Prior to starting a career as a nonfiction author, Donna Pedace worked in program management for the first operational Trident Submarine as well as the Phalanx Weapon System project before moving into managing national education and arts organizations in the nonprofit sector. Now her projects focus on writing about women who step beyond traditional roles to make a mark in history. Her 2026 release, The Fastest Woman in the World: Jackie Cochran, spotlights the first woman to break the sound barrier and who holds “more speed, distance, and altitude records than any other flyer — man or woman — of her era.” You’ll find Donna on her SWW author page, on Facebook, and her Amazon Author Store. Read more about Donna’s writing in her 2025 interview for SouthWest Writers.
When readers turn the last page of The Fastest Woman in the World: Jackie Cochran, what do you hope they will take away from it?
I hope readers will be inspired by how Jackie’s relentless drive, determination, and willingness to defy expectations enabled her to raise the bar — and shatter it — time and again throughout her remarkable life.
Tell us about the journey from inspiration to completed book.
Jackie’s story was originally intended to be just one chapter in another book I am writing about the pioneering women of American aviation. However, the more I researched her extraordinary life, the more convinced I became that she deserved a book of her own — and current recognition she so richly deserves.
What was the most challenging aspect of putting this project together?
The greatest challenge in writing about Jackie was deciding how to weave her countless achievements — as an aviator, entrepreneur, military leader, and record-breaker — into a single, coherent story.
Share a few of the more surprising/interesting facts you discovered while doing research.
Jackie attended only two years of formal schooling, yet she possessed an extraordinary ability to educate herself. She navigated the business world with remarkable skill, mastered the complexities of dozens, if not hundreds, of different aircraft, and moved comfortably among people of every background, from aircraft mechanics and engineers to generals, U.S. presidents, and international leaders.
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share from the book?
“I possess a rather simple-minded approach to religion. The universe is so ordered and so divinely planned that there must be something more. It’s that simple. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
“I’m satisfied that if my body goes back to nourish and create flowers, then I’m part of an infinite, divine plan. It’s only human to believe in an afterlife where your personality is important and you’ll continue to do and love the same pleasures you pursue and love here on earth.”
What did you learn in writing/publishing the book that you can apply to future projects?
I make every effort to verify the information I uncover, checking, double-checking, and even triple-checking my sources whenever possible. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of inaccurate information in circulation, and some authors embellish or even invent details to make a story more dramatic or romantic.
I am sometimes criticized for not injecting my personal opinions into my writing. My goal, however, is not to tell readers what to think, but to present the most accurate account possible. Achieving that level of accuracy is often challenging when writing about historical figures, whose lives are frequently surrounded by myths, conflicting accounts, and long-repeated inaccuracies.
What was your favorite part of working on The Fastest Woman in the World?
For me, the research is always the most fun. I love to learn about the women and the diverse areas of their life. I had never been interested in airplanes, but as I discovered her enthusiasm of being a test pilot, breaking records, and taking on ever more challenging flights, I developed a much greater appreciation for the abilities of the aircraft.
In 2025, you published Women Warriors of WWII: Nancy Wake, The White Mouse. Nancy Wake was one of 52 people you highlighted in Women Warriors: The Hidden Spies of WWII (2024). Why did you choose her, out of all the others, as the focus for an entire book?
I have an unusual name, so it is relatively easy for readers to find me. After the publication of Women Warriors: The Hidden Spies of WWII, I received numerous requests for more information and photographs of Nancy Wake. Fortunately, I had accumulated additional research that had not been included in the original book, so I expanded her story and published it as a separate volume devoted entirely to her remarkable life.
Of the four books you’ve published, which one was the most challenging, and which was the easiest (or most enjoyable) to write?
Women Warriors was the most difficult of my books to research and write. It tells the stories of 52 individual women who served as Special Operations Executive (SOE) intelligence agents during World War II. At the end of the war, the British government made a conscious decision to keep many of the female SOE files classified for decades.
By the time I began my research, all of the women were deceased. In many cases, they had died before their families ever learned the full extent of their wartime service. I was able to have seven of these files declassified in 2024 by making a personal request to the British National Archive. For many of the survivors, tracing family records was also difficult, as a significant number never married and left few direct descendants.
Eleven of the women were executed by the Nazis, and two died of illness while in concentration camps. As a result, my research relied heavily on official records in England and Germany, as well as written accounts from surviving agents and from individuals who had known these women personally during or after the war.
What are your strengths as a writer?
My love of research is what allows me to go down countless “rabbit holes” in search of information that is not readily available. I take the same approach when searching for photographs, because I want to learn as much as possible about each remarkable woman I write about. Often, it is the small, overlooked details that bring a historical figure to life and provide readers with a deeper understanding of who she really was.
What writing projects are you working on now?
I am about halfway through my next book, which explores the pioneering women of American aviation, with a special focus on the 1929 Women’s National Air Derby — nicknamed the “Powder Puff Derby” by humorist and pilot Will Rogers. It was the first sanctioned cross-country air race exclusively for female pilots and marked a turning point in the recognition of women in aviation. Most of the research is now complete, and I have moved into the writing stage — the part of the process I enjoy a little less than the thrill of research.
KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.
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