Sheila Williams: On Friendship in Extraordinary Circumstances

Sheila Williams is the author of six books, including Things Past Telling, The Secret Women, and Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, the basis for the Netflix film Juanita. She is the librettist for the opera Fierce, commissioned by The Cincinnati Opera, with music by William Menefield, which premiered in July 2022. She lives in Northern Kentucky. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Sheila Williams

Tasha Pinelo Photography

In this post, Sheila discusses the personal connection that inspired her new historical fiction novel, No Better Time, her advice for other writers, and more!

Name: Sheila Williams
Literary agent: Matt Bialer, Sanford Greenburger Associates
Book title: No Better Time
Publisher: Amistad HarperCollins
Release date: February 27, 2024
Genre/category: Historical fiction
Previous titles: Things Past Telling; The Secret Women; Girls Most Likely; Dancing on the Edge of the Roof
Elevator pitch: No Better Time, set during World War II, is a story inspired by a trail-blazing unit of the Women’s Army Corps (WACS), the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion. Comprised entirely of women of color, it was the only unit of its kind to serve in Europe during the war.

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What prompted you to write this book?

The 6888 was charged with processing millions of pieces of mail stockpiled in England and France during the early years of the war. My mother’s first cousin, Dorothy, was a member of the unit. Dorothy’s service, which I unearthed during conversations about family history, informed her life from the moment that she stepped into basic training. The confluence of military discipline, international travel, and the friendships that Dorothy made with women from across the United States and all walks of life illuminated paths of possibilities previously unknown to her. From the moment she completed her military service, she was never again without a valid passport—and she used it!—remaining a staunch supporter of the G.I. Bill which she used to complete her master’s degree. Dorothy’s experience was infectious in its influence over generations of my family, my mother, aunts and me!

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

This was a story that simmered on low for at least a decade! I had the steppingstones of the narrative from Dorothy but was more focused on family history tidbits during those years than on this specific experience. Toward the end of Dorothy’s life, however, I began to think about the extraordinary story that she’d told of the 6888 and wondered why no one had heard much about the unit. I excavated my notes and Dorothy’s letters, and it became clear that this was a tale worth telling. But it took time for the brightest story thread to emerge: the friendships—some of them lifelong—between the women of the 6888. Their connections with each other, forged during war time on foreign soil and in unusual circumstances, drew me in right away. The sisterhood that emerged from Dorothy’s military experience was a diamond of many facets.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Yes. Technology! I am “all thumbs” when it comes to intense editing in a digital format. Give me my red pen and paper drafts! But not wanting to be responsible for destroying more trees, I stumbled my way through with lots of help!

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

There were many surprises, most of them arising from what I thought I knew (or remembered from my in-person conversations with Dorothy) and my notes. Many scenarios that I’ve included in the book began life as one-liners from Dorothy, corroborated by similar comments from her sister WACS (taken from Library of Congress interviews) and supported by other accounts. But there were others that elicited a short enigmatic comment plus Mona Lisa-like smile from Dorothy without further explanation! In these instances, I did some digging “between the lines” to craft a scenario to fit!

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope that they will enjoy the story of these young and resilient women who never dreamed that they would be trailblazers.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to edit your work. Writing is a craft. Write, rewrite, delete and write it again. There is power in the revision process. With each draft, you will expose a better story.

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