As some of my friends and family know, I've been working on a couple of manuscripts, both full-length fiction novels. When my genealogy research began to slow, these stories began floating around my head and I decided to put them to paper (or whatever the digital version is called). I wanted to write something about my ancestors, but my research didn't yield enough details to fill a full-length novel. That's actually why I created this blog several years ago; so I could share shorter stories based on the information I had been able to gather. As my research slowed, my blog posts slowed, and I began developing two (for now) fictional stories with the plan to publish them.
About a year ago, my work on the manuscripts came to stop when the opportunity to purchase a new home presented itself. The manuscripts are at a point where I have to spend money on final editing, cover art, ISBNs, and even a professional photo of myself. Buying a house obviously took precedence. Since I don't know when I'll have the money to publish the manuscripts, I've decided to share the stories online for free. I enjoyed writing them, and reading them (and re-reading them), so I hope others will enjoy them as well.
Just a Wall is the first story, and I'll be posting the first chapter in a few days. Beginning in July, I'll post two chapters each month. My target audience is teens and pre-teens, with the hope that this historical fiction will inspire them to learn more about the time period about which I'm writing. I tried to include details that someone from my generation might have learned from their grandparents but is beyond the experiences of the grandparents of today's young people. I hope adults will also enjoy the novel as a "quick read." If you know someone who might also enjoy the novel, please send them a link.
Of course, I need my disclaimer. With certain exceptions, any similarity to real people and events is purely coincidental. All of the non-Jewish characters in the novel are fictional and the unnamed town in Poland where most of the story takes place is no one specific town. It is located in the region in Poland where many of my ancestors lived. Almost all of the Jewish characters are real. Some have the same name and age as the real-life person I based them on, but I've changed their fate to fit my story. Others are real in name only. They exist in different places in my family tree and I chose to honor their memory by using their names in the story. I have been careful to avoid using the names of living people.
So, I hope you enjoy the story. Please feel free to comment. I'm open to constructive criticism; in fact I welcome it. There are more stories in my head that may actually make to my keyboard someday and I'd like to learn from my early writing.
Just a Wall is dedicated to all of those people who chose to do the right thing simply because it was the right thing to do.
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