A lot of work goes into writing any book, but I think it's safe to say that there are some genres of romance that are more difficult to write, just based on the amount of research that has to be done. Historical books pose a threat to any writer, because not only do we have to procure a good story but we also have to make things historically correct, else we get hung out to dry with the rest of wrong-doers (haha).
My novella, Forbidden Angel, is set in a concentration camp at the end of WWII. Here are some of the tactics I used when it came to making my story historically correct—I didn't limit myself to the characteristics of one certain concentration camp (example: Auschwitz). Instead I did research on all prevalent camps, like—Dachau, the extermination camp Sobibor, and of course Auschwitz. I took the knowledge that I learned about camps like these and used it to create the setting for the characters in my novella.
-I also did a lot of double checking, which is probably one of the best tactics to use. Don't trust anything you find online, unless there are multiple sources that back it up, especially when it comes to Wikipedia. It's very useful, but not always correct.
This time period is a rather difficult to capture since this is such a tragic event in our history. It is hard to portray something like a romance within the walls of a place where happiness isn't a common denominator; especially between the Jewish people being held prisoner and the Nazis holding them captive. This was a big reason that I chose this story, because it was a challenge. A relationship between these two people seems nigh impossible, based on the circumstances that bring them together.
It's funny because when I read books about paranormal heroes who are known killers of hundreds, and are proclaimed evil, I don't think twice about it. When it comes to a German Nazi soldier, it's hard for me to think of any qualities he could have where he can redeem himself. (Funny how that works, right?) Writing Sarah and Aurel's story was definitely a challenge for me, especially since I had a hero whom I disliked at first, but grew to love in the end.
With all of that being said, I hope you will check out my debut novella, Forbidden Angel. Available now from Breathless Press!
Forbidden Angel
Timeless-Historical Romance
Buy Link
Blurb:
When captured by the Nazis, Sarah finds herself in a
concentration camp that not only brings her closer to death...but closer to
love.
Sarah Brenner, a young Jewish woman, is terrified when she
finds herself in the heat of a rail-car bound for a work camp in Nazi Germany.
For years she, along with her mother and sister, had hidden from the SS, but no
one could hide forever. Her hatred for those who have enslaved them is
ever-growing, especially when they arrive and she encounters the shockingly
handsome Nazi doctor who can't seem to keep his eyes—or hands—off her.
Aurel Rothstein is not your everyday concentration camp
physician. The endless prisoners and lack of care he's allowed to give have
made him numb to the work he so coveted. It isn't until he comes face to face
with a beautiful prisoner that his heart becomes involved with his job—a
forbidden and fatal move to any Nazi.
When a vile soldier takes direct interest in Sarah, she will
be forced to make a choice that will change her life forever: ignore the pull
toward the handsome doctor or give in to the forbidden passion he awakens with
only a look. Either way they both risk everything...
Excerpt:
The doctor was kissing her. She was kissing
him back. Sarah had been afraid when he'd carried her to his office. The word
"experimentation" terrified her, but he did nothing of the sort. He'd
actually fed her and given her some water. He even made her something to take
back to her family. He was being so kind, and when his gaze smoldered and he
said something about inspecting her body, she'd easily melted for him.
There was something wrong with her. She
shouldn't be feeling this way, but the moment his rough hands caressed her achy
back, she was lost to her nerve endings. Never before had she felt such desire
from the mere brush of fingertips against her skin. The pain in her back
immediately ceased, and all she could feel was pleasure.
His kiss was soft and tentative at first, as
if he was afraid he'd scare her away, but she kissed him back and reveled in
the groan of defeat he gave. He ran his hands deliciously over her hardened
nipples, teasing them, tracing where his mouth had kissed just moments before.
He's a bad person, her mind kept trying to tell her, but she ignored the warning.
Something about this man just felt so right.
"What's your name, angel?" he asked
as he broke away from her lips. Did he just call her angel? She pondered this
pet name for a moment before he leaned in and nipped her neck.
"Mmm, I'm no angel." She truly
wasn't. She was selfish just like any other person.
"Yes, you are, angel. Your name?"
"Sarah," she murmured as he traced
his tongue along her sensitive collarbone. Never in her life had anything felt
this good. She'd been with one man before they stopped going into public. She
didn't dislike the sexual acts she explored with him, but they felt like
nothing compared to this.
"If I am an angel, then so are you."
Sarah temporarily forgot his actions outside of this room, the other things he
did. Only an angel could bring forth sensations this exquisite.
"No, that I am not." His voice
rumbled like a hurricane.
"Okay, a dark angel then, but still an
angel."
About the Author
Megan D. Martin is a content editor at Breathless Press, and
loves her job more than a normal person should. She was born and raised in a
small Texas town, where she still resides with her delightfully rotten son. She
enjoys decorating her home with strange things that do not match, playing her
old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish
tanks. Forbidden Angel is her debut novella. To learn more about Megan and her
writing check her out on these social networking sites:
