02/23/2026
JL - Stories From Jo Lee To You..
From A Great Floridian Friend
How an Old Regret Influenced My Latest Novel
When I was in college, I used to walk past a stately old house that was slowly becoming overgrown with ivy. I’d heard that an old man lived there who’d once been a hero during the Great War. He was a warrior, but not a soldier. That old man had been a volunteer for a long-forgotten group called the Commission for the Relief of Belgium.
Here is the story of the remarkable organization he worked for: Imagine a country where the food supply has been completely cut off, and nearly everyone is in danger of starving. This was the reality for Belgium in 1914. German forces had invaded, and the occupation cut off food, supplies, and hope. Entire communities teetered on the brink of famine, but most of Europe was too consumed with mobilizing for war to help.
That was when a remarkable American initiative sprang into action, raising money and coordinating the delivery of millions of tons of food to Belgium to avert an almost certain famine. This small band of volunteers created one of the largest humanitarian operations the world had ever seen. Ships crossed the Atlantic carrying grain and meat. Trains and barges distributed supplies to every corner of occupied Belgium. Some of these brave Americans even went to Belgium to help in person.
It had the makings of a great novel, and I decided to make the main characters in Beyond the Clouds volunteers for this group, risking their lives by going to Belgium to help. It made for a high-stakes love story set against the backdrop of war.
As for the mysterious house I used to pass on my way to class? The old man who lived there had been one of the volunteers. I was always curious about him and his story, but never screwed up the courage to knock on the door and meet him. I was too shy and timid. I don’t know if he would have welcomed the chance to walk down memory lane with a stranger, but he is long gone now and I’ll never know. It proves the truism that we regret the things we don’t try more than the things we try and that don’t work out. I really regret not trying to meet that man.
Either way, I was pleased to bring this little-known angle of World War I to a wider audience. Beyond the Clouds is on sale now wherever books are sold.
Sneak Peek at My Next Novel!
Here’s an exclusive tidbit for my newsletter subscribers! My next contemporary romance. The Top of the World, is coming out in April. You can read more about the plot on Amazon.
I’ve carried the idea for this book in my heart for many years, but I was unable to publish it while I was writing only historical novels. The heroine of this story is an environmental specialist for the U.S. Air Force, and there was no way I could work that into a historical setting. The chance to explore such an interesting and adventurous career is one of the main reasons I decided to branch out into contemporary romance.
There will be a print edition, but Amazon won’t display the link until shortly before the book is published. The print book will be available at all the online stores, although the ebook will be exclusive to Amazon for a while.
And for those of you who love historicals, I have no plans to stop writing them anytime soon. More are on the way!
Big Sale for Audiobook Lovers!
Summerlin Groves is on sale until the last day of February for only $6.00. The sale is only available if purchased directly from the publisher. Click on the photo to go to the link!
And finally, thank you for subscribing to my newsletter, and listening to me walk down memory lane. I truly do love knowing you are out there, and am always happy to hear from you at the links below.
