delaware, New York, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan), but when my family moved to Rhode Island in May 2018 I felt like I’d arrived home. There is truly something special about Rhode Island. It’s part of New England, yet stands apart in a charismatic way. It carries its relative smallness with pride and tenacity. The people here are genuine, welcoming, and kind. Since moving here I’ve written two strong novels. In fact, all of Devil’s Grace takes place in Barrington, Providence, and Warren. 

There’s something mystical about the living in a place where the ocean meets the land. When my writing brain is stuck or muddled, I simply take a walk. The exquisite views and breeze coming off Narragansett Bay relax my body and invigorate my mind. There’s really nothing like it and no place like Rhode Island. Plus, you never know what you’ll find along the way. 

My husband is a fantastic chef and creates amazing meals for us at home, but when we go out we like to dine locally in Warren at Waterdog or Revival. There are so many local restaurants using farm-fresh ingredients that it’s hard to go wrong! We love to go to Four Town Farm for locally sourced veggies, and we recently went to Frerichs Farm in Warren to get pumpkins and mums.  The selection was great, and they have some fun activities for kids. One of my favorite activities is to go to small Rhode Island towns and walk around the shops. Not only does that allow me to support local merchants, but I get to know people and an area I otherwise might not explore. Sometimes it’s fun to get lost in order to find something new.

My most recent writing endeavor brought my love of music and singing to the forefront. I became fascinated with a children’s opera called Brundibár, which was performed more than 55 times during World War II in a concentration camp called Terezín. That led me to read books written by inmates at the camp, which led me to write an historical novel about an opera singer who rises to fame in Nazi Germany, only to discover she’s one quarter Jewish. She falls in love with Hitler’s real-life nephew, William Hitler, and becomes the twisted obsession of his uncle, who sends her to Terezín.

I’m tickled pink to be involved with Lisa Valentino and Inkfish Books’ 2021 Rhody Reader Book Box. Lisa and I have teamed up with Patty J to create and promote a box of goodies delivered to your door. The Box contains one or two of my books (Devil’s Grace and Swan Song), as well as custom-made chocolate by Aura’s Chocolate, a custom candle by Juniper Hill Apothecary, and a custom-made bookmark by Irene. Proceeds from the sales will go to Books Are Wings, an organization that puts free books into children’s hands. It’s a win win win!

For more from Elizabeth B. Splaine, check out her site and her Instagram.