Emotion in Writing

When I read a book, I often base my opinion of whether it’s a good story or not, by the emotion it brought out in me. If a book made me laugh or cry it was usually a good one. Of course there are many other emotions besides happiness or sadness. Fear, paranoia, depression, sympathy, worry; they are all part of our emotions. It is the writer’s job to draw the reader into the story by making him care about the characters. As a reader, if I feel that I am emotionally drawn in, that usually means I’m enjoying the book.

I would like to share with you an excerpt from my novel, Julia’s Violinist. I hope you’ll feel some kind of emotion as you read it.

Excerpt from Julia’s Violinist

Three days later the POWs gathered their few possessions and lined up at the Stalag gates to have their passbooks stamped on their way to freedom. The last distribution of mail was done as the soldiers passed through the gates. Only a handful of POWs had mail. Karl thought he must have heard wrong when his name was called. The Russian guard tossed a tatty bundle of letters to him and read the next name. Karl was stunned. Not a single letter for over a year and now, on the last day, a bundle of … thirty-one, he counted. All from Julia.

He was frantic with wanting to open them, but nothing, not even these special letters, could make him lag behind in the POW camp. Out! Out! Just get out first, and then I can look at them.

As soon as he was out of sight of the prison camp, he sank down on the ground beside the road. His hands trembled as he opened the first letter. Through tears he saw her lovely handwriting, so perfect and neat; words that spoke of loneliness and longing. Each letter contained a small anecdote of Julia’s home life and ended with the hope that they would see each other again. Around the edges of the pages his name was written over and over in a border design, “KarlKarlKarlKarl. I miss you, Karl.”

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there. Other recently released POWs walked by. No one stopped. They had seen it all and there was nothing unusual about a man sitting in the dirt crying his eyes out as he read his mail.

Julia’s Violinist is available at all amazon sites in paperback or Kindle and at smashwords.com in paperback and all e-reader formats. You can find out more about my books on my webpage:  http://www.anneli-purchase.com

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Love and Drama

Women love a love story.

Men?

I think men secretly love a love story but they don’t want to let their emotions go all to pieces, at least not so anyone could see. While they wouldn’t be caught dead holding a copy of some romantic novel, they wouldn’t mind watching a movie with drama and a relationship as long as it wasn’t too sappy.

So authors of novels that involve relationships have some options. They can give up on men as readers and write “romance” novels for women. Or, they can write the kind of novel that both men and women can enjoy, with more happening in the novel than simply a love story.

The latter is the kind of novel I prefer to write. I always have relationships going on in my stories, but the background events and locations raise the interest level for all readers.

Let me give you four examples:

One

In my novel, The Wind Weeps, a woman becomes involved with two commercial fishermen. Of course she chooses the wrong man. After that, it’s a matter of her survival. I don’t take the fishermen out of their setting and focus only on the love affairs. The events that influence the development of the story are set in the real working lives of the fishermen. The characters run their trollers, they do some hunting, they do boat maintenance, go mushroom picking, and explore the fabulous coast of British Columbia from Vancouver to the Queen Charlotte Islands. But all this is written to appeal to men as well as women. Romantic attachments develop within this lifestyle. Exciting drama and tense situations keep you turning pages.

Two

My novel Reckoning Tide is the sequel to The Wind Weeps. It is a “must read,” if you enjoyed the free download of The Wind Weeps. I think you will find the continuing adventure and ending of Reckoning Tide very satisfying.

Three

Another love story in a practical, yet exotic setting is Orion’s Gift. Sylvia, a gorgeous California woman,  has received news that prompts her to flee her comfortable home. She goes on an extended trip down the Baja Peninsula. But for the men, who also enjoy real life situations and a love story sneaked in on the sly, I introduce Kevin, owner of an Alberta hardware store. Kevin is a handsome man who has let his wife steamroll over him for years. Events evolve that allow Kevin to escape, and Baja is his destination. When Kevin meets Sylvia, they should live happily ever after, judging by the sparks they send up to the heavens, but their two spouses are hunting them down. Trouble looms.

If you like a good love story with spicy sex, and  a real inside look at dry camping on the Baja Peninsula, Orion’s Gift is the book for you.

Four

And then there is Julia’s Violinist. Born of German heritage, in what was then Austria-Hungary, Julia is an innocent victim of the fallout of two world wars. Julia’s Violinist is not a war story, because, as its author, I dislike war stories. But what I have learned is that when there is major strife in the world, people still  try to continue living their usual lives. The war tears up the very foundations of Julia’s life. Widowed, having lost her home to the spoils of war, she and her two children are rebuilding their lives. Times are hard. Very hard. She remarries, but her husband is a difficult man.

