Welcoming M. B. Zucker and his book - The Eisenhower Chronicles - to my blog

Today I'm welcoming M. B. Zucker and his book - The Eisenhower Chronicles - to my blog as part of the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde)

I'm delighted to share an excerpt with you all, but first I will introduce the book.

The Eisenhower Chronicles 

In 1938 he was a lieutenant colonel stationed in the Philippines; by 1945 the world
proclaimed him its savior. From leading the forces of liberal democracy against history’s most evil tyrant to the presidency, Dwight D. Eisenhower fought for and kept the peace during the most dangerous era in history.

The Eisenhower Chronicles dramatizes Ike’s life, portraying his epic journey from unknown soldier to global hero as only a novel could. He is shown working with icons such as FDR, Winston Churchill, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and confronting challenges like D-Day, the Little Rock Crisis, and Sputnik.

Eisenhower’s legacy is grounded in defending the world from fascism, communism, and nuclear weapons. This novel shows how he accomplished it all and takes readers into his mind and soul, grounding the history in the man who made it.

Advance Praise:

“An ambitious novel that illuminates the complexity of one of the great figures of the twentieth century. Ike's homespun manner concealed a remarkably skilled, at times Machiavellian, leader who guided the nation through perilous times. M.B. Zucker brings us inside Eisenhower's world as he wrestles with a series of decisions affecting the survival of free government and the fate of humanity. This is a fun, fast-paced, informative read that captures the man and his times. Highly recommended.”

-Stephen F. Knott, Professor of National Security at the Naval War College and author of Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America

“A most important aspect of M. B. Zucker's The Eisenhower Chronicles is that it dispels at least two myths about Ike's presidency: that it was but an appendage to his illustrious military career; and, that Eisenhower was more prone to react to events rather than shape them. In a lively and innovative style, Zucker shows his readers how Ike managed the Cold War during its most dangerous period and helped make his country a more fair and just society at home. A must read for anyone interested in mid-20th century America.”

-Alvin S. Felzenberg, presidential historian and author of The Leaders We Deserved and a Few We Didn't

“Zucker's achievement is monumental. In a fast-paced narrative, he captures Dwight D. Eisenhower with mastery and precision-his thoughts, emotions, decisions, and actions. The smooth prose and rich detail put the reader right there with Ike at every step of his military career and presidency, with an accurate and compelling rendering. This is historical fiction at its best.”

-Yanek Mieczkowski, presidential historian and author of Eisenhower's Sputnik Moment: The Race for Space and World Prestige

“This is a vast and minutely detailed account of Eisenhower as both supreme Warlord and President of the United States at a time of truly massive transformation.It is magisterial in its informed account and sweeping in its scope. It is a panoramic study, intensively researched, of Eisenhower as both a private person and a world figure.... Five stars and highly recommended.”

- The Historical Fiction Company Editorial Reviews

Publication Date: 26th July 2022

Publisher: Historium Press Books www.historiumpress.com

Cover Design by White Rabbit Arts www.wrarts.com

Page Length: 496 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

You can buy a copy of the book via -

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/bp8VVE 

Now for the excerpt -

Ike can't decide whether or not to run for President. He doesn't want to, but the Korean War and the Cold War stimulate his sense of duty. One night, his subconscious sends him a message...

Feel disgusting. So sweaty. Bet I could see my chest hair through my Ike Jacket right now. Because of how soaked I am. Don’t look at it. Why am I wearing my full uniform and jacket in this heat? Where am I?

Ike’s gaze rose from the ground to the grassy fields. White oak and magnolia towered over him, though their shade did not diminish the heat or humidity. Gardens stretched in every direction. A large estate loomed in the distance, a great wooden mansion at its center. Its roof was bright red, and its walls were white wood. A circular dirt path sat in front of the building surrounding a large patch of trimmed grass. Single-story wings flanked the mansion on each side.

Why does that building look so familiar? Shouldn’t trespass. But I’ll pass out if I don’t get a drink of water.

Ike stumbled toward the mansion, every step a struggle. No sooner did Ike begin his quest than a man on horseback intercepted him. He wore a corn yellow worn-out vest and a black tricorn hat that shaded his shoulders. Sweat shone on his forehead. His black horse neighed as he came to a stop. Ike looked up at him.

