From Opera to Espionage: Kay Sparling shares her inspiration behind Mission THAW and the power of independent publishing
Kay Sparling’s Mission THAW is a gripping spy thriller that blends high-stakes espionage with the world of opera. Drawing from her own journey from an Iowa farm to performing in Vienna, Sparling brings authenticity and depth to her protagonist, Kaitlyn Stewart. In this interview, she shares how her personal experiences shaped the novel, the challenges of tackling dark themes, and why she chose the independent publishing route. From the elegance of the Viennese opera scene to the pulse-pounding dangers, Mission THAW delivers action and adventure.
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Kaitlyn Stewart’s journey from a farm in Iowa to an opera star in Vienna is unique. What inspired you to create such an ambitious character?
Well, those are actual facts about my own life. I grew up in Midwest farmland surrounded by soybean and corn fields, and went to a small school in the nearest tiny town twenty miles away. I left to go to college and voice training at the age of 17 and ended up in Europe as an opera singer 12 years later. When I was in middle school, my dad bought me a map of NYC. I put it up on my bedroom wall and pinned the location of all the famous Broadway theatres and the Metropolitan Opera. I guess you could say I was a goal-driven kid.
Vienna plays a central role in the story. How does the city’s cultural heritage and high society influence the narrative and Kaitlyn’s journey?
Since Kaitlyn is an opera singer, the Wien Staatsoper is a perfect venue to set the story. Viennese culture eats and breathes opera and classical music. The famous cafes lend a spark of romance for the opera aficionados to meet and gossip about the latest diva debut and hope that they get a glimpse of her sitting with a famous maestro. One persistent possible stumbling block for Kaitlyn is to always keep up with all the high-society manners and traditions. A high demand for an American farm girl. But, in order to infiltrate the trafficking cartel, she must be convincing that she is one of them. Kaitlyn is always relieved to come home at the end of the day, kick off her shoes, and eat a BLT. The upper-class nonsense makes her teeth itch.
Kaitlyn’s role as an opera singer is essential to her mission. How did you integrate her musical background into the spy thriller genre in a way that feels natural?
Kaitlyn is recruited by the CIA because she is an award-winning opera singer. When they approached her, she was absolutely dumbfounded. I made sure that my protagonist always stayed absolutely real in what she could do in the mission and what she could not do. I think that is important because there was no way that I wanted her to turn into a female superhero taking out five thugs with her martial arts finesse. Kaitlyn fights the antagonists with her talent, wit, and courage.
Your novel dives into serious topics like human trafficking and neo-Nazi antagonists. How did you balance the dark themes with lighter, more humorous moments?
Again, I reflected from my own experiences. I discovered very early that humour can save the day. If you can laugh about it, you’ll probably get through it. And if you don’t, well heck, the last thing you did was laugh. Kaitlyn offers up some pretty witty and sometimes risque repartee. Her comrades depend on it in the darkest of times and she’s always happy to deliver. I think it is crucial to give the reader a breather from all of the Sturm und Drang of a spy thriller.
When you first developed your manuscript, you looked at all your publishing options and chose self-publishing as your direction. Why was it important for you to stay independent as an author?
I was not impressed with the crazy maze of submitting query letters to agents, etc. The process of traditional-publishing submission became frustrating very quickly. I attended one conference and felt like I understood the lay of the land. In a nutshell, I wasn’t satisfied. I realized that there is a lot of scamming going on out there. So I figured I could either keep spending money attending conferences or I could spend my money more wisely on getting my book published. I decided to be independent and forge my own path.
What was it like working with Tellwell during the creation and release of your book? Did you have a favourite part of your journey?
Tellwell spells out everything so that the author knows what they are signing up for with each package that they offer. The staff was pleasant and always answered my emails within 48 hours. They were very patient and explained things until I had a clear understanding of the various issues that occured. My favourite parts of the publishing journey were selecting a cover, the phone consultation with my editor, and discussing marketing strategies with Ben, my marketing guru.
Thank you, Tellwell!
