Nancy Revell sat down for a chat with My Weekly about her latest work. She talked about everything from inspiration to what she wants readers to feel when reading the novel.

I cried happy and sad tears throughout this book, it's one incredible, heart-breaking and brilliant right to the end of VE Day 8th May 1945, leaving the building as The Klaxon sounded.

Publication Order of Shipyard Girls Books

He is from the higher sort of levels of society, and I just thought, there’s a story here. The story begins at the end of the 40s and takes you into the 50s. You watch Angie go through a lot of emotional turmoil. I hope readers will enjoy seeing her grow and develop. Sunderland, 1943: With the future of Britain uncertain, the shipyard girls fight to keep their lives on an even keel. Nancy Revell brings her superb series about Sunderland’s finest to a triumphant end with the final mesmerizing installment, Three Cheers for the Shipyard Girls. She's one of the main characters in the original series, but not the main one. I had left her, but I felt that there was more that could be explored with her character. I knew there was morethat we could do with her." At this stage to go into the various characters and all the issues and problems they have would be fruitless given this is the last book and that everything they have been through and the hold a certain person has over them is reaching its endpoint. Needless to say, these women welders and both their friends and families have been through the mill since the outbreak of war but the end point is in sight. They just need to push through these final few months and hopefully emerge victorious on the other side. As world events progress at a rapid pace so too does the personal lives of each character that I have come to know and love. There are plenty of problems and situations, both good and bad, that need an outcome to be found be it positive or negative. The author gets straight down to action, and you get the sense she has a lot she wants to say and cover and gets on with it right from the outset. That’s not to say things felt rushed or brushed neatly under the carpet. Given the length of the series to do this now at this stage would seem futile and just such a let-down for readers who have been with the girls since the beginning. No, thankfully that didn’t happen at all and the pacing and revelations were all perfect and at times you have a smile on your face to see certain characters getting the comeuppance you have longed to see them receive.

Your books are hugely popular and there’s even talk about them being made into a TV series! What do you think readers love about your books? And there is finally a glimmer of hope for Polly and her family when Bel and Joe fall in love. But it isn’t long before a scandalous revelation threatens to pull them all apart. The study involved interviewing women shipyard workers who had worked during WW2. The actual audio interviews were available to listen to, and it was fascinating to hear their tales. The Shipyard Girls start off as strangers - but end up forging an unbreakable bond of friendship in the most difficult times. Both women are determined that their love and faith will be enough to keep the most difficult of promises, but nothing is as simple as it seems…

Retailers:

More or less. Although when I started the series, I had no idea what the characters were going to get up to and how their personal stories would develop throughout the years the country was at war. As the world war continues the shipyard girls face hardships at home, but work and friendship give them strength to carry on.