This past weekend, I picked up a bunch of treasures from the 40s that I use for reference and research in writing my novels. My favorite discovery: These magazines are full of articles and ads that testify to the full-fledge war effort in America in 1943 and 1944. I’ll review some of these articles and post some ads in upcoming blogs. Flying Magazine is still in print today – from the magazine’s press kit: “FLYING Magazine, published since 1927, is written for and read by the pilots who actively use general aviation for both personal and business travel. Since its inception, FLYING has been the voice of aviation, read by...
Review: Bonhoeffer
Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy. That truly says it all. Out of a host of thousands upon millions of inspirational stories from those who defied Hitler during his reign of terror, comes the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a man who was a constant student of life, religion and God. Dietrich came from a family of greats. His father was a world renown psychiatry professor and grandfather a high ranking judiciary official. His mother’s lineage boasted of political activists and theologians. Bonhoeffer’s brothers became lawyers or scientists, yet Dietrich followed the calling in his heart to become a theologian. The profession was not looked upon with respect among the higher-class circles in...
Study on WWII Germany
Are there ever periods where you seem to have a common thread in all the books you’re reading? Lately, it’s been a thread linking the movies I’ve seen and the books I’m studying. What’s that tie? Germany during and after World War II. It began with The Good German by Joseph Kanon, which was later turned into a movie (that I hope to see soon!). This book gets to the heart of Germany’s slow and painful recovery after the Allies claim victory in Europe. The Good German is the story of an American reporter who returns to Berlin to find a woman he’d had an affair with before he fled...
Part II: Interview with Sarah Sundin
Here is part two of my interview with Sarah Sundin. As noted in one of the comments to part one, you are big on accuracy. Why do you think accuracy so important in historical fiction? Because inaccuracy totally bugs me. I’ll never forget a Little House on the Prairie episode where someone gave Laura a peanut butter sandwich. I had just read a biography about George Washington Carver and I knew peanut butter hadn’t been invented at that time. Things like that pull an informed reader out of the story-world you’ve worked hard immersing them in. However, the more I research, the more I realize I don’t know. Despite my...
Interview with Sarah Sundin
Sarah Sundin Sarah Sundin is a speaker and writer whose first novel, A Distant Melody, is set to be released in January 2010 by Revell. She has just submitted her second book and was kind enough to answer my questions. For more information, visit her website. What town do you reside in? Antioch, California. Yep, the Antioch made infamous by the Jaycee Dugard kidnapping. Honestly, it’s a nice, family-oriented suburb that still has a small-town feel. When did you first start writing? January 6, 2000. How’s that for exact? Growing up, I always made up stories, but I knew they weren’t any good. In 2000—after college, pharmacy school, and three...