What the hell is he wearing? Either he’s out of fashion, even for a farmer, or I’m so old I missed the new look.

“What’s your name?” the man on horseback asked, his knuckles white from gripping the reins.

Ike felt an unconscious jolt; he’d been famous for a decade. This was a nice change of pace.

“I’m General Eisenhower.”

“A general?” the man asked. “Did you fight in the war?”

“Yes, sir,” Ike replied politely.

“Where?”

“I commanded the European Theater.”

“Europe? You mean you were with Dr. Franklin?”

What?

“That’s a strange uniform for a general,” the man said.

“You don’t like my jacket?” Ike asked as he glanced at it briefly. “I know it’s a sweaty mess, but I designed it myself.” He looked the man in the eye as his horse trotted to his right. “You haven’t given me your name yet.”

“Joseph Cash,” the man said, still suspicious. “I assume you’re here for a visit.”

“Sure,” Ike muttered quietly. “Where am I exactly?”

Cash’s eyebrow rose.

“You’re on the most famous estate in the country. Maybe the world.”

“That’s not helping.”

“Mount Vernon.”

Mount Vernon? How the hell… alright. I guess that explains why he’s dressed like he’s from another century. Must be a tour guide or something.

“Can I get a glass of water before my tour?”

Cash ignored him.

“I don’t think he’s very busy right now. Not sure he’s had many visitors today. You can probably see him if you want.”

“Who are we talking about?”

“General Washington.”

“Come again?”

“George Washington. The general and President. You’re not from around here, are you?”

Washington? The George Washington? Can’t believe it! My God! Oh my God! Stomach’s doing a somersault! How in the hell… I don’t know. But this fellow is right in front of me and saying I’m about to meet George Washington, who I've idolized since I could read. I wonder if I can confirm the cherry tree story.

M. B. Zucker

M. B. Zucker has been interested in storytelling for as long as he can remember. He
discovered his love of history at fifteen and studied Dwight Eisenhower for over ten years. Mr. Zucker earned his B.A. at Occidental College and his J.D. at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He lives in Virginia with his wife.

You can connect with M. B. Zucker via these platforms -

Website: https://www.michaelbzucker.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MBZuckerBooks and https://twitter.com/michaelzucker1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100061516155957

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/M-B-Zucker/e/B09JM74HMF

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21882348.M_B_Zucker

You can learn more about the book and the author by visiting the other blogs on this tour -

Tour Schedule: https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/07/blog-tour-eisenhower-chronicles-by-m-b.html

That's it for now.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe.

Welcoming Malve von Hassell and her book - The Amber Crane - to my blog

 Today I'm welcoming Malve von Hassell and her book - The Amber Crane - to my blog as part of the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde)

I'm delighted to share an excerpt with you all, but first I will introduce the book.

The Amber Crane

Chafing at the rules of the amber guild, Peter, an apprentice during the waning years of the Thirty Years’ War, finds and keeps a forbidden piece of amber, despite the risk of severe penalties should his secret be discovered.

Little does he know that this amber has hidden powers, transporting him into a future far beyond anything he could imagine. In dreamlike encounters, Peter witnesses the ravages of the final months of World War II in and around his home. He becomes embroiled in the troubles faced by Lioba, a girl he meets who seeks to escape from the oncoming Russian army.

Peter struggles with the consequences of his actions, endangering his family, his amber master’s reputation, and his own future. How much is Peter prepared to sacrifice to right his wrongs?

Trigger Warnings:

References to rape, Holocaust, World War II, violence

You can purchase a copy of the book via -

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/bzeXqE

Now for the excerpt -

Excerpt from Chapter 6 – GIRL WITHOUT A NAME

Peter shivers. His bed is gone, and he is standing in a strange room.

Light comes through a small opening. The air feels cold and clammy. He rubs his eyes as he takes in his surroundings. A bed stands at a slant in the middle of the room, bare, with its mattress slashed open like a gaping wound. As his eyes adjust, he can see a chest of drawers, two of the drawers pulled out, the top one hanging crookedly in its tracks, its contents spilled onto the floor. A cast-iron stove is covered in dust, and a chipped white enamel pitcher and bowl have been upended and tossed onto the floor.

