Us vs Them

When folks ask about my historical novels, I explain the stories' premises and my motivation for writing them. Given half a chance, I'll also mention my take-away lesson about the Nazi era: when a country is divided into Us vs Them, that country and its citizens are in trouble. 

At a community event where I sold books last weekend, I said this during a number of conversations with potential customers. Several people nodded and said, 'I see that division in our country, in our whole world, right now.' 

Two particular individuals leaned across my table and expounded on their thoughts. They raised their voices in anger, not at me but at the amount of division within our country. One placed the full blame for this division on Republicans. The other placed the blame squarely on the Democrats. 

What happened to our ability to disagree respectfully? Why must we assign blame for every problem, every challenge our nation faces? Of course, we never turn those accusing fingers toward ourselves, toward our own behaviors and attitudes. We always blame the other guy. The other party. The ones who think/speak/act/believe differently than we do. Our problems, both local and national, are their fault.

We are increasingly a society divided into Us vs. Them. 

Please, politicians, candidates, and citizens alike, stop the divisive rhetoric. Stop emphasizing our differences and blaming the other party for the problems we all face. 

Instead, use your energy, your words, your incredible resources to unite people. Bring folks with differing points of view together to work on solutions. Raise the bar of our national behavior by respecting opinions that differ from your own or those of your party. 

History clearly shows where Us vs Them talk leads. Let's not go there. 

Critiquing a critique group

Over a year ago, I stepped away from a local SCBWI critique group I'd been part of for several years. There was nothing 'wrong' with the group or its members. They're all talented writers, working hard on their craft and focused on getting their WIPs in shape and ready for submission. But they were all working on picture books. I was working on a middle-grade novel.

So I set about creating a critique group focused on writing middle-grade novels. A month later, five of us, all avid readers and writers of literature for that age group, met virtually for the first time. After initial technical problems, we settled into a rhythm of monthly manuscript submissions and online critique of our middle-grade WIPs. The group seemed to be going well.

Six months later, one member withdrew. She found getting feedback early in the writing process derailed her vision for the piece. We all understood and wished her well. 

Last month, another member withdrew. Multiple demands in his work and personal life left him with little extra time and energy. Again, we all understood and wished him well. 

So the three of us who remain will decide the group's future. We've all been at this long enough to know that groups like this are malleable. They morph into what is needed by its members and are reshaped as members come and go. The three of us can tweak our guidelines and procedures or we can tear them up and start over. We can keep the group at just three members, or we can add another one or two. In any case, I look forward to the process of redefining ourselves and am excited about our future.  

The unexpected benefits of audiobooks

This year, my challenge on Goodreads was to read 50 books. I've surpassed that, mostly because I've added audiobooks to my reading experience in the last few years.  

Listening to audiobooks allows me to expand not only the number of books I enjoy but also the places in which I enjoy them. I listen to books while driving, exercising, cooking, or when I'm out for a good long walk. Time passes quickly when someone is telling me a story, and that's exactly how I perceive a well narrated audiobook.

My library system's Overdrive and Libby accounts give me access to thousands of great titles to download and enjoy for free. Courtesy of a friend, I've recently added Audible to my audiobook source list. The number of stories I can listen to boggles my mind. 

When I read books in print or ebook, I have a (guilty!) tendency to skim past wordy descriptions and long unbroken blocks of text. An audiobook doesn't let the reader do that. The narrator progresses through the text word by word, paragraph by paragraph, even parts I would have chosen to skim.

And guess what? I've learned that those wordy sections are (usually) there for a reason. They add to the setting, reveal a bit of character, or define the underlying reason for a conflict. Just what this girl needed to slow down her mind and enjoy the journey through the story. 

That said, I don't I have a favorite format for reading. I still love bookstore browsing and reading a hard copy I can hold in my hands. I also love my Kindle for its lightweight convenience and portability. But now about half of the books I read per year are ones I've accessed as audiobooks. I've found it to be a great option with its own benefit to me as a reader.

How about you? Do you listen to audiobooks? 

Book trailers that can't be ads

I made these book trailers using the free site FlexClip. Each took me less than one hour to make. 

My idea had been to use the trailers in ads on TikTok, Facebook, Google Ads, and Instagram. Because of the swastikas on the novels' covers and the fact that the word 'Nazi' appears in the ads' description, my ads were rejected out of hand. I appealed, explaining that the novels are historical and are not pushing a neo-nazi agenda. I told them my books are well-researched, have been used in schools and book clubs, and are 'clean reads' for young readers. 

It didn't matter. The computer algorithm labeled the ads as containing 'hate speech.' The humans I spoke with said they couldn't do anything to change that label.

So I'll share them here in the hopes that you'll enjoy them and share them too! 

What I remembered

At the start of each year, I make a list of goals, both personal ones and goals related to my writing. This morning, I opened my '2020 goals' document and could have cried. So many of the goals involved face-to-face connection, travel, and new experiences. Of course, after early March, none of that happened.

Instead of lamenting what might have been, I am taking time today to reflect on what I gained during the 'pandemic pause.' Without the trappings of the external world:

~ I remembered that fresh air and sunshine are essential for my mental health. Time spent outdoors, listening to birdsong or children playing, soaking in nature’s palette and the silhouette of branches against the sky, the texture and scent of garden dirt --- ah, peace.

~ I remembered that I am okay with the status quo for a little while, but even during a shutdown, I need to shake things up. I tried new recipes, updated our kitchen, connected with new writing partners, adopted a cat, and learned to play the harmonica (badly.)

~ I remembered that I can keep some level of physical fitness without going to the gym. Hand weights, calisthenics, and Pilates can keep up my strength. Long yoga-style stretches can maintain my mobility, and brisk walks on hills can keep me in decent aerobic shape. Bonus points when those walks were with a friend who made me smile!

~I remembered the importance of connection, even when phone, text, and virtual connections had to suffice. This pandemic would have been far more devastating without technology.

~ I remembered the joy of simple things-- a scented candle, a picture drawn by one of my grandkids, the glorious colors of hydrangeas, watching TV with my husband beside a cozy fire. Oh, and I can't forget the joy of finding Clorox wipes and toilet paper! 😁

Many of the goals on my 2020 list will carry over to 2021. Best wishes to all as we close (slam?) the door on 2020 and embrace a hopefully healthy and happy new year.

There's only Us

If I learned anything from researching and writing two novels set in Nazi Germany, it's this: dividing people into Us and Them leads to disaster for everyone. Everyone.  

From our perspective 80+ years after the Nazi regime, it's easy for us to see how labeling people, grouping folks into categories based on a set of criteria, set up the horror that was the Nazi era. The question is, do we see similar attitudes in the world today? 

Do we see it in our country?

In our cities and towns?

In our own backyard?

And the ultimate question: Do we see similar attitudes in our own hearts?

I confess. I am tired of the rhetoric. I am tired of American-born vs immigrant, Democrat vs Republican, black vs white, the privileged vs the poor. I am tired of the labels and categories that divide us. I am tired of the human tendency to paint people with a broad brush based on some criteria or other. 

I have seen historical proof of where labels can take us. I don't want to go there. 

I will do the only thing I can do. I will control ME. Today. Right here, right now. 

I will attend to the attitudes in my own heart. 

I will address my own tendency to categorize people and their actions as good or bad based on some predetermined criteria. 

I will speak out against injustice regardless of which 'side' causes that injustice. 

And when I fail, because I will, I will try to do better. 

How about you? 

Remembering D-Day, 76 years later

Given the current painful state of affairs in America, it would be easy to overlook a historical anniversary, even an important one that helped shape the world as we know it. And yet the anniversary of D-Day is a great time to examine what we as Americans stand for. 

Before we start, let's not forget what the Nazis believed: their superior race should dominate while all others should be subservient. Their crazed leadership pushed that agenda through systematic brainwashing, using force, brutality, and sheer terror to ride herd over the sanctity of life. A nation's sovereignty and its citizens individual liberties were irrelevant to them. 

By 1944, the Nazi regime's borders had expanded through most of Europe, and France had fallen. Britain stood alone as the last European holdout against Nazi occupation. Only the English Channel and a strong RAF stood between England and Hitler's forces. 

General Eisenhower and the other Allied commanders knew they couldn't let England fall to the Nazis. So on June 6, 1944 over 160K Allied troops landed along a stretch of coastline in the Normandy region of France. Their purpose: to push against the heavily-fortified German forces and regain France. 

Over 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft were involved in delivering and supporting the soldiers as they began the push inland along 50 miles of coastline. More than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded, many in that first wave. 

As we know now, the end result of this incredible effort was the ultimate defeat of Hitler and his regime. Of course, the soldiers involved couldn't know that at the time. 

All they knew was that they were fighting against an evil that held one type of person as dominant over another. They were fighting to ensure that the people of Europe would have what we Americans purport to believe: that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator certain unalienable rights. 

Yep, this is a good time to remind us of what the writers of the Declaration of Independence said are 'self-evident.' We are indeed all created equal. 

  

I'm back! Let's get creative!

Here’s a fun activity to get your creative juices flowing.

Fold a sheet of paper into three columns. Label the first column ‘Character,’ the second column ‘Setting,’ and the last ‘Thing.’ 

Then, as I did in the example, brainstorm! 

Make a list of characters, where they’d typically be found, and an object that might be near them. In my example, I placed an executive in her office with a paperclip nearby, and a fairy in the woodlands with a magic wand. Sounds ordinary, right?

Now for the fun. Cut the three columns apart. Slide the columns up or down to make new character/setting/thing arrangements, as I did in my examples. 

Some arrangements will make sense and others will be absurd. That’s okay! It’s an exercise in creativity. Choose one combination of character/setting/thing and write a scene that contains all three.

I’ll leave you now so I can go think—what would place an executive at a garbage dumpster with a pitchfork? Sounds like a murder mystery to me! 

Why would a fairy carry a sword in ancient Egypt? Hmm…

Have fun! 

Episode 8, Kristallnacht and the Kindertransport

Last of my series called 'Why I wrote novels set in Nazi Germany.' 

This episode highlights Nazi aggression toward people of Jewish heritage and the resulting international effort to rescue vulnerable children.

Episode 7, propaganda

The Nazis didn't corner the market on biased information, but they utilized it in every facet of German life to foster their own aims. Watch and learn. And share this with others.

Episode 6, the Nuremberg Rally

This episode of my video series focuses on the powerful propaganda feast called the Nuremberg Rally. Archival stills and video footage are included, so sit back and learn lots in less than 5 minutes!

Fifth in the video series is up!

This episode focuses on treatment of the Romany (Romani) people and the seldom-discussed Lebensborn project. If you thought you knew enough about the Nazi era, think again. 

Goodreads giveaway and a fourth video

Enter on Goodreads for a chance to win one of 100 Kindle copies of The Path Divided, the 'must-read' conclusion of the story that began in Risking Exposure!



The fourth in my 'Why I wrote novels set in Nazi Germany' video series is live on YouTube. Or you can watch it here: 

Giveaway and a 5-star review!

Enter for your chance to win one of 100 Kindle copies of The Path Divided.

Plus, a 5-star review from Reader's Favorite! A thrill for this writer's heart.

The second book in the Risking Exposure series, A Path Divided is the story of a young girl caught between love and loyalty in Nazi Germany. Renate Muller is fourteen and a member of Hitler’s Youth. At first, she’s dazzled by the opulent rallies and impassioned speeches of the Fuhrer, but then the Party begins targeting her crippled friend, Sophie, and she learns they were responsible for the death of her father. A picture frame with magical properties given to her by a Romani woman shows Renate the paths that she could choose. Will she save her friend and risk the enmity of her devout Nazi brother? Or will she remain loyal to her family and country and turn her back on those who need her? 

A Path Divided by Jeanne Moran is beautifully written with a captivating story line and sympathetic characters. She takes us back to a very dark time in human history and tells the story of a mostly forgotten group of people: the German children pressed into service and called Hitler’s Youth. Alternating between past and present, between Renate’s point of view and that of her now elderly brother, Moran tells both their stories in a way that humanizes each of them. The vivid descriptions and realistic manner in which the story is told make this a touching, albeit emotionally difficult read. There were few happy endings in Nazi Germany. But stories like this are important. Some things must not be forgotten. A Path Divided is a must-read for people of all ages.

Why I wrote novels set in Nazi Germany, #3

This video digs a bit more into the T4 pogrom and Nazi propaganda.

Video #2

...and there will be more...

Beginning a video series

This is the first of what I hope will be a series of videos (available here and on YouTube) explaining why 'a nice lady' would write novels set in Nazi Germany. Enjoy!

Taking a holiday break

As holiday prep cranks up, this blog will be on hiatus for a few weeks.

Blog readership has declined dramatically in the last couple of years. In January, I'll reexamine whether or not this one should return and in what capacity.

In the meantime, contact me: authorjeannemoran@gmail.com. Happy Holidays, everyone!

9-year-old convinces town council to lift an archaic law banning snowballs

For the last 98 years, Severance, Colorado has had an ordinance against throwing missiles of any type at trees, buildings, property, or people. According to Kyle Rietkerk, assistant to the Severance town administrator, snowballs qualify as missiles. Lots of kids have complained about the snowball ban over the years, and the town leaders have always told them the truth: the power to change the law is in your hands. No one has taken on the task.  

Until now. This winter, nine-year-old Dane Best learned about the ordinance when he threw snowballs at his little brother. He decided to do something about it. 

Dane gathered signatures from classmates and encouraged them to write letters to the city council. He and his family researched the laws in Severance, and learned how to go through the process of getting them changed. Then earlier this week, Dane made his presentation. After the board clarified some of their own questions with the young activist, the snowball ban was officially lifted.

Celebration broke out. With TV cameras rolling, Dane had the honor of throwing the first legal snowball in Severance in nearly a century. He also threw the second, at his younger brother Dax. 

First responders have each other's back

Troy Hill's place of employment was getting rid of a fully-stocked trailer that was no longer needed. The boss' wife had suggested the trailer be donated to someone who lost their home in California's recent Camp Fire, and the boss wanted Troy's help tracking down the right person.

Frustrated by his inability to tell a real need from a scam, Hill suggested they contact a first responder. He called the sheriff's department in Butte County, California, and within hours was connected with a young officer who had lost everything in the fire. Hill and his boss knew this officer, his wife, and their two children were indeed the family to receive this gift.

All they had to do now was transport the trailer 450 miles to the homeless family. Again within hours of Hill's plea for help, two off-duty officers volunteered to drive with him (900 round trip in one very long day.) A local business donated their heavy-duty truck to carry the load, and friends showed up with bags of toys for the family's children.