Release Day! Eye of the Beholder

 

Release Day!

Eye of the Beholder is part of the Apron Strings Tea Tales,

fairytale retellings set during the interwar years of 1919-1939

Shunned for his appearance, a disfigured veteran encounters acceptance and love where he least expects it.

Left with physical and emotional scars after the Great War, Hank Drake has been shunned by polite society as the Ugly Duckling. Fine by him. He’d much rather be alone. Until he meets the kind proprietress of a tea stand at New York’s World’s Fair who isn’t repulsed by his appearance. Can he hope for acceptance…or even love?

Grace Sutton has no interest in marrying and is tired of her parent’s snide comments that she’s still single on the eve of her 40th birthday. After she loses her job thanks to budget cuts, she decides it’s time to follow her dream of feeding others. Armed with Mrs. Canfield’s cookbook, she opens a refreshment stand at the World’s Fair unaware how one man will turn her life upside down and upset the apple…er, tea cart.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Pz88KO

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back, Aubrey Taylor

Talkshow Thursday: 

Welcome Back, Aubrey Taylor

The original German versions of our most well-loved fairy tales often end tragically, unlike the retellings we are used to. Happily Ever After isn’t my forte either, and as an author of German-perspective World War II fiction, there is only so much happiness one can scrounge up by the last years of the war, with hunger, devastation, disillusionment, and hundreds of thousands of German men in POW camps.

My novella Schneewittchen combines elements of the German fairy tale we know as Snow White with elements of more modern retellings. Then, it brings the story to Germany in 1944.

Snow White is a story about a girl with a pure heart who has been driven into the forest by terrible circumstances. In my version, Gerda Gatzke is sent from East Prussia, where the war draws ever nearer to her doorstep, to a smallholding in rural Bavaria, far away from the front. Her task? To provide help to six brothers and their ailing mother.

A threat on Gerda’s life soon causes her charges to become her protectors.

As the oldest of seven boys, Thomas Jodl is already away from home, serving his country. He has heard

of Gerda’s sweet spirit through his mother’s letters, and it is no surprise that he has already begun to fall in love with her. She, in turn, has heard about Thomas’s strength and kindness—and secretly adores the ever-present photo of him on the mantle.

One wonders what causes the hero and heroine of a fairy tale to fall in love (and often get married) so quickly. It is understandable, coming from modern readers, but it is also worth noting that quick marriages were not uncommon in wartime. People knew they were not guaranteed tomorrow. Though Thomas was not directly involved in combat, Gerda had every reason to believe that he would be taken as a prisoner of war eventually.

German POWs had different trajectories based on a multitude of factors. Most of the men who were taken into captivity on the Eastern Front (Russia) did not make it home. On the other hand, many who came to America were treated well, and some even moved to America after their release.

The Allies also made efforts to separate regular soldiers from those deemed to be unrepentant “Nazis,” and often, SS men were treated more harshly than members of the German Army, no questions asked.

Though Thomas bore a “blood group” tattoo under his arm indicating that he was a member of the SS, his character was evident, and there was no doubt about his innocence when it came to the atrocities for which the Germans were being accused. As a POW, he spent time in the USA and was then sent to England to help with rebuilding.

When Thomas and Gerda finally get their Happily Ever After, it doesn’t look like the sparkling endings we see in fairy tale movies. Rather, it is true to life. I hope that it reminds readers that finding happiness (or rather, joy, which has far greater value) is a choice, especially when everything around you has fallen apart. Thomas says:

[Gerda] shakes her head. “I’m all right, Thomas. What I went through was difficult, but what others went through was so much worse. If my experience makes me more sensitive to those around me, then it was absolutely worth it.”

Drawing her close with my free arm, I breathe a prayer and thank God for the woman He’s given me. If other people learn to love the way my Gerda does, there will be hope for us all.

__________________

Schneewittchen: A Retelling of the Snow White Story Set in WWII Germany

Gerda Gatzke is unsure whether life on a Bavarian homestead with six boys and an ailing woman is right for her, but she is determined to get away from her stepmother, and from the war that draws ever closer to her doorstep.

With little more than the clothes on her back and a treasured family heirloom, she arrives at the disheveled smallholding only to discover that she is no safer there than she was at home. The boys who were initially her charges soon become her protectors.

With his mother’s illness growing worse and his family in danger, Thomas Jodl determines to return home for the first time in five years. His heart is warmed by the kind-hearted young woman who has come to care for his mother and six brothers.

Thomas does not hesitate to place himself in danger, but when the threat neutralized, a new question arises: what will become of any of them once the war is lost?

Schneewittchen is one of four novellas in A Worthy Love: A Collection of Historical Fairytale Retellings, Part of Fairy Tale Frenzy from Beyond the Bookery. A Worthy Love also includes stories from Aliana Jane, Liz Chapman, and Rebecca Lange.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3I9i35T

About Aubrey

Aubrey Reiss Taylor unites a fascination for history with a passion for redemption, creating a unique brand of gritty, honest wartime sagas, written from the German perspective. She is the mother of three, and married to her best friend Brian. When she’s not writing or taking care of home and family, she enjoys making music, dancing, reading, and spending time with friends.

Connect!
Website: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/o3k4f2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54029024.Aubrey_Reiss_Taylor
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Aubrey-Taylor/author/B0973KWXV8

Photo credits:

Author and book images: Courtesy of Aubrey Taylor

Soldiers on Motorcycle: Pixabay/Istvan Karoly Bocs

Prison Camp: Courtesy Kansas State Historical Society

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Megan Miles

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Megan Miles

I'm pleased to welcome author Megan Miles to my blog for the first time as she discusses here writing journey and the release of her latest book, Snow and the Seven Brothers Circus.

What was your inspiration for the story?

As I was editing my first novella, Before the Ever After, the idea came to me for a Snow White retelling where the dwarves were a circus troupe. As this idea formed, I could see the first chapter in my mind’s eye like a cinematic moment. Even though I was trying to focus on finishing my first novella, I couldn’t resist developing that story and its characters.

How has your book changed since your first draft?

I tend to be a very heavy re-writer. My stories often undergo dramatic changes from the first draft to the final version, and this story is no different. There’s little outside of the barebones of the plot that remains the same. (Even the characters’ names all changed, including my main character! She was Carolyn before she became Catherine.)

The only thing that didn’t change was the first chapter that I already mentioned. Outside of some polishing of the prose, it remains largely the same.

What draws you to the time period about which you write?

The twentieth century has always fascinated me due to the rapid changes, inventions, and events that

brought us to the world as we know it today. The period of 1900-1910 in particular stood out to me when I researched for this series. The turn-of-the-century era seems like the moment the past met modern times. In that moment in history, you see the arrival of cars, widespread electricity, flight, and other modern conveniences, but they’re still mixed with the fashions, traditions, and lifestyles of old. Pictures of city streets contain carriages and cars alike. Some houses were abounding with modern conveniences, and others weren’t. It’s the birthplace of life as we know it today.

Why do you write in your particular genre?

This may be a simple answer, but I write historical fiction because I read historical fiction. One day in my late teens, I lamented to my mom that I was bored and didn’t know what to read next. She put a Christian historical romance book from her shelf in my hands, and I devoured the story. So I read another. And another. It was only a matter of time before I began to test my hand at writing in the genre. The research required to write historical fiction has been a learning curve, but I love gathering interesting historical tidbits to include in my stories.

If you were to write a spin-off book about one of your secondary characters, which one would you choose and why?

I toyed with the idea of writing a spin-off novel containing the origin stories of the seven characters who founded the Seven Brothers’ Circus in my story. I went as far as brainstorming and writing out the details of their histories, even though most of that information didn’t come up in the novella. Leading up to the book release, I shared those histories on my Instagram to introduce my characters, but maybe someday I’ll get around to writing that book.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember (my Barbies lived very interesting lives), and I wrote my first story about a girl and her horse at nine years old. From that moment on, I never stopped writing. In high school, I took a course that taught me how to properly develop characters, build a plot, and intertwine themes. That’s the moment I realized I wanted to write novels for as long as God allows.

What writers or books have influenced you?

There have been several different authors and books that influenced me throughout my writing journey. When I was a young teenager, the Christy Miller books by Robin Jones Gunn showed me how entertaining books could also contain important Christian themes.

A few years later, I discovered Melanie Dickerson’s medieval fairytale retellings, and I devoured them as fast as she published them. I loved the combination of fairytales, medieval history, and Christian themes.

Currently, Roseanna M. White is one of my favorite authors. I admire the way she writes engaging historical stories, coupled with deep themes and realistic characters.

Each of those series and authors contributed to my growth as a writer, and elements that I learned from each one appear in the stories I’m writing today.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

The creativity itself. I derive so much joy from crafting characters, twisting plots, and figuring out how to fix plot holes so that the whole story clicks into place. God wired me with a creative brain, and I thrive when I do what He created me to do. It’s my joy to finally share these stories with others. When readers tell me that something I wrote touched them in a way so many books have touched me throughout my life, I’m humbled and thankful for this opportunity.

BOOK BLURB:

Blinding spotlights.

Roaring cheers from an adoring crowd.

Every fiber of her being gliding on the wings of euphoria.

Upon her twenty-first birthday, Catherine Penner is set to inherit her late parents' vast estate and thriving coal mines, if she can make it to her birthday. An undiagnosed wasting disease threatens to steal her life, leaving her parents' legacy in the hands of her cold guardian.

Fighting to hold onto hope in the face of her own demise, Catherine reflects on the one bright spot in her life. Like another lifetime altogether, Catherine remembers a time when she was known by a different name. A time where she found belonging and purpose at the Seven Brothers' Circus, but even those beautiful memories come with painful reminders of what's been stolen from her.

As Catherine wrestles with the hopeless meaning of her short life and her fragile health, it becomes clear that something sinister is playing with her future. Will she find enough hope to push through to a promising future? Or will her life fade away like her beautiful memories?

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/4Xkkva

SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: http://www.meganmilesauthor.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmiles.author/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmiles.writer

Photo credits 

(Horse and carriage): Pixabay/Eduardo Davad

(Tower): Pixabay/llonadenktartig