On a big chair in the corner, someone is curled up underneath a green and red-checkered woolen covering.

On the floor close to the chair sits the same beast Peter remembers from the previous dream, its head raised and growling softly. The fluffy hair around its ears, combined with its impossibly long slightly curved snout, gives it a curiously bird-like appearance, a grey raptor ready to pounce on its prey.

The sleeper is awake, staring at him and clutching the blanket with one hand, the other hidden in its folds.

“You are a girl,” Peter exclaims as he takes in the sleeper’s face and the long thick braid resting on top of the blanket. His voice sounds muffled as if he is talking through thick cloudbanks.

The girl moves her arm and pulls out an odd-looking pistol from beneath her leg. She points it directly at him, scowling furiously.

Peter gulps and takes a step backward. “I am not going to hurt you.”

“Don’t come any closer.” Her voice is scratchy as if she has not spoken in a while. “I’ll shoot, I promise you that.” Then she adds with a note of puzzlement, “Who are you? You don’t sound Russian.”

“Russian? Are the Russians fighting against the Swedes?”

“Are you daft?” She still holds on to the pistol. “Where are you from? Are you a refugee?”

“I live in Stolpmünde.”

“Stolpmünde? Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be going west?”

“What is ‘here’? And what do you mean going west?”

“Elbing, or at least somewhere nearby. I lost track.”

“We have not seen any refugees for a while,” Peter says slowly, shaking his head. None of this makes any sense. Elbing—that is almost halfway to Königsberg. “With Denmark out of the war, it has been quieter.” This strange girl must be confused. “Will you stop pointing that pistol at me?”

“Denmark?” She frowns at him. “What are you talking about? Denmark is occupied, and they aren’t fighting at all. And Swedes? Pistol? Are you serious? And why are you wearing such strange clothes?”

“What do you mean? And what about Russians?”

“I saw you the other day. You were in a ditch, watching me,” the girl says accusingly. “And last night, I dreamed of you. Wait.” Her voice grows faint. “Come back.”

Malve von Hassell 

 

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. Working as an independent scholar, she published The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002) and Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993: The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996). She has also edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994). She has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College, while continuing her work as a translator and writer. She has self-published two children’s picture books, Letters from the Tooth Fairy (2012/2020) and Turtle Crossing (2021), and her translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay, Rennefarre: Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012). The Falconer’s Apprentice (namelos, 2015) was her first historical fiction novel for young adults. She has published Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades, and The Amber Crane (Odyssey Books, 2021), set in Germany in 1645 and 1945. She has completed a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany and is working on a historical fiction trilogy featuring Adela of Normandy.

You can connect with the author via these platforms -

Website: https://www.malvevonhassell.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MvonHassell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malvevonhassellauthor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malve-von-hassell-02b61517/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/malve-von-hassell

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Malve-von-Hassell/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/471746.Malve_von_Hassell

You can learn more about the author and the book by visiting the other blogs on this tour.

https://www.coffeepotbookclub.com/post/blog-tour-the-amber-crane-by-malve-von-hassell-august-31st-november-2nd-2021-mvonhassell

 That's it for now.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe.

 

 

Welcoming Kathleen Harryman and her book - The Promise - to my blog

Today I'm welcoming Kathleen Harryman/Lucy Marshall and their book - The Promise (A world war Two historical romance) - to my blog as part of the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde).

I'm delighted to be able to share an excerpt with you which I will do after I've introduced the book.  

The Promise By Kathleen Harryman and Lucy Marshall

How far would you go to keep a promise?
In the heat of battle, one man's promise to another will be tested.

September 1939

As Britain is gripped by the fear and uncertainty of war, Tom Armitage stands to gain the one thing that he never thought possible - his freedom.

Rosie Elliot sees her future crumbling to dust as Will Aarons leaves Whitby with Jimmy Chappell to fight in the war. As she begins work at The Turnstone Convalescent Home, Rosie finds something she thought she had lost. Friendship. But friendship soon turns to love. Can this new love replace Will?

This is not an ordinary love story.

It's a story of love, loss, courage, and honour.
Of promises that must be kept or risk losing everything you've ever held dear.

