Well, my friends, it’s been a busy month. Aside from attempting to tame the German bureaucracy or what Germans call the “Amtsschimmel,” I’ve been working hard on prepping for the publication of my Civil War novel. Broken Journey: A Civil War Adventure is in editing which means I’m working on wording for the back cover and all online sales outlets. A first look at what that sounds like so far can be found on my upcoming novels page.
Of course, that isn’t all. Early in 2017 I began a story set during prohibition. I find this period of U.S. history absolutely fascinating. It is one of those examples of total governmental failure, opening the way to career criminals like Al Capone and George Remus. I decided I’d try a female protagonist this time and give the story a more romantic twist. Thus this is not going to be Young Adult, but historical fiction with a heavy dose of romance.
On another front I’m attempting to settle into the German language and my role as a German-speaking and -writing author. Part of that process is to teach again. Just a few days ago, I was able to schedule new writing workshops with the local VHS, a learning community which one could best characterize as a blend of community college and Parks and Recreation program. I also scheduled my first reading – albeit in English – from my bestselling novel, Surviving the Fatherland.
I was also fortunate to visit the historic town of Bad Hersfeld and Rotenburg south of Kassel. Both towns have long histories, in fact, Bad Hersfeld dates back to the year 769 when Lullus, who later became a bishop and saint, reestablished an abbey here. On one of our wanderings to the remains of a nearby castle tower, we learned that Martin Luther passed by here in 1521 and held a service at the abbey. Martin Luther celebrates his 500-year anniversary this year because he published his 95 theses in 1517 and many credit him with ending the Middle Ages.
Well, I could go on, but suffice it to say that I collected new ideas for future books. I’m even thinking about a series of non-fiction children’s books about important figures not often mentioned. For instance, Bad Hersfeld is home to two prominent men: Konrad Zuse who is credited worldwide with the invention of the computer and Konrad Duden, a man we can thank for unifying the German language and whose name permanently adorns German dictionaries.
Enough said. Now I must figure out a way to pack more hours into each day.