Then one day a letter arrives from Canada. After twenty years, her first love has found her again after searching for her through the Red Cross. “Come to me,” he writes. “Thank God I’ve found you. I still love you after all these years.”

You will love Julia too. I guarantee it.

All titles available at amazon outlets and at smashwords.com

More info at anneli-purchase.com

 

Books Matter

When I was little and we had just come to Canada from Germany, my mother read to me often from “The Golden Book of Fairytales,” one of the important items she packed to bring with us. Books were important to her, and she made sure that her children also learned to appreciate them.

My two younger sisters were already Canadianized by the time they were old enough to be told fairytales, so maybe they didn’t have quite the same attachment as I did to this particular book. One day when they felt creative and there was no other paper handy, they drew their pictures in the fairytale book.

I remember being upset about it and judging by her reaction, so was my mother (although I’m sure now that she was putting on the horrified face mostly to show my sisters that defacing books was a No-no). My sisters might have been somewhere between three and five years old.

After that, when my mother read us stories from the big book, she sometimes clucked at the scribblings and shook her head, and I’m sure my sisters felt guilty while I put on my most self-righteous “older sister” look.

One day at storytime, when my sisters were about eight or nine and they commented on the scribbling in the book, my mother decided that it might be a good time to talk about how important it was to take care of your books. My sisters were genuinely sorry and to make it better, my mother suggested that they write an apology in the book.

Now, 51 years later, we chuckle about it. The book is one of my special treasures, but more special is the memory of my mother’s reverence for books and how she taught it to her children. I will always love her for that.

Humour in Writing – Anneli Purchase

It is human nature to enjoy happiness, and although humour in books is not the enduring kind of happiness,   it can bring us snippets of it. Only the most serious of books would not benefit from a little humour woven into the text. My novel, “Julia’s Violinist” is a fairly serious story of a postwar love triangle. I’d like to share with you an excerpt from this novel to show that everything need not be dour at all times, even in a setting like that of Julia’s story, where love still thrives among the ruins of war.

Excerpt from Julia’s Violinist:

He stood in the doorway holding a bouquet of flowers in each hand. “For the lady of the house,” he said. A wave of his blondish hair fell forward as he inclined his head in a quick bow to Brigitte. Julia took a deep breath as Brigitte motioned for her to come closer.

“This is my sister, Julia Feldmann. Our new friend, Karl Werner.” Karl gave the second bouquet to Julia and shook her hand.

“So happy to meet you, Julia. I hope you like flowers too.”

“I love flowers. Very nice to meet you, Karl.” He was charming. No doubt about that.

“Mutti, Mutti!” Steffie ran into the house, gasping for breath. “I saw a man picking the neighbours’ flowers.”

“Psh-sh-t! Steffie!” Julia said.

“That’s him!” She pointed, mouth agape, and hid behind her mother.

“They were being wasted over there and I knew there were two lovely ladies in this house who needed them. Now, Steffie—is that your name? What a pretty name. You won’t tell on me, will you?”

“No.” Steffie peeked at Karl from behind Julia’s dress.

Julia watched the smile playing around Karl’s lips as he wooed Steffie into becoming an accomplice in his crime.

“Let’s get these lovely flowers into water so they haven’t been picked in vain,” Brigitte said. “Why don’t we sit in the living room? Steffie you can go on back out and play.”

“Don’t forget to keep our secret,” Karl called after her.

“I won’t,” she said, skipping out the door. “Sofie! Guess what!” they heard her call.

Julia’s Violinist is available for only 99 cents from now to the end of July through amazon.com and smashwords.com.

 

Boys’ School, Berlin 1923

Karl, one of the characters in my novel Julia’s Violinist, appears as an adult character in the novel, but part of laying the groundwork for his personality involves letting the reader get to know him as a child.

In this excerpt, eleven-year-old Karl, has been sent to a foster home on a farm on the outskirts of Berlin. In the nearby boys’ school, he is determined to get revenge on the teacher who seems to have it in for him.

A Snippet from Julia’s Violinist:

Herr Solberg nagged him. “Karl! What’s this? Did one of those farm hens run across your page? Who is supposed to be able to read this? You’ll copy this work again after class.” Karl smirked and lapped up the attention he received.

The next day at recess, the boys, as always, paraded two abreast around the inner court of the schoolyard. Karl had what he needed—an elastic band and one of Frau Bauerman’s hairpins. In the middle of the yard, Herr Solberg stood, hands behind his back, ever watchful, his gleaming pate bobbing as he teetered back and forth from toe to heel. Karl kept his hands down and to one side as he loaded the hairpin and drew back on the elastic band between his thumb and pointer finger. He released the stretched elastic and immediately dropped it on the ground. Karl used Peter’s body as a screen to hide the laughter he couldn’t keep inside.

Herr Solberg’s hand flew to his temple, slapping himself. His bald head swivelled. Eagle eyes searched the line of boys. In seconds he had traced the path of the flying object and pointed to several of the boys around Karl.

“You four. Step out.” Karl, Peter, and two other boys stepped out of line. “Empty your pockets.” The boys all had various small items in their pockets, but Karl had nothing. “One of you did this.” Herr Solberg pointed at the red welt on his temple. “You will tell me who did it right now, or you will all be punished.”

Peter had a pained grimace on his face. Karl could see him struggling with his conscience. Although Peter mostly looked at the ground, his eyes constantly flicked over to look at Karl as if he was waiting for him to confess. Moments later Peter broke down and pointed at Karl.

Herr Solberg took Karl by the scruff of the neck and hauled him into the school, lifting him so that the tips of his toes were all that touched the ground as he walked. Karl tingled with excitement. At the end of the break, the class had to witness his punishment. Karl stood at the front of the classroom looking at the faces of his classmates. Some covered their mouths to hide their expressions of horror at the pain they knew was coming, while others beamed openly in gleeful anticipation.

Herr Solberg pointed. “Bend over the table.” He took his cane and smacked the table beside Karl. The knocking of knees on desks appeared to give Herr Solberg pleasure. His lips stretched back into a sadistic grin. He wiped a bit of drool from his mouth and proceeded to give Karl’s backside three hard whacks.

Karl winced but didn’t cry. When it was over, he sauntered back to his desk with a smirk.

“I’m really sorry, Karl,” Peter said on the way home, “but he was going to cane us all if someone didn’t speak up and I was the only one who knew you did it.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Karl threw back his shoulders and pulled himself up as tall as possible. He walked with a swagger.

“But it must have hurt like hell, getting your bottom hit like that.”

“It wasn’t too bad.” Karl stopped abruptly and reached down inside the back of his knickerbockers. He pulled out a huge handful of straw. “I expected to get caught.” The boys shrieked with laughter as they ran home.

Julia’s Violinist is available in paperback and all e-book formats at Smashwords.com

and at all amazon sites, particularly

amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

amazon.de

Find out more about Anneli Purchase, her copy-editing skills, and her books at her website:http://www.anneli-purchase.com 

Timing is Everything

Anneli Purchase

 Julia’s Violinist is a love story that is dear to my heart. I’d like to tell you a little bit about it in time for Valentine’s Day.

Photo courtesy of Victor Tribunsky

Nineteen-year-old Julia lives in the tiny hamlet of Neusattl. She is in love with Michael, a roguishly handsome young man who plays the violin beautifully.  He lives in Saaz,  a much larger town about 15 kms away.

His long hours at work, and the early darkness of winter evenings make it almost impossible for them to see each other.  Julia wonders if he really loves her after all. They break up when an acquaintance of Michael’s turns on the charm and sweeps her off her feet.

1939. War is declared. Everything changes. The next years bring love and loss and love again, but not with Michael. He has disappeared without a trace.

Julia begins a new family, a new life, with a man she is still getting to know. He is not the gentle fun-loving fellow that Michael was, but he promises to look after her. In the desperate postwar times it has to be enough. Then one day a letter arrives from her first love of over twenty years ago:

Excerpt from Julia’s Violinist

April 30, 1952

Dear Julia,

I hope that I’ve found you at last and that you are well. I’ve been writing letters and looking for you since the war ended. I didn’t know if you were dead or alive. I was so happy when the Red Cross sent me this address for you. They told me you are listed as a widow, so I presume that Lukas did not survive the war. I’m sorry for your loss. He was a good man.

I’ve been in Canada since 1938 when Hitler’s enforcers came looking for anyone who had opposed him politically. I was lucky to escape. I couldn’t even say goodbye to Marlies. I heard later that she died in the Dresden bombing. She had relatives there and was visiting at that terrible time. Sadly, they all perished.

A group of us, who feared for our lives, went into hiding. We managed to slip out of the country and come to Canada via Britain. There are a lot of German people in the Dawson Creek area.

Would you and your daughters consider coming to Canada? It is a land of hope and opportunity, they say. I believe it. It has been good to me. I have a bakery here in Dawson Creek and it is doing well. Why don’t you come? There are hard times ahead for you in Germany. Life is better here. Say you’ll come.

Michael

*****

What would you do? Read Julia’s Violinist and find out what Julia did.

Julia’s Violinist is available in paperback or e-book at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk (and other amazon outlets), and smashwords.com.

Christmas Interview – Carmen

My friend Carmen is my guest today. She lives in Germany and will give us a different perspective of how she celebrates the holidays.

1. Do you celebrate Christmas? 

Yes, it’s the greatest family meeting ever – the whole family comes together at this time – more than at other feasts.

(We even remember family  members who are no longer with us: the cemetery is adorned with candlelight everywhere at that time.)

 2. Have you ever spent Christmas alone?

 No – I always met with my best friends or family at least.

3. Have you ever had a non-traditional Christmas dinner? What did you have?

Yes I have every year ! Because the traditional Christmas dinners are not good  for the figure.

My favourite non–traditional Christmas dinner is: Mixed Grill (Beef goulash – pieces; onion slices; colourful sweet pepper; and strips of bacon alternatively put on skewers) heated in the oven under the grill served together with an american barbecue sauce or tomato paste on top of it and french fries.

Or otherwise a Hungarian goulash with “Spätzle,” or a very good piece of beef with herb butter on it together with french fries or baked potato.

Before this there will be a healthy salad.

And we must not forget a sweet dessert after that. Maybe a kind of  cinnamon vanilla ice cream, or an iced coffee together with this, or cinnamon stars.

Everything served on bone china and a festive decorated tablecloth with candlelight.

We like to pick nuts and make a liqueur from the biggest ones.

4. What are your thoughts on gift giving? 

I wonder if the gifted person  really likes this? It is never easy to make a gift to persons who need only money, but you want to give a personal gift at that time. Something that enchants even older persons. And I often noticed later, that especially these gifts are the ones where I was the most wrong.

5. What was the most fun activity you’ve done at Christmas? 

Sleigh riding through the snowy forest on a horse-drawn sleigh with a lantern on the carriage near the Tegernsee and a torch-lit walk through the snowy mountain, followed by Bavarian shaking music and Christmas poems in a wood-heated festively decorated cabin.

6. Do you have stockings either at Christmas, or on St. Nicholas Day?

I  only use  stockings at Christmas or St. Nicholas Day when the heating doesn’t work, or when I have a cold  ha ha….

I have only an Advent decoration in the form of embroidered socks made in Russia.

For St. Nicholas Day,  on the evening before the 6^th of December, children place boots in front of their door. The next morning they will be filled up with sweet treats or if the children have not been good perhaps it could be a rod  in it, too. You can buy everywhere little red plastic boots (like the boots of Santa Claus) filled with sweet treats.

Not to forget, before Christmas we have a Christmas wreath with four candles – we light one after the other every Sunday in December before Christmas.

And we have a calendar with 24 little doors to open from the first of December with little chocolate goodies in it for children, the housewife (for her nerves ha ha…) or the pet, or very modern: filled with beer bottles for men.

I noticed these days. I have a re-fillable calendar for our pet –  every day he gets a Frolics (treat) and on the 24th some more, and he demands that with shiny eyes every morning.

7. What was the best gift you ever received at Christmas?

A brunch for two in a Noble Hotel; or an evening in a dialectical or folk-theatre, a short trip together with our dog.

8. What was the worst gift you ever received at Christmas?

An egg cup, deodorant, and a electric garage door opener.

9. What do you do with gifts you don’t like?

I put it into an invisible corner and later on I throw it away. Or if it was very expensive – I try to change it or to get the money from it to buy something more useful.

10. What would you change about Christmas?

It becomes too commercial from year to year. Already in August the competition  begins at the supermarkets to sell their goods for it. The contemplation is too short in my opinion – it’s now only the pre-Christmas stress.

11. What would you keep the same if you could?

The time before Christmas is the best time with all the electric or candle lights – this has something mystical, like in fairy tales. The people are altogether more friendly and helpful; the preparations before the great feast, the anticipation, the sweet pastries everywhere and anywhere slightly different.

To see all the packages under the Christmas  tree before they are opened – I like this.

The tradition to go very well dressed to church and celebrate there with other people before the Christmas meal, and distribution of the Christmas presents.

12. What is your favourite Christmas music or song?

Silent Night, or O Christmas Tree, Daughter of Zion – we always sing that in the church at Christmas.

Or Pop Music of Bryan Adams, Simon and Garfunkel, or modern Christmas singers of England and America – I like to put on the radio at this time.

13. What do you like best about Christmas?

Especially it is a feast for little children – we all like their bright eyes when they see their gifts for the first time. And the candlelight and festive mood together with darkness and all the pretty light-decorated trees and houses and not to forget the Xmas markets in the cities with their special smell of mulled-wine and their sweet treats.

14. Any additional thoughts about Christmas?

At Christmas every year you notice that the years pass by quicker when you get older and you always think then, “Another year gone already.”

A Christmas without snow is not as beautiful as a Christmas with snow.

And after Christmas everybody waits already for New Year’s Eve to have a party and after that the new year begins again.

At New Year’s we always have a traditional fondue feast together with good friends.

Victoria Day Weekend

Since it is Victoria Day weekend, I thought it would be fitting to post an excerpt from my third novel, “Julia’s Violinist,” that relates directly to that weekend. The setting is Nanaimo in the 1960s and the Victoria Day parade is about to begin.

EXCERPT from “Julia’s Violinist”

The family had decided to walk the two blocks to town and find a place to watch the Victoria Day parade. Karl had the little ones by the hand, as usual giving most of his attention to Reinhard and barely looking at Rosalie. I suppose I can’t expect anything else from him. As always, Julia’s stomach burned with worry for her neglected daughter.

Juergen swaggered out the door with his hands in his pockets. Almost fifteen he was beginning to give orders more often and take them less. “Come on, Mutti! The parade is going to start in a few minutes.”

“Yes, Juergen. Just hold on a minute. I have to find the right key to lock the door.” Julia fumbled in her purse. Lena tapped her foot and waited for her mother.

“We’ll go ahead and you can catch up.” Juergen jumped down the four steps to the sidewalk and ran to catch up to Karl, Reinhard, and Rosalie.

A roar followed by an explosive blast shook the door and windows of the house. Julia felt the blood draining out of her face. She looked at her children. Yes, they were all right. But the bomb? What happened?

“Wow! Mutti! Did you see the jets? That must be because of the parade,” Lena said. “Mutti? What’s wrong? You’re crying! What is it?”

Julia ran into the house and threw herself sobbing onto the couch. Lena sat down and put an arm around her mother. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh.…” Julia took a deep breath and choked back another sob. “For a second I was right back in the war. I thought we were getting bombed.”

“Oh, Mutti.” Lena gave her mother a hug. “It must have been terrible.”

“You can’t imagine how terrible,” Julia said, “but I’m thankful that you can’t. I hope you never find out how terrible war is.”

“Try not to think about it now.” Lena patted her back. “Let’s go to the parade and everything will be fine again.”

“I think I need a drink of water first.” Julia clutched at her chest. “I feel like I swallowed a rock.”

“You do look a bit grey. I’ll get you that water.”

The door flew open and Juergen stuck his head in. “Come on. Are you guys coming? Let’s go. Did you see those Voodoo jets? Wow! Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Juergen. Mutti needs to catch her breath for a minute. Thought you’d gone on? You go tell the others we’ll be there in a few minutes, okay?” Lena ran to get the glass of water.

Julia writhed and twisted her upper body to try to rid herself of the pain that was creeping up her chest to her throat. It would pass. It always did.

Julia’s Violinist is available in Courtenay at Laughing Oyster Book Shop, in Comox at Blue Heron Books, and in Bowser at the Salish Sea Market.

Farther afield, you can find it in paperback or e-book at amazon outlets and at smashwords.com.

Amazon.com http://ow.ly/laD8T 

Amazon.de http://ow.ly/laDiA 

Amazon.co.uk http://ow.ly/laDbf  

Smashwords.com http://ow.ly/laDkv 

Anneli’s website has all the particulars as well as photos and reviews. www.anneli-purchase.com

Julia’s Violinist

As a young woman, Julia was in love with a fellow from a neighbouring village. He was handsome, fun to be with, and played the violin so sweetly. Unfortunately, circumstances made it difficult for their romance to continue.

Fast forward twenty years. World War II has been lost. Julia, now a widow with two small children, is trying to rebuild  her life after postwar atrocities left her raped, homeless, and deported.

Gradually she rebuilds her life, but her new husband is hard to live with at times.

A letter arrives from Canada. “I’ve been searching for you  through the Red Cross for years. I’m so happy I’ve found you at last. Please come to me in Canada for a better life.”

By some miracle, her first sweetheart is still alive.  What to do?

Julia’s Violinist is available in e-book form on amazon.com. Click here: http://amzn.to/YerEJ7

The paperback version is also available on all amazon sites and on Smashwords.com.

For all e-reader types, you can download Julia’s Violinist from Smashwords.com. Click here: http://bit.ly/VzlHFR