 Publication date: 28th February 2019

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Kathleen Harryman and Lucy Marshall

Print Length: 328 pages (paperback) 330 pages (kindle)

YouTube Book Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLO2AcnQvWU

You can purchase the book via -

 http://getbook.at/thepromise

Now for the excerpt -

Chapter 5

Tom Armitage
1940
Whitby, England

A thundering noise echoed through my despair. I lifted my head suddenly aware that the sky above me was turning dark. My eyebrows drew together. I wiped at the tears, rubbing at my eyes. What the hell was going on? The noise got louder, roaring in my ears, until it was the only thing I could hear. My pulse sped up. Slowly, I turned around and looked up. My breath caught in my throat; my eyes wide in disbelief. I became glued to the spot as fear slid along my spine. Approximately 8,220 kilograms of grey mass of a Heinkel He bomber came heading my way.

Oh, hell! This was it.

The Heinkel He propellers spun as smoke billowed from the right propeller, casting a stream of dark angry grey fog behind it. This wasn’t good, not good at all. Gravity pulled at the German bomber. Its speed in- creased as it got nearer to the ground, and me. My legs seemed incapable of moving as I watched the large grey mass of the plane come charging towards me. It coughed and sputtered. The left propeller cut out, and it now sat idle like the right one. Suddenly, my brain came to life at an accelerated pace. I frantically looked around me. There was nowhere for me to hide in the open field. The plane dived downward, nose first, spiralling out of control, coming at me faster and faster. It was as if it had me in its sight and wasn’t about to let me go – and live.

Run, run, run! My brain screamed at me repeatedly. I looked at Red. The tractor was the only cover available. I dived beneath it, my fingers digging into the ground as I pulled myself under the dirty green body. I prayed liked I’d never prayed before. Please God, please, not like this... not like this! All the time, my heart hammered against my ribs. I felt the impact of the bomber as it hit Red. The field disappeared from view, replaced with a net of black grey smoke.

The tractor shook and screeched. Metal ground on metal. I was conscious of Red moving under the force of the plane’s impact. I tried to roll with it. Metal flew around me, banging down on Red like huge hailstones. I cried out as the air shifted over me and I became aware that Red no longer protected me. I looked over my shoulder to see what was happening. What was left of the bomber was coming for me. Red lay on its side, as though it had given up and admitted defeat.

I closed my eyes briefly, thinking that if I couldn’t see, it wouldn’t hurt when it hit me. My brain couldn’t take it. My need to see what was happening was too great. My eyes flew open and widened in disbelief and fear. I fought against my brain’s new command, and its incessant screams for me to get up and run. There was no way I could make it out of the bomber’s way in time. Where would I run to? The wheat offered no resistance. I’d never reach a safe place in time.

My heart pounded against my chest. My only option was to hope that by remaining on the ground, the impact wouldn’t be so great. I could survive this. I watched as pieces of the plane rained down around me. I rolled as a large piece of metal came flying my way. It missed me, but not by much. I flipped onto my stomach, pressing myself into the dirt beneath me. My hands wrapped over my head for protection. I felt the impact, as something hit me on the head and ripped the skin on my arms. Panic set in. I stood up and started running, my heart wildly beating against my ribs. Blood drip- ping down my arms.

Something hit me in the legs. The impact brought me down, pressing my face into the earth and wheat. I fell awkwardly and felt my bone snap. Rolling in pain, I saw part of the Heinkel He wing hurtling towards me. My mouth opened but no sound came out. It landed along my legs and chest. I screamed and screamed. Pain shot throughout my entire body. I couldn’t move. I tried shoving at the metal but there was no strength left in my bloody arms to move it. I had become a prisoner. My chest hurt, weighted down by the bomber’s wing. I was being crushed by the sheer weight of it. My ribs hurt. I was finding it difficult to breathe. Sweat broke out on my forehead. I couldn’t feel my right leg. I was aware that at some point, something had pierced the skin along my calf and sunk deep inside my flesh.

Somewhere, I thought I heard someone shout my name. My head was ringing. I wasn’t sure if what I was hearing was a human voice, or just the ringing in my head. It could even be my brain playing tricks on me. Its desire for human contact, for someone to save me.

Darkness kept pushing at me. I knew I should stay awake, keep my eyes open. As the seconds ticked into minutes, I couldn’t remember why closing them was a bad idea. They felt so heavy. Suddenly, closing them seemed to be the right thing to do. My eyes had long since stopped seeing or focusing on anything. There was a bright light. Maybe it was the sun? Everything was beginning to hurt, and I was starting to feel really cold. A shiver ran along my body. I twitched, as pain like a hot iron crawled along my skin. I cried out. My eyes opened momentarily. The pain seemed to heighten. I closed my eyes again and the pain went away a bit.

I thought I heard someone speak again. It sounded like my name. Everything seemed unreal, as though all of this was happening to someone else. Dad’s face came floating in front of my closed eyes. I thought about let- ting go, like he had. Leaving the responsibility of the farm, of mum and Becky, to someone else. I’d be free. Free to fly with the birds high in the sky. Free to not feel. It sounded good. My thoughts hesitated. Who would be that someone I could trust to look after mum and Becky? To care for them and the farm? I tried to think. There must be someone. My brain hurt. Too tired to think.

Free, be free like a bird. My brain called. I raised my arms. I flapped them at my sides, like they were wings. I wasn’t sure at this stage if the lifting of my arms was a hypothetical thing, or if I really was flapping them. I looked at my arms. They weren’t arms, they were feathers. Free. Free to fly. I smiled. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Had this been what dad had done? Had he planned to kill himself, days, weeks, months before he did so? All the while acting like the loving husband, and doting dad. Had he carefully planned it, thought about how it would feel to be free of the torment that sat heavy upon his soul?

Yeah, at last I think I got it. To be free. To never feel. Was dying giving up? I began to wonder if it did bring peace, or if your soul would be forever tortured by the decision that you made. Did dad look down on us and think that he had made the worst mistake ever when he’d tied that rope around his neck? I groaned, even now with my body shaking in pain and the coldness set- ting in, I could still feel the weight of my responsibility to the farm, to mum, to Becky, pulling at me. It made me realise that I still had a choice. That I could fight this.

I had to concentrate. I had to think of mum and Becky. It would be wrong to give up now, like dad had done. To entrust them to someone, not knowing who that someone would be. I screamed, hoping that some- one would hear me, even out here.

That I hadn’t been delusional

That I had heard someone shouting my name. Suddenly, the warmth of the sun hit the right side of my face. I blinked. It was so bright. Too bright. Regardless of the intensity of the light, my eyes flew open as a hand gently touched my face. Brown eyes met mine. Tears swam within their deep brown depths. I looked upon her face and thought I had never seen something so wonderful as the soft smile that played upon her lips. The relief that filled her eyes with light. Someone cared. Cared about the loner. Cared about me. And that someone wasn’t mum or Becky. And that someone was looking at me. And she had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

“Don’t you dare die, Tom Armitage!” Rosie gently touched my brow.

A tear fell from her eyes. I longed to wipe it away. My arms felt too heavy, so I smiled back at her. At least that’s what I tried to do. Pain was everywhere. Oh, God, I hurt.

I closed my eyes and gave in to the darkness, and the pain disappeared. I felt something wet touch my cheek. It felt good that someone cared about me. That if I died, my death would mean something to someone. For the first time in such a long time, I felt at peace.

I hoped that dad had felt peace when he had stepped off the ladder, and the rope had tightened about his neck...before death claimed him.
   

Kathleen Harryman

Kathleen Harryman is a storyteller and poet in the historically rich city of York, North Yorkshire, England, with her husband, children and pet dog and cat. 

Kathleen was first published in 2015, a romantic suspense entitled The Other Side of the Looking Glass. Since then, Kathleen has developed a unique writing style which readers have enjoyed, and she became a multi-genre author of suspense, psychological thrillers, poetry and historical romance. 

You can connect with Kathleen Harryman via -

Website: https://www.kathleenharryman.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/WriterKH

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleen_author

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuBLk8lhDdiavwG3UObJwtQ/videos

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathleenHarrym1

IAN: https://independentauthornetwork.com/kathleen-harryman.html

I hope you will check out Kathleen's work.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe

Welcoming Roberta Kagan and her book - The Smallest Crack - to my blog

 Today I'm welcoming author Roberta Kagan and her book - The Smallest Crack - to my blog as part of the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde).

I'm delighted to be able to share an excerpt with you which I will do after I've introduced the book. 

The Smallest Crack by Roberta Kagan

1933 Berlin, Germany.

The son of a rebbe, Eli Kaetzel, and his beautiful but timid wife, Rebecca, find themselves in danger as Hitler rises to power. Eli knows that their only chance for survival may lie in the hands of Gretchen, a spirited Aryan girl. However, the forbidden and dangerous friendship between Eli and Gretchen has been a secret until now. Because, for Eli, if it is discovered that he has been keeping company with a woman other than his wife it will bring shame to him and his family. For Gretchen her friendship with a Jew is forbidden by law and could cost her, her life.

You can purchase a copy of the book via the following link -

Amazon: https://books2read.com/u/4jWMDZ

Publication date: July 1, 2019 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Roberta Kagan

Print Length: 321 pages

Now for the excerpt -

 Hilde found it easy to steal from Jews. She’d been caught once when she took the lipstick from a Jewish shop. The owner was furious, but when Hilde threatened to tell the German police that he had molested her, he let her go without reporting the theft. The best part was that she still kept the tube of lipstick.

The shopkeeper was not watching Hilde intently, making it easy for her to put two dresses on underneath the dress she was wearing. She hung the others back on the hangers and handed them to the shopkeeper.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t find anything,” Hilde said. These Jews have been stealing from us good Germans for a very long time. So what if I get a little of it back? Hilde thought.

“Well, good luck to you. I hope you find what you’re looking for,” the shopkeeper said as she began to straighten the dresses on the hangers.
Hilde left the store and ran home. She carefully removed the price tags and hung the stolen goods on hangers. She marveled at her conquest. One dress was pale pink, and the other was pale yellow. Either one would be perfect for a spring dance. They fit Hilde, so she knew both dresses would be too big for Gretchen. Since Hilde liked both frocks equally, she decided she would let Gretchen choose first then she’d wear the other one. Once Gretchen chose her favorite, Hilde would help her add a belt at the waist to make it fit.

Sitting on her bed with her back against the wall, Hilde smiled. She was excited about the dance. Perhaps, by some miracle, with her new dress and her red lipstick, she would be able to attract Hann’s attention. She could hardly wait until the dance. It was two weeks away, and she was counting the days.

Roberta Kagan

I am an USA Today Best Selling Author of Historical Jewish Fiction mainly set during World War 2. My father was Romany and my mother was Jewish, When I was very young I learned about the Holocaust. I couldn't understand how something like this could happen. So, I began to research and learn more. I met with survivors. I even met with children and grandchildren of SS officers. But I still had no answers. I cannot say that I have all of the answers to all of my questions even now. But what I do know is that soon all of the survivors will be gone. Their message must be remembered, the sacrifices that they made must not be forgotten. And so I humbly and with the utmost humility I try to tell their stories. It is painful, but I must convey the darkness and horror of the time, However, I also want the world to know and celebrate the unsung heroes. Because there were many ordinary people who acted in heroic ways. I realize that writing these books is a great responsibility. I pray every day that I am able to do this correctly. I am trying to reach out and touch many people, not with the message of the horrors but with the promise of hope. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for considering my work. It is an honor that I never take lightly.

You can connect with Roberta Kagan via th following links -

Website: http://www.robertakagan.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaKagan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertakaganauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roberta.kagan.9

Facebook, author page: https://www.facebook.com/Rkagan4

Roberta Kagan Book Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1494285400798292

I hope you will check out Roberta Kagan's work.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe

 

 

 

Welcoming The Road To Liberation - Trials and Triumphs of WWII to my blog.

Today I am taking part in the blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club (founded by Mary Anne Yarde) featuring the works of Marion Kummerow, Marina Osipova, Rachel Wesson, JJ Toner, Ellie Midwood, and Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger and their new book - The Road to Liberation: Trials and Triumphs of WWII.

I'm going to spotlight this fantastic collection of stories and introduce the authors.

The Road to Liberation: Trials and Triumphs of WWII

Riveting stories dedicated to celebrating the end of WWII.

From USA Today, international bestselling and award-winning authors comes a collection filled with courage, betrayal, hardships and, ultimately, victory over some of the most oppressive rulers the world has ever encountered.

By 1944, the Axis powers are fiercely holding on to their quickly shrinking territories.

The stakes are high—on both sides:

Liberators and oppressors face off in the final battles between good and evil. Only personal bravery and self-sacrifice will tip the scales when the world needs it most.

Read about a small child finding unexpected friends amidst the cruelty of the concentration camps, an Auschwitz survivor working to capture a senior member of the SS, the revolt of a domestic servant hunted by the enemy, a young Jewish girl in a desperate plan to escape the Gestapo, the chaos that confused underground resistance fighters in the Soviet Union, and the difficult lives of a British family made up of displaced children..

2020 marks 75 years since the world celebrated the end of WWII. These books will transport you across countries and continents during the final days, revealing the high price of freedom—and why it is still so necessary to “never forget”.

Stolen Childhood by Marion Kummerow

The Aftermath by Ellie Midwood

When's Mummy coming? by Rachel Wesson

Too Many Wolves in the Local Woods by Marina Osipova

Liberation Berlin by JJ Toner

Magda’s Mark by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger

Publication date: May 5^th 2020

You can order this book from the following -

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Road-Liberation-Trials-Triumphs-WWII-ebook/dp/B083SH7VJQ

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Liberation-Trials-Triumphs-WWII-ebook/dp/B083SH7VJQ

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Road-Liberation-Trials-Triumphs-WWII-ebook/dp/B083SH7VJQ

Now let's meet the authors -

Marion Kummerow

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.

After dipping her toes with non-fiction books, she finally tackled the project dear to her heart. UNRELENTING is the story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime. It's a book about resilience, love and the courage to stand up and do the right thing.

Marina Osipova

Marina Osipova was born in East Germany into a military family and grew up in Russia where she graduated from the Moscow State Institute of History and Archives. She also has a diploma as a German language translator from the Moscow State Institute of Foreign Languages. In Russia, she worked first in a scientific-technical institute as a translator then in a Government Ministry in the office of international relations, later for some Austrian firms. For seventeen years, she lived in the United States where she worked in a law firm. Eventually, she found her home in Austria. She is an award-winning author and a member of the Historical Novel Society.

Rachel Wesson

Rachel Wesson is Irish born and bred. Drawn to reading from an early age, she started writing for publication a few years back. When she is not writing, Rachel likes to spend her time reading and playing with her three kids. Living in Dublin there are plenty of things to do, although the cowboys and Indians of her books rarely make an appearance. To chat with Rachel connect with her on Facebook - authorrachelwesson. To check out her newest releases sign up to her mailing list.

  

JJ Toner

JJ Toner My background is in Mathematics and computing, but I have been writing full time since 2005. I write short stories and novels. My novels include the bestselling WW2 spy story 'The Black Orchestra', and its three sequels, 'The Wings of the Eagle', 'A Postcard from Hamburg', and 'The Gingerbread Spy'

Many of my short stories have been published in mainstream magazines. Check out 'EGGS and Other Stories' - a collection of satirical SF stories. I was born in a cabbage patch in Ireland, and I still live here with my first wife, although a significant part of our extended family lives in Australia.

Ellie Midwood

 

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, "The Girl from Berlin." Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger

 

Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger was born in Minnesota in 1969 and grew up in the culture-rich neighborhood of "Nordeast" Minneapolis. She started her writing career with short stories, travel narratives, worked as a journalist and then as a managing editor for a magazine publisher before jumping the editor's desk and pursuing her dreams of writing and traveling. In 2000, she moved to western Austria and established her own communications training company. In 2005, she self-published a historical narrative based on her relatives' personal histories and experiences in Ukraine during WWII. She has won several awards for her short stories and now primarily writes historical fiction. During a trip into northern Italy over the Reschen Pass, she stood on the edge of Reschen Lake and desperately wanted to understand how a 15th-century church tower ends up sticking out of the water. What stories were lying beneath? Some eight years later, she launched the "Reschen Valley" series with five books and a novella releasing between 2018 and 2021.

For more on Chrystyna, dive in at inktreks(dot)com.

Would love for you to check out this fabulous collection of stories and the authors above.

Till the next time.

Take care Zoe