Mike Kerr and I both fled Chicago winters for the opposite problem in Las Vegas. His latest book, part of his 3-part (so far) “The Legman,” series is Maria and the Russian Soldier.
Mike, what should folks know about you?
Well, the first thing to know about me is that I don’t like talking about me, but I will talk about myself in terms of writing as an author to other authors or readers. Novelist is my retirement “career”. A professor told me in college that I could be a writer, “if I really wanted to.” What I really wanted was to make money, and I knew that wasn’t always true for writers. I put it off. By the way, I fought that man tooth and nail until I finally learned something. And that something was how powerful and meaningful writing could be if I was willing to go at it honestly and keep learning.
Given what’s going on in the world, the story is incredibly relevant even today. What’s the book about?
It’s a love story between a Ukrainian girl and a Russian Intelligence Officer complicated by Russia’s man-made famine against Ukraine in the early 30s and the Nazi defeat of the Red Army to take control of Ukraine in 1940.
What are the roots of this story? Where’d it come from?
The root for the entire series is Chicago, my hometown. I start with one of the neighborhoods. This time, it was Ukrainian Village. It wasn’t long before I found the history between these two countries going back to early 20th century. The characters I developed fell out from there. Once I could get behind their eyes, and see things that way, the story came out. The story begins and ends in Chicago.
Totally unfair question. What’s your favorite scene in the book?
I don’t have just one, but I like Forever Changed. Young Maria Kovalenko remembers her mama and all the other women saying, “The love of a good woman is the most powerful thing in the world. Without it, a man may turn to terrible things.” Leonid once rescued her. Now she makes a dangerous choice that the strength of her love can rescue him from the powerful allegiance he has to his country. He is a hero lost in an evil cause.
I don’t know about you, but The Duchess certainly keeps me on the straight and narrow. Where can we learn more about you and your books?
- 2025 Global Book Awards Winners – Silver Medalist, Historical Romance category
- Maria and the Russian Soldier – Amazon
- Mike Kerr (Author of The Legman) | Goodreads
- Mike Kerr – Goodreads Author
When you’ve checked out Mike Kerr’s work, you can find all my novels on my Amazon.com Author Page.
Look for information on my new Foreign Legion book, The Deserter, in January, 2026.
