Books, Writing, History, and Me
In “Books, Writing, History, and Me” I share my thoughts on travel, cooking, van-life, books, the process of writing, the experiences of an indie-publisher, WWII, the Holocaust, and anything else I feel might be of interest to readers of my books. Please send me comments and let me know what you like and what you want to know more about. Everything in this blog reflects my personal ideas and feelings–a memoir of sorts, it is my perspective and any errors or omissions are mine.
Senoritas and Spies
I enjoy reading books in groups— a pair of books by the same author, a few books that take place in the same location, or a couple of novels about the same time period. Each new book can add dimension to the others. In spite of my extensive research into World War II for my…
The End of the Beginning
The violence and destruction of Kristallnacht lasted little more than 24 hours, but many historians consider it the event that marked the beginning of the Holocaust. It was, certainly, the culmination of the previous five years of Nazi propaganda and legal actions against German Jews. But how did the government’s response to Kristallnacht push Germany…
Who Was Vom Rath?
Kristallnacht was an orgy of anti-Semitism. But, contrary to the proclamations of the Nazi media, it was not simply a spontaneous riot brought on by the murder of a German diplomat. It was an orchestrated next step in Hitler’s systematic plan to eradicate the Jewish community. For several previous generations, German Jews had been fully…
The Ugly Night of Broken Glass
CHAPTER 1 KRISTALLNACHT THE QUIET OF THE EARLY November morning was shattered by loud voices and the screech of brakes. Herman peered through the crack in the stable door. A prickle of fear shot up his neck at the sight of a covered truck, two police motorcycles, and a black sedan in front of the…
History 101
Over the years, as I was writing Immigrant Soldier, friends and acquaintances would ask me, “What is your book about?” I prepared what is called an “elevator pitch”—a synopsis short enough to recite on a ride between the stops on an elevator. Often, to set the stage, I would say, “It all begins on Kristallnacht in…
Launch Celebration
This weekend has been very exciting. Immigrant Soldier, The Story of a Ritchie Boy is now on sale, not only at Amazon but also at my local bookstore, Laguna Beach Books http://www.lagunabeachbooks.com This is a wonderful, independent purveyor of books, run by a literate and enthusiastic staff. They agreed to host my book launch on Sunday and it was…
Celebrate
Boxes of books are stacked in the living room and bottles of Champagne chill in the refrigerator. Finger food and cut fruit are prepared. Friends, family, my writing group ladies, the “beta-readers,” and loyal supporters will soon arrive. We will lift our glasses. They will say “Congratulations” and I will breathe a sigh of relief.…
A Grueling Search for Tiny Things – Careful Proofreading matters
The proofreading is finished! It was a grueling and worthwhile task. My team of 3 (my editor, my eagle-eyed friend, Barbara, and myself) have combed proof copies of Immigrant Soldier. My editor used a time honored method for checking a final proof of material seen too often—she read it backward. My friend read it for the…
Eight Notable Ritchie Boys
The Ritchie Boys, brought together by their proficiency in German, Italian or French, were trained in intelligence work by the US Army under whose command they helped defeat the Axis powers in WWII. After their service was completed, like veterans today, they had to find a place for themselves in civilian life. As a group,…
Using Family Stories—or Not
From the very beginning, I was fascinated by the stories my uncle told of his experiences during WWII. But, as I began to write Immigrant Soldier, I wanted the book to be more than just a war story. I wanted to write about the forces, both political and personal, that changed him from a frustrated teenager…