Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Marina Osipova

Book Title:  Beelitz-Heilstatten: Where Ghosts Never Die

Released:  05/01/25

Genre:  dark historical fiction

Interview by Heather L. Barksdale

What inspired you to write “Beelitz-Heilstatten: Where Ghosts Never Die”?

Osipova: My own life. I was born in East Germany, in Beelitz-Heilstätten, in a Soviet military hospital, and since the age I can remember, I have wanted to visit the place. My desire came true in 2018. The history of the place is so rich and ominous, I couldn’t help but tell its story to my readers. Besides, as a writer of WWII historical fiction, I subconsciously wanted to come ‘face to face’ with Adolf Hitler, whose inescapable presence is obvious in all my books. I made this wish come true in this story. If you read it, you’ll feel my attitude and disgust toward this evil of the 20th century. All my published books are historical fiction. This one, to some extent, is too. To integrate my personal life experiences and biographical details, I resolved to turn to the elements of time-slip, thriller, and psychological drama to make my book more appealing to those who are interested in these other genres.

How did you come up with the names of your main characters? 

Osipova: Since the story integrated elements of my life, naturally, I used my own name in the contemporary part and a similar-sounding name for the historical part.

Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?

Osipova: I think this very book tells the most about me compared to my other books, which were the stories of other people, close to my heart, but still living invented lives.

If "Beelitz-Heilstatten: Where Ghosts Never Die” were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?

Osipova: It’s a tricky question since the main character is me. I can’t help but mention that I have some experience performing on a theater stage, so I would offer myself as the modern version of my character (smile). The younger version . . . I would count on a casting director.

When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?

Osipova: Writer’s block is not a frequent guest in my writing process. If I feel tired of the story or ‘hit a wall,’ I just put the manuscript aside and either read other authors’ books or do more research. Usually, pretty soon, I’m happy to return to my WIP. That unwanted interruption helps a lot in looking at the characters and events described with a fresh eye.

Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?

Osipova: I think every writer has his/her unique way of approaching the stories they create. Trust yourself. Write only if you feel you’ll ‘drown’ if you don’t. Write from your soul. If the process, however difficult, brings you joy, it’s a sign you are a writer. Persevere.

What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?

Osipova: The toughest question of all. I can be drawn to any genre if the story is engaging. But the closest to my heart are the works of the classics like Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov, Ivan Turgenev . . . Honoré de Balzac, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Victor Hugo, Ernest Hemingway, Eric Maria Remarque plus dozens of others, and, of course, historical fiction, especially set in WWII.

What are you working on next?

Osipova: I am considering two plots, but I’m waiting to see which of them will win my heart and writer’s soul.

Interested in checking out the book for yourself?

Find it for purchase here

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