Guest Blog: Introducing Historical Fiction Author Roberta Kagan
02 April 2017I’m thrilled to introduce to you one of my dearest friends and historical fiction author Roberta Kagan. Roberta writes historical fiction based around the time of the holocaust and the aftermath. Get to know Roberta a little, subscribe to her mailing list / Facebook group and get acquainted with her All My Love, Detrick series of novels. You can see a link to my review of the first book in the series in the links section below.
INTRODUCING ROBERTA KAGAN
Let me introduce myself, name is Roberta Kagan. I am an author of Historical Fiction most of which is set during the Holocaust.
First off, I would like to thank MaryD for featuring me on her blog. I am truly honored. I’ve read several of Mary’s books and she is a truly talented writer. Her novels are historically rich with tender believable characters that wrap themselves around the readers heart and don’t let go until the last page is turned. But, what I didn’t know about Mary is that she is also an incredible artist. She has a natural eye for color and design that is a striking as it is symbolic. As I said, she is a true artist. In fact, if you have a moment you can see her artwork on the cover of my novel “You Are My Sunshine.” It’s on Amazon. Her work is magnificent, isn’t it?
Now, a little about my books and why I write what I write. My mother was Jewish and my father was Romany, they both lost family during Hitler’s terrible reign, and I grew up with the dark cloud of their memories always hovering over us. I couldn’t understand how something as horrific as the systematic murder of eleven million people could actually be carried out by a society as civilized as Germany was before Hitler. So, I studied, I read everything I could find, and I met with survivors. I talked to children of SS officers and to many Holocaust deniers. And you know what…I still have no answers as to how people can be so cruel. But, I do know how Hitler got in to power, I know how it all started and then how it slowly grew into the monster if finally became. But, I also know, and I want the world to know, that not all German’s were Nazi’s and not all Jews were perfect. I have learned that there were unsung heroes who risked their own lives to save strangers and there were unexpected villains in the most unlikely of places. And these things I know for certain and so they are reflected in my books.
Two more themes run through all of my work:
The first is that the years are passing quickly and soon all of the Holocaust survivors will be gone. If we are ever to learn the lessons of the Holocaust, then their memories must not be lost when they leave us on this earth. And, so I write their stories to keep their legacies alive. Of course, I don’t delude myself into believing that the struggles of hatred and prejudice have ended. I know that today, there are still so many places on this earth where people suffer from the hatred of a government that discriminates against them, and unfortunately, torture and murder by one group against another had not been obliterated. And because of this, keeping the flame of the Holocaust lit is so essential to promote understanding and hopefully someday to bring about change for the better.
The second theme that runs through every book I’ve ever written is the very important message of hope. I’ve met with and interviewed many survivors and the main artery that I could say ran through each of their stories, was that they never lost hope. And so in each of my books you will find a mention of the following words “a flicker of light.” In fact it is even a title of one of my novels. When you see this reference this is what it means: Even in the darkest hour, there is always a flicker of light. That flicker is always the same.. it is hope, and love.
I believe that each of us has a purpose. For me, I believe that writing these books is mine. If in some small way, I can make difference through my work than the world will be a better place for my having been here .
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