Behind the Page... Pastor Bauer

The character Pastor Hermann Bauer is based on Hermann Maas. Maas was a protestant pastor in Heidelberg, a member of the Confessing Church and a vocal proponent of the Zionist movement. He worked hard throughout the 1930's and early 1940's to help as many of his German Jewish friends and contacts as he could. He eventually was sent to a labor camp in France for his anti-Nazi leanings and activities. He was liberated by American troops. In 1964 he was recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations.

Martin Niemoller

Lutheran pastor and leader of the Confessing Church in Germany in the 1930's, Martin Niemoller's famous quote.
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me."

Influences and Inspirations... My Dad

My Dad is a wordsmith. He really enjoys writing poetry; I remember one especially sweet poem he wrote for my 17th birthday. He is very good at communicating his thoughts in writing. Thanks Dad! (The pic is from my 13th bday. He took me on my first date.)

Behind the Page... Berlin Olympics 1936

Berlin hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics. The upside for German Jews was a brief reprieve from Nazi persecutions. Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals in track and field causing great consternation for those who believed in the superiority of the "Aryan" race.

Influences and Inspirations... My Mom

I definitely got my love of reading from my mom. And, historical fiction is her favorite. It makes me very happy to have written a novel that she enjoyed! She also introduced me to new and old classic movies. I distinctly remember watching Sophie's Choice and Judgment at Nuremberg with her when I was a kid. So, here I am with my mom c. 1992.

Behind the Page... Nuremberg Laws

The Nuremberg Laws were passed in 1935. They are infamous for defining Judaism as a race (when in fact it is a religion) and stripping German Jews of their citizenship and other fundamental rights. After Nuremberg German Jewish children were not allowed to attend "German" schools forcing German Jews to create their own schools for the education of their children. Many German Jewish adults had their professional licenses stripped (doctors, lawyers, etc.). The illustration below explains the Nazi definition of a "racial Jew."

Influences and Inspirations... the idea

A lot of people have asked me from whence the idea of Slow Boil came. I have no idea. I do know, however, when I first had the idea. Fifteen years ago I thought, "I should write a novel about two girls, one German and one Jew, growing up in Nazi Germany." I had the idea for my second novel (a loose sequel to Slow Boil) this past summer. I'm really hoping to shorten the time frame from idea to print a bit. The pic is of Keith and me in Colorado fifteen years ago during our first year of